dailyprompt – Page 16

Like Water Off a Duck’s Back

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I would like to be able to let things go and watch as it dissipates like water off a duck’s back. It is not an easy thing to do especially if you’re like me. I take a lot of things to heart and I play ball with it for as long as it takes. Putting my magnifying glasses on, I go over every detail as if it is of the utmost importance but in reality, it was nothing more than a tidbit thrown in my direction but one that I in my innate humanness decided to give it more attention than it deserved. Instead of letting go like water under the bridge or water off a duck’s back, I hang on like it is a prized possession.

If there is one skill I would like to learn, it is to not let things bother me. I want to be able to take whatever comes my way, good or bad but especially the bad parts, give it a cursory glance, know it is there but to also know that whatever it is, it doesn’t deserve my undivided attention. It is alright and I can let it go without looking back. This is a skill I have yet to learn.

I must say I am getting better at it. I no longer spend days on end mulling over what went wrong, why the person did what they did, why someone’s hurtful words and deeds have the ability to hold me captive and WHY I should even care! These days I move quickly. I nip it in the bud, put it where it belongs, usually in never never land and move on to things of the positive nature.

Not always that easy but with focus and a clear mindset, things don’t bother me as much as they used to. Am I developing a thick skin? It is not so much a “thick skin” but a conscious effort to say that whatever comes my way doesn’t deserve the undivided emotional response I have been giving it.

It is still a learning process and one that I haven’t mastered yet. Perhaps, in time but I’m not holding my breath!

Daily writing prompt

What skill would you like to learn?

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What Could You Pay More Attention to?

I think it would be hands down my mind! It is creative and imaginative, good things, but it has a tendency to take me down roads I don’t want to go if I listen to it!

Some days it twiddles its thumbs and sits back and watches as I go about life my own way. On other days, it decides that it wants to be front and center and then it gets loud and stomps its feet! There is no ignoring it then.

It is a conscious decision everyday to keep it in its place. Sometimes it can be destructive but at other times, it abides and does as it is told but not always. That’s when I have to pay attention to it and soften the loud voice with soothing messages of my own. Not always easy but it is doable if I pay attention to the messages that my mind feeds me.

Meditation and deep breathing are my go to methods to keep it quiet, calm and in its place! So far it has been working but it might just turn the tables on me! I’ll deal with that when we get there.

Daily writing prompt

What details of your life could you pay more attention to?

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My #1 Priority Tomorrow

Hmm….there are many things that I hope will make my day a fantastic success tomorrow but if I have to pin down one thing, I would say it is to wake up with a good attitude.

Good attitude meaning one that is grateful for the brand new day and with a positive mindset to look at things with the glass-half-full mentality rather than the half empty scenario. I think that having a positive mindset sets the stage or rather the intention for the day in more ways than one.

My priority would be to wake up with a smile on my face, Chachi, the cat by my side AND the sun peeking out promising more of the same because I need that walk out in nature! I’ve been cooped up in the house for several days because of the rain but I’m hoping it shows up pretty soon and I can be out there again where I feel the most comfortable and my mind has free rein to do what it does best and that is to come up with creative ideas.

Fingers and toes crossed!

Daily writing prompt

What’s your #1 priority tomorrow?

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Fulfillment and Hard Work

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I think these two go together. At least it does with me. After all, they are partners in crime so to speak! Sometimes I stress about hard work but when it is all said and done, I feel a sense of pride and fulfillment at what I have accomplished.

It takes focus and single-mindedness and yes stress but it is a feeling of euphoria when what I have been working on be it an article, a post or even a book, it doesn’t matter, the end result of seeing a completed work is more than satisfying and definitely fulfilling.

“Happiness is the real sense of fulfillment that comes from hard work.” Joseph Barbara

Daily writing prompt

In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?

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Principled

I don’t know if being principled is a good trait since it has caused unnecessary pain in times past because I refused to stray from what I thought was right and being rigid and principled sometimes means that you get the short end of the stick as well.

We live in a world where “principles” are not as important as they use to be. Bending the rules to suit your needs has become part and parcel of behavior in today’s society. However, I have held on steadfastly to my principles.

The good thing about being principled is that you are committed to integrity, honesty and you are responsible in your actions . There is a certain moral compass that enables you to come across as a trustworthy and reliable person. The bad thing? It can be a hindrance because people may view you as a person who has a stick so far up the you know what that there is no getting you to see their side of things. Been there, done that, and I continue to do that!

However, it is their opinion. I like being principled and there are certain things I will stand for and others absolutely not.

Spinster for life? Who knows only time will tell. I might be like that captain who went down with his ship bearing full responsibility for the vessel, only I will be holding onto my principles till the very end!

Daily writing prompt

What’s the trait you value most about yourself?

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Three Jobs

If I had to do it all over again and money didn’t matter, the three jobs I would consider doing or pursuing would be NOTHING, NOTHING and NOTHING!

Why would I even bother if money was not a issue. I would spend my days meditating, looking for new places to walk in and living a life of leisure. Stress would be out the window and so would all the creeps who come calling!

It would be boring but who cares! Life would be on an even keel and sipping on lemonade or coffee and looking at the sky to see if it changes any time soon would be a wonderful preoccupation!

Nothing more to add to this question. Next one please……

Daily writing prompt

List three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter.

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Cultural Heritage?

I’m not too big into cultural heritage. I consider myself a global citizen and as such I embrace all cultures and have made it a point to learn all there is to learn about other cultures.

As you know I spent a lot of my time in Asia and it was there that I learned to embrace the food culture. It was amazing! Each country had a different cuisine and I loved almost all of them. However, learning about what Asian culture entailed took broader thinking. There were things I liked and there were things I didn’t. I loved the friendliness of the people but some customs took getting used to. Especially the ghost month. Everything was based on the spirit world and much was done to welcome them back to earth! I found this to be spooky.

Tennessee is different. It takes getting used to. They have a certain way of talking but not as bad as Kentucky! I love the food, the landscape and the people. I have a love for country music and since Nashville was not too faraway, I loved being there. Tennesseans are usually kind and friendly and throw in good home cooking and it is a culture you can easily embrace.

European cultural heritage is diverse and like any other culture, it is steeped in folklore, art, food, and people. There are certain customs that take getting used to. One is that they are conservatives and breaking into the community is hard to do. However, the cultural heritage is captivating and there is much to learn here as I am finding out.

What aspects of my cultural heritage am I most proud of or interested in? Like I said, I don’t belong to just one, I am a mish-mash of different parts. Parts that I learned about from having experienced different aspects of the world and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I think I did that pretty well without disclosing too much!

Daily writing prompt

What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?

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My Favorite Brands?

I’m no longer into brands as I used to be. I used to be a Fashion Editor and back then I knew every brand inside and out. These days I go for the simple stuff but two brands that I really love and still stick to are Zara and Massimo Dutti.

Zara, I love for their wearable styles and it fits my lifestyle now. Nothing too fancy but it is stylish and wearable. The lines are simple and clean. Just a pair of Zara pants paired with a cardigan or jacket and a blouse from the same collection is a put-together look that will take you from doing your daily chores such as shopping for your daily essentials to a much fancier meeting later in the day. Add a few pieces of jewelry and you’re set to conquer the day or rather the evening! The style factor is timeless but still trendy and I have many pieces from Zara in my wardrobe.

Massimo Dutti, what can I say? It used to be my go-to for a tailored look. Fashion lovers love this brand for its “quiet luxury aesthetic” but these days it is still an expensive brand and although better quality than Zara, it is mass-produced and considered a “fast-fashion” brand. However, it is of good quality and a few pieces in your wardrobe helps to bolster the look of understated elegance. A white Massimo Dutti blouse paired with a pair of blue jeans and a jacket says classy but still fashionable.

Not that anyone cares over here! This little village moves to a different drumbeat when it comes to fashion and dressing. Most of the women here don’t give a hoot about what you wear. So dressing up or brand names don’t matter much here. People or rather women wear the same stuff day in and day out and it is ok for working in their gardens or for doing their chores. I haven’t given up yet! I still do dress up presentably when I leave the house but indoors is another story altogether! PJs are my pick!

Daily writing prompt

What brands do you associate with?

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RELAX!

I could do more relaxation and no matter how hard I try, there is always something that keeps me on a hectic rush and relaxation is nowhere to be seen.

Having time on my hands doesn’t always mean that relaxing is easy. There are things that crop up unexpectedly that need taking care of. I could do more of just staying still for a couple of hours with no phone calls, nothing to bug me and my mind backing off from the constant chattering all the time!

Just when I grab a cup of coffee and decide to relax, my mind comes in with a hundred things that I should have done or should check on to make sure that it gets done. I have an unruly mind and that’s where meditation comes in handy. When I first started, 10 minutes of sitting still was way too much. I’ve worked my way to 30 minutes at a time and the “monkey” I call my mind is behaving and even liking it I think! However, I am not where I should be.

This is my goal. I would like to spend 2 to 3 hours just meditating. I think it would be delicious and my mind could use a much deserved break and come back stronger with new ideas that I could put to good use.

So more time for meditating, that’s what I could do more of. Where there’s a will, there’s a way as they say. I made it to 30 minutes so two hours might just be around the corner.

“Oh God, No! ” That’s my “mind” putting up a fight!

Daily writing prompt

What could you do more of?

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When One Door Closes….

No one gave me this bit of advice. I was down in the dumps after a bad breakup and was Googling when I came across the saying, “When One Door Closes Another One Opens.”

It’s hard to take that bit of advice or rather suggestion to heart when you are in the throes of a painful time in your life but somehow I held on to it for dear life and those words helped me to move forward. The problem is:

“To keep opening the closed doors of our past is to miss the adventure of a new door we’ve never opened before.” @jeremy.jennigan

I kept opening the closed doors of my past over and over again and I refused to see the other door cracking open. When it finally did open, there he was “my angel” sent to save me from my misery and to teach me how to fly again. He didn’t stay for long. His time on earth was short but during the time we were together, he showed me what real love was all about. It is not about being selfish. Real love is caring, it is unconditional, you become a priority but most of all it teaches you to fly high and that you are capable of doing and achieving anything with that special person by your side. I call him “my friend” because at that time in my life I had fences or rather stone walls around me. I didn’t want to love again but he understood and still stood by me with these words, “When you are ready, I’ll be here. I’m in it for the long run.” Unfortunately, I was never ready when he was here and now that he is gone, guilt surrounds me. I was broken and there was just no way I could have loved him like he wanted to be loved. Yet, “my angel” didn’t care. When I was just learning to take off, he left.

Unfair I know. However, I have turned to that saying time and time again. It is getting easier to leave the past behind. I do it by refusing to look back and I remind myself there is no rewinding because life is not a movie script where you get to go back, rewrite and change the story the way you want it. However, we still have those speed redials of memories to deal with and they do crop up when a memory hits me hard or a song reminds me of how close we were. I look at the memories, listen to the songs, cry if I must and then I leave it behind knowing that it is a part of my past and it is done.

Remember:

“When one door closes, another one opens.”

Daily writing prompt

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

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