What You Focus On Plays a Role

Where's Your Focus?

Photo by Trac Vu on Unsplash

I’m sitting at my computer this afternoon writing an article. The television is on, but the sound is off. The images of war in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza and mass murders in the United States are painting a grim picture of life for some right now. This morning a police officer was killed in Oakland, CA.

I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about my country, the emotional pain families endure as they lose loved ones, and the pain people are subjected to through no fault of their own. I can’t fix those things - and dwelling on them creates additional stress.

So, my writing New Year’s resolution is to add another side to my articles - snippets and stories of kindness and playfulness that bring smiles amid the serious stuff going on. An old adage says:

Why not include a little fun, kindness, and playfulness in my posts - especially if it helps expand good feelings?

This is a personal challenge. I don’t have fun often enough - although my great-granddaughter is reminding me how to play and laugh. And I’m not fond of humor when it puts someone down or the images are contrived. However, I recently reread Sharron Bassano’s story Thanksgiving With Ozzie and found it hilarious. There’s hope for me.

Three other newsletters catch my eye.

1. The Kindness Magnet follows the trail to the intersection of kindness and communication.

2. Good Humor offers a place to break from the world and politics.

3. Almost Satedhas an article that offers simple tricks to quiet the mind when worries take over.

I plan to start next week by introducing you to my grandpets - all seven of them. Then we’ll see what else I can find.

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