My writings - and those of others.
4,000 Weeks
I’ve just finished a book with that title by Oliver Burkeman - the sub-title is Time Management for Mortals. Four Thousand weeks describes the amount of time someone has if he/she lives to be 80. My own life is now 4,260 weeks. That seems like quite a lot until it is compared to a universe of 13.8 billion x 52. As a cosmic comparison, it puts me in my place.
At the beginning of 2021 I promised myself that I would post something twice a week during the year. I fell off just before Christmas with some other activities taking precedence - and then felt guilty. Why? It’s not as though this site has many readers. It’s a perfect example of how we set goals for ourselves and then beat ourselves up for what we don’t do in comparison with what we do accomplish.
I received a Christmas gift that is an excellent choice for someone in in the 4,000 week plus category. It invites one to reflect on one’s own life by writing an answer to a question that is sent once a week. At the end of the year, it is compiled in a book. My father wrote a good family history exploring the ancestors so that let me off the hook. but this is a good assignment.
Burkeman has many ideas and the book is worth a read for anyone like me who has read too many books on time management. Perhaps the most important one is that we are time - time is spent not managed - especially in terms of working too hard toward some future that is unknowable. Another idea I liked - perhaps a better one for a retiree than someone actively working to earn a living - is to abandon a “to-do” list - which I have kept religiously using the Bullet Journal format - for a “done” list. It’s more honest and allows one to see whether time is being spent on things that really matter.
I’ll end 2021 - pandemic ridden as it is with cancelled travel plans - with an intention to write the blog once a week - and the memoir above for the other weekly assignment. In both cases the real gift is being here on earth to do them.
Happy New Year
Resilience in Pandemics
Mainstream press is full of ideas to keep us sane when we add a holiday to the stress of living in a pandemic for the better part of two years. Some of the ideas are mainstream, but one is quirky enough that you might enjoy giving it a try.
Take a set period every day to do things that you personally enjoy. You can set your own time limit - even 15 minutes of painting or playing the piano will help.
Chat with supportive people - in person if possible, but online if that is the only option. Strengthen those bonds and avoid people who weaken them.
Find moments for optimism - even among those that contrast with them.
In contrast, give yourself permission to feel stressed when it happens and is real. You don’t have to feel guilty about your feelings. The good thing is that feelings come and go.
One place near the door for everything you need when going out is a big help. Mask, umbrella, keys, purse, credit cards - seeing the items will remind you to take just what you need and make the load lighter.
Organize your fridge. Wasted food makes us feel guilty as well as costing us money. A Lazy Susan is a good device. So are glass containers that stack so you can see what is inside them. A whiteboard can remind you of what is left over. A generic shopping list pinned to the door means you can circle items for the next trip.
Do a short workout - seven minutes will refresh you. Call it an exercise snack.
Maybe you do all those things already. But here is something different. Watch Jellyfish:
Meanings
We used to say “climate change” - a fairly unemotional term that didn’t suggest much beyond differences in weather in different locations. Many of us were even hard pressed to know the difference between weather and climate,- including a certain defeated president - but then the media shifted to “global warming”. What we are hearing more often lately are words like “emergency” and “catastrophe” - and rightly so. We need to feel threatened if we intend to do something about it.
Remember “greenhouse effect”? We don’t hear that one any more. Linguists like Todd Ehresmann at Babbel, which checks word usage, points out that “Global Heating” would get our attention as an accurate description now. Activists have helped increase the intensity of the language. That’s helpful because scientists are often cautious knowing the media will exaggerate their claims to sell products through fear - not to arouse the best in us. It’s good that activists lobby for the proper degree of accuracy - and that media watchers like Babbel ensure that we take responsibility for the changes that are happening.
Gratitude
I’m cheating by one day to try to post twice a week - but the last week was a busy one. As the American Thanksgiving weekend winds down and the news that Black Friday online shopping was lower than in previous years, perhaps we are discovering that being grateful is more satisfying than acquiring more stuff. In fact a recent article written by a physician and published in Fast Company backs that up. Here are ways to be ensure it. Nearly all religions and philosophies tell you the same things:
Be thankful for the beauties of nature and its constancy. The sun rises and sets each day
Compared to other living species we have been blessed with consciousness.
Good conversation enlivens us.
Love and encouragement of friends and family assures us.
Giving thanks in the morning and evening reminds us of how fortunate we are.
Writing thank you notes reinforces our gratitude
A journal allows us to record the good things that happen.
Seeking experiences rather than just buying things gives us pleasure.
Making gratitude a habit helps us through sorrow and challenges - so that we can remember that there are other good things waiting for us.