dailyprompt – Page 3

Switzerland

A long time ago when I was doing my armchair traveling, I came across pictures of this faraway land and it kept me captive. I told myself that one day I will visit this gorgeous place and even live there.

Life had other plans! I would travel the world experiencing life in some strange and wonderful places but I never made it to Switzerland! I lived in Asia and then I met my German ex and life got turned on its head. We fell in love, got married, and I got pregnant. He wanted to move back home, to a tiny little village that time forgot. Sometimes you can hear a pin drop.

I’ve raised my son here, learned to speak the language fluently, got divorced, and am learning to live here on my own. I think I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. It’s not perfect but it is perfect enough for me. If you’re a writer, this is a dream place. It is quiet so that you can hear yourself think. The fields are gorgeous and some days you may think that no one else exists! There is very little to do here but that’s okay for a recluse like me. I love the peace and quiet. The people take some getting used to, they are set in their ways and they are way too conservative. However, when you get to know them and they invite you into their circle, that’s right “invite” you in, you’ve made it and you are treated like one of them. It is how I feel now.

I’ve been to many places in the world but if I could live anywhere in the world, I would pick this one. Why? It feels like home and there is this certain something about this place. Perhaps, it is the mixture of old and new or the smiles and waves that tell me I am welcomed here, but most of all I like the feel of safety that this place gives me. It is almost crime-free and you CAN leave your doors open at night but that’s where I draw the line!

I’m not there yet and I don’t think I ever will be. I have a German friend who leaves all the windows and doors open throughout the day and through the night! He says, “there is nothing to worry about!” Hmm…from his mouth to God’s ears!

I’m in a perfect place, one that works for me and that right there is the important part.

Daily writing prompt

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

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A Little Chaos?

I think a little chaos is actually good for us and for the soul. It helps to shake things up and it helps to make a boring and mundane life a little more exciting. It also helps to show that you are alive and kicking!

However, in my case when chaos shows up it comes to stay for a while! I can’t seem to get rid of it and when it does show up, it wears a smile when it looks at me and brings a suitcase as well!

“Life is nothing without a little chaos to make it interesting.” Unknown

I would say that a little chaos is good but when it keeps showing up and does a gleeful dance, it’s time for it to go!

Have an amazing day.

Daily writing prompt

Is a little chaos actually good for us?

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Mandy Hale

I’ve been following her ever since my marriage went down South. She has plenty to say about broken relationships and how to weather the storm that follows afterwards. I’ve followed her advice and I must admit that most of her advice or quotes did help me when I was caught struggling and navigating the choppy waters of divorce and all that it entails..

Who is she? She is a blogger and New York Times bestselling author and speaker. Mandy Hale is inspirational and she cuts to the chase or rather to the heart of the matter when she talks about life and love.

Here are some of her quotes, the ones that made me stop and to think twice about the path I was on.

“If you don’t love yourself, you’ll always be chasing after people who don’t love you either.”

Absolutely true. Learn to love yourself first and when you do, you won’t put up with the nonsense that comes across as love.

“Stop giving people the power to control your smile, your worth, and your attitude.”

I learned this one the hard way!

“I would rather be alone with dignity than in a relationship that requires me to sacrifice my self-respect.”

This next one I LOVE!

“A season of loneliness and isolation is when the caterpillar gets its wings. Remember that next time you feel alone.”

However, I’m doing the loneliness and isolation part but I haven’t got my wings yet. I’m sure it is on its way!

She has a massive Twitter following and she inspires every single woman to live their best lives. What’s not to like?

She is my favorite blogger.

Daily writing prompt

Who is your favorite blogger to follow?

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Fully Capable of Handling Anything!

Photo by Thái Trường Giang on Pexels.com

This was a hard lesson to learn. I usually have a hard time accepting things as they are and often I try to do battle before I decide that it is time to give in and see what I can do with the situation.

The two cats moved in and my first thought, I can’t do this! I added more to that and it became the fuel that was needed to ignite it into an impossible situation. It only got better when I stepped back and took each problem as it came along. I find out now that I am fully capable of handling the two cats plus my own and they seem to be doing fine. We have a routine going and WE are happy or so it seems!

Then came the move. My son was moving away and I wore sackcloth and ashes for days on end. I told myself that I can’t go from being the “helicopter mom” to the empty nester! Guess what? It wasn’t up to me. The move took place last weekend and his things have been moved to his new place. I watched him go with tears in my eyes but that didn’t change anything. I had to deal with the aftermath. After a day or two of moping around, I decided that I am fully capable of handling this as well. We are into Day 5 after the move and I am seeing daylight again. I realize that I am learning to let go without holding on too tightly. Perhaps, that is the secret. I haven’t let go fully yet but I’m sure, it will come soon enough.

The lesson I’ve learned recently that shifted my perspective is that I am fully capable of handling problems and I am stronger than I think I am! Still hard, but I am on my way and that is the important part.

Daily writing prompt

What’s a lesson you’ve learned recently that shifted your perspective?

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My Evening Ritual

I’ve learned along the way that good sleep doesn’t come naturally. You’ve got to work at it to get your 8 hours of undisturbed sleep. Even though I eat healthy, workout, and do the right things during the day, it doesn’t mean that I can slide into bed and go to dreamland at a drop of the coin. It was easier when I was younger but now that I’m on my own and handling things by myself, good sleep needs work and I’m hell-bent on getting it!

The first thing I do is to have a nice shower. Then I change into a big roomy t-shirt, the bigger the better! Before that I slather on a good mosturizing cream but I’ve had to let that go for the past week because of the heatwave. It just made me feel sticky.

Then I make myself a cup of Ayurveda tea. It is soothing and helps to calm my nerves. Most days when evening rolls around, my nerves are on edge! Sipping warm tea and having my eyes closed for about 10 minutes helps to bring the cortisol levels down.

Some days, I do some light stretching, a short meditation, and or some deep breathing. These three get me ready for bed in no time. If that doesn’t work, I cuddle with Chachi, the Little Macho, although he has lost his pants now. Shiro, the white Persian, is wearing them with pride and she is holding a whip as well!

If I’m still buzzing after that, I watch TV for a while. It doesn’t always help to soothe but after a while it gets boring and then sleep comes rushing in!

Those are my tried and true methods of improving my sleep. It works but not always. It just depends on how stressful my day was. Some days nothing helps, I’ll just have to grit my teeth and bear it. That too is part and parcel of my evening ritual, like it or not.

Goodnight and don’t let the bedbugs bite!

Daily writing prompt

What do you do to improve your sleep?

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No Problem!

Hitting 5,ooo steps today is a breeze since I do more than that each and everyday. Working out is a must and my weight hasn’t shifted in three years! Some call me skinny and others just right but the thing that matters is not what “they” say, it is about how it makes me feel.

Exercise keeps me on track. It puts me in a good mood, it gets rid of negative thoughts and it gets the happy hormones going and it is the fountain of youth. If you want to stay young, keep your body moving.

Let’s see. I’ve already done 2,500 steps since breakfast. Just a quick walk with intervals of strength training. I’m feeling good! The next 2,500 steps will come in after lunch. Then it will be a HOP, SKIP, and a JUMP away from the 10,000 steps I aim for each day.

Thanks for the cheers. I’m making my way up the mountain top, see you there!

Daily writing prompt

Hit 5,000 steps today and drop your achievement here — we’re cheering you on!

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Pep Yourself Up!

Some of the best ways to deal with negative thoughts is to motivate, energize, or cheer yourself up. Be your own cheerleader. Psych yourself up and get moving.

My best method to overcome or to deal with negative thoughts is to take a walk. It doesn’t matter if it is just a 10-minute walk, it gets my blood pumping and those negative thoughts fly out the same way they came in!

Engage in positive self-talk. Not the ones that we do to put ourselves down so that we go further down the rabbit hole but the kind that boosts your self-esteem. How about, “All those workout sessions are really showing. You’re looking good!” Or, “You handled that problem well, like a pro I must say!” Pep yourself up because you are worth it.

I love listening to my favorite songs. Nothing loud or crazy, just soft and easy on the mind. It usually helps. Meditation is actually my go to method for dealing with negative thoughts. I shut everything down, clear my mind, and go to this place where everything is perfect and no negative thoughts are to be seen. I spend about 15 minutes there and come out feeling like a winner!

If all else fails, grab a slice of cheesecake, a cup of coffee, sit outside, take a deep breath and dive in! It works every time. The problem, I can’t stop at one slice! The nice part, those negative thoughts are nowhere to be seen!

Daily writing prompt

What’s the best way to deal with negative thoughts?

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I Can’t Think of Anything!

The heat must have scrambled my mind but for the life of me, I can’t think of anything that I hated when I was younger and love now. Hmm…..I was an easy kid except for my forays into the forests behind my place. It was a mesmerizing place filled with magic and there I spent a lot of time commuting with nature. It didn’t set too well with mom who wanted to raise a “lady” and not a little rascal!

However, I was easy compared to my brothers and sisters. They had their quirks, their likes and dislikes. One brother loved to cuss which was a no no in my family so there was trouble there. Another hated eating vegetables and yet another just loved having her own way! I, on the other hand, was the who gave no trouble, did what was asked of me, and towed the line.

So no I can’t think of anything that I hated. Hate is a strong word and I don’t think that I really hated anything. I had a great childhood and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Next question please….

Daily writing prompt

What do you love now, that you hated when you were younger?

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Gut Feeling or Intuition

I would like to think that a gut feeling and intuition are the same but it seems that there are subtle differences. They are closely related and a “gut feeling is typically an immediate physical and emotional reaction driven by survival instincts and past trauma. Intuition is a calmer more cerebral knowing that subconsciously synthesizes experience to offer wise guidance.” I don’t know guys, it seems like it is the one and the same to me. Basically it is that feeling within that tells you you’re going the wrong way! Quite often we choose to ignore the voice that wants to do right and we walk our own path knowing full well that it is the wrong one.

I’ve done that many times over. I remember a time when my “gut feeling” screamed, “STOP! You’re headed the wrong way, he’s not the right one.” I heard it loud and clear, I saw the signs being paraded in front of me and still I ignored and carried on heading into the danger zone!

However, the journey of self-discovery I am on has taught me to pay heed to those gut feelings and to take them seriously. Not too long ago, I dated someone who seemed to be the perfect guy. Let’s just say, he ticked all the right boxes. It started out like a dream. We connected, we had the same interests, and it felt like HOME! However, my gut was telling me something else. It said, “Watch out! Things are not as they seem.” This time around, I chose to listen and it turned out for the best.

The loser was a cheater just like my ex. He played a good game and it looked like he had done it many times before. The good part, I walked away before more damage could be done. My gut feeling was exactly right and I did right by following its advice.

So the next time your gut tells you something is not right, pay heed. It has your best interests at heart just like intuition does.

Daily writing prompt

What’s a time you followed your gut and it turned out to be exactly right?

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Open Elections of the Weird Kind!

I’m not a sci-fi fan and I’m really not into this question. Add the heatwave of the incredible kind to it and I ‘m not thinking straight today. We are melting like ice cubes in the heat and “thinking” is not what I want to do. I would love to get Darth Vader to blast this heatwave to kingdom come!

I do know about Emperor Palpatine or rather Darth Sidious. He is the overarching villain of the Star Wars franchise and Darth Vader was one of his enforcers. That’s about all I know and care about.

Well Darth Vader would make a good Emperor since they are both cut from the same cloth. Who would I nominate?

I DON’T KNOW and I don’t care? They can go play in their sci-fi world for all I care.

I need ICE, a pool, shade, lots of shade,and a fan blowing in my direction!

Next question please…..

Daily writing prompt

Emperor Palpatine has announced open elections for a new Emperor — and he’s nominated Darth Vader. You get to nominate one challenger.

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