Daily writing prompt
List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.
- A hot cup of honeyed herbal tea in one of my treasured coffee mugs never fails to soothe.
- “The buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching toward infinity…” – A. Edward Newton. My physical To Be Read is dwarfed only by my digital To Be Read, from all the times I participated in Stuff Your Kindle Day. To say nothing of my growing To Be Written. I have so many ideas and only so much energy. But I’ve heard that’s a sneaky form of procrastination– project jumping. Hm. Perhaps that’s true, as well.
- “Music inflames temperament.” – Jim Morrison, “An American Prayer.” There are few things that can’t be improved upon with the right song in the background. Likewise, I avoid certain songs and playlists if I am feeling depressed, to make sure I don’t spiral further downward.
- Like the protagonist in Love and Rockets’ song “Bound for Hell,” “My faith flies off a mountain every day. No parachute, no crash to see.” I certainly don’t believe I’m bound for hell, but I fluctuate between intellectual skepticism and emotional mysticism. And that’s okay. Sometimes I feel synchronicity everywhere, and my nighttime dreams are teeming with revelations. Other days, not so much.
- I feel better when I regularly engage my creativity; making things helps me maintain. I sleep better, and I just generally take more enjoyment out of life. Self-expression is important.
- Wherever you go, there you are; nonetheless, a change of scenery may shift your perspective and help you realign.
- Mindful attention to the details of the present moment, alongside a healthy balance of emotion and reason, foster the best environment for effective behavior. What are you really seeking out of each moment? Maybe you can’t make it happen exactly as you’d like 100% of the time, but mindfulness and wise mind can help boost your average.
- Remain as grateful as you can, for all the little things, that you already have, to maintain an attitude of abundance. If you think there’s nothing for which to be thankful, be thankful for your breath, as I learned from Yogi Bryan. A calm, steadying breath can anchor you in so many ways.
- I am a social, interdependent creature, no matter how desperately I wish otherwise at times. Yes, I need space to recalibrate and rest, but too much alone time isn’t helpful for me. Balance is key.
- Everyone you encounter along the way, has something to teach you. Not every lesson will be enjoyable, but they all deserve some reflection. Behavior you most abhor in others often (not always) reflects aspects of yourself. You can learn a lot about yourself by observing your knee-jerk emotional responses to the actions of other people. Other times, the lesson is less subtle: “This person/situation/action isn’t good for me.” Not everything in this world will be. And some things may begin sweetly and go sour and rotten.
All the Bright and Sparkly Things 
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