Staying informed on current events is horribly depressing these days. Some nights, I have trouble sleeping because I can’t stop thinking about it. To get my mind off of the cruelty I see and hear about, I work on book plots in my mind, remember fun times, or read a book.
Today, I am listing some of my favorite things to do. This list provides easy access of what to do to keep from becoming overwhelmed with too much despair. If I can do one of these things, I know I’ll feel better.
- I like to go to a coffee shop/donut shop in the mornings to write. They can be noisy, but it’s easy to block that out and get lost in what I’m writing. The aromas, the taste of a good chai latte, and my manuscript on the laptop is very calming.
- I love going to lunch with a friend. As I tell most of mine offer me food and I’ll meet you anywhere. Having the opportunity to visit with someone without interruptions other than by someone wanting to fill tea glasses or take empty plates away is wonderful. It’s refreshing to the spirit and soul.
- I love traveling to see beautiful scenery. Our country has such variable scenery that you can see most anything you want to: desert, oceans and shores, mountains, plains, canyons, badlands, lakes . . . You name it, we got it. Most of the very beautiful are preserved in national parks, giving us all access to explore them.
- I love going to historical places and museums. The spirit of a place helps you understand the events that occurred in the spot in a different time. The goodness, the cruelty, the agony, the victory seem to still linger in the air in a place where others lived and died. To walk where they did helps you understand where you are.
- I love reading books on the beach, on a cruise ship, or anywhere I don’t have obligations to fulfill before I can sit to read. My daughter and I used to go on reading vacations together. They were such special times, and I hope to have a few more with anyone who loves to read as much as I do.
- I love watching my children and grandchildren play and have fun. I’m too slow and old to participate as much, but it doesn’t stop the joy I feel in watching them. They are such great, impressive, and amazing people that it comforts me I will something good behind when it’s my time to go to the next world.
- I love the ocean, being near it, being in it, being on top of it. Water in general helps my creative juices flow easily. I do my best reading and writing near bodies of water.
This is the start of my list. I can’t do them all the time, but the memories and photos of those places bring comfort. Make your own list and pick one to do when you’re feeling blue and overwhelmed. Having a list means you don’t have to remember it, and it’s easy to look up to put a smile on your face. Get a journal and get going.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8