Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, inspiration, pep talk, Thoughts, yay on March 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »
What with the war and the climate and the pandemic and all, the news can be a bit of a nightmare these days. Sometimes it can be hard to stay positive. What might take the edge off?
How about a pep talk from kindergartners?
A new hotline offers pep talks from kindergartners : NPR
If you need a pep talk from kindergartners, press 3. If you need to hear kids laughing with delight, press 4.
Yes, please. And thank you.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, inspiration, persistence, Thoughts on March 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Because some days it’s nice to be reminded that just because something looks impossible doesn’t mean that it is.
Realistic Catfish Drawing Looks Like It’s Swimming Off the Page
The linked video makes the illusion particularly clear.
In completely unrelated news, I’m almost done with my taxes.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, inspiration, learning, productivity, Thoughts, Writers, writing on March 4, 2022| 1 Comment »
“I have two questions for you,” I said. “One: Do you want to do better?” …
“Here’s my second question: Are you willing to feel the discomfort of putting in more effort and trying new things that will feel weird and different and won’t work right away?”
— Peter Bregman, If You Want to Get Better at Something, Ask Yourself These Two Questions
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, empathy, Europe, hope, Thoughts, Ukraine on March 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »
One of the side effects of growing up mixed race and adopted is the (often in-your-face) realization that a lot of how we divide ourselves into “us” and “them” is a matter of choice.
Like so many of you, I’m watching the war in Ukraine and hoping the news will improve.
I don’t know any Ukrainians (or many Russians). They aren’t Americans or Canadians or African Americans or Swedish Americans or Italians or Germans or French or Irish or any of the other categories that I might reasonably be expected to claim as “my” people. But they are people.
And that’s what matters.
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Background & Links
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“I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, Author and Veteran
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Thoughts on March 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Tuesdays, home of the mediocre Wordle.
Some days, you know? Hope yours is better!
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, hope, peace, Thoughts, world on February 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
― Martin Luther
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Thoughts on February 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I like taxes. I know that may be an unpopular opinion but I like a lot of what they support, such as schools and roads and clean water and fire trucks and social security and air pollution controls and building codes and protection from creatures that howl in the night. (Civilization, you get what you pay for.)
I don’t like doing taxes. I’d be a lot happier about the whole transaction if I didn’t have to pay twice, once in money and once in time.
I’m a less usual case because I pay in two countries, but most people have fairly straightforward taxes. There’s no reason to make those folks jump through all these hoops—the government already knows what most of us are paid.
Many countries use return-free filing. Under that system, most taxpayers get a quick “thanks, you’re good” and that’s it, done. (Changing the US system would take a lot more work than just waving a magic wand, of course, but doesn’t no return sound nice?) I predict we’ll see a lot of articles about this very topic come mid-April.
What would you do with the time you’d save if you didn’t have to fight through filing paperwork or work more to earn enough to pay someone else to do it?
Whatever you want, that’s what.
Aaand now it’s time to get back to it.
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Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, inspiration, Thoughts on February 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I have three bags of chocolate, white, milk and dark, 5.5 pounds each. (Thanks, Costco!)
Time to perfect multiple variations of that tofu chocolate pudding recipe, don’t you think?
See you on the other side!*
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* Yes, I’ve been working on my taxes. No, they are not done. Yes, chocolate will help. Obviously!
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing on February 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.”
― John Green
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, productivity, Thoughts on February 24, 2022| 1 Comment »
Today’s motto: Don’t think about it, just do it.*
Simple. Right.
Thinking about things takes up a considerable amount of energy. Energy that could be better spent on more interesting projects. It’s also not nearly as productive as I like to imagine.
Today’s example: Do I want to do my taxes? I do not, but needs must.
Are there other, far more interesting projects I could work on? Hmm, let’s see. Yes.
Would I rather put taxes into the “think about it some more a.k.a. put it off until later” column? Of course!
Like many of you** I’ve been avoiding my taxes for weeks. It’s time for a strongly-worded memo (I suppose this qualifies) and a spot of bribery.
Project: Taxes. So fun.
Reward: Time in the workshop, the library, or the kitchen. Did I mention I just received an order of good chocolate?
/rubs hands with glee
/eyes tax forms
/eh. worth it!
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* I really wish Nike hadn’t turned that saying into an inextricably-associated-with-marketing phrase.
** I’m guessing, of course, but I like my odds.
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