Tag Archives: mental-health

Mental Processing

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“The gears of the mind turn in mysterious ways, propelling us through the complexities of thought and emotion – a captivating dance that forms the very essence of our human experience.”—Neurolaunch, 2024

Today was an overload day. We went to the Xfinity store and got our new phones. We went from Samsung Galaxy S8s to Galaxy S25+. What a dramatic change! Everything looks a little different! The initial purchase was a whirlwind as everything is up in that giant nebulous satellite world, even the Sim cards! And we got a huge discount because it was before March 18th. Most of the information downloaded okay in the store, albeit it took a very long time on the Bluetooth connection. We had to come home and fix a few things, but now we are slowly getting used to them. There were sooooo many apps that I had forgotten about! And we had to login to everything once again. My brain is in overload mode right now.

So after making dinner and cleaning up, I looked up mental processing. I found some interesting facts. A website called Neurolaunch speaks of our thoughts as an “…intricate ballet of neural activity, hidden beneath the surface of our consciousness….”
The study is a “…journey to unravel the enigmatic workings of the human mind, exploring the very core of what makes us who we are.”
https://neurolaunch.com/mental-processes-definition-psychology/

The 8 mental processes can be “…broadly categorized into eight types: Sensation, Perception, Attention, Learning, Memory, Language, Motivation, and Emotion.” These categories shape human cognition. https://psychemaster.com/mental-processes-definition-in-psychology

“These cognitive mechanisms shape our perceptions, guide our decisions, and influence our behaviors in ways both subtle and profound. By peering into the inner workings of the mind, we gain invaluable insights into the human condition, opening doors to improved mental health, enhanced learning techniques, and a deeper appreciation for the richness of human cognition.”
It is important for us to understand that mental processes are:
1. Internal and often not directly observable.
2. Involve the manipulation of information within the mind.
3. Conscious or unconscious.
4. Dynamic and can change over time.
5. Influenced by both internal and external factors.

Mental Processes in Psychology: Defining the Core of Human Cognition

Further information can be found at:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/202006/what-are-mental-processes

So I believe that our brains are enormous and process so much information so very fast. It’s when we get overwhelmed that we have to just sit a minute and breathe. Yes, we can learn lots of new things at a time, but sometimes our plates are so full that we get a little stressed out. I am the worst person to be telling this to everyone else because I probably am one of those stressors. I want to know it very fast and forget to close my mouth before the next thought comes forward. (And I usually say it out loud!) I have to realize that we all process at different rates (Bluetooth transfers to home connections comparisons in this case). So, take a breath, count to 10 and then ask the next question. We’ll all figure out those life lessons (and new phones) more quickly if we take a break between thoughts. Thanks for listening tonight.

I love you all! Stay safe out there!

Living the Dream and Feeling Complete

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I started the day with a wonderful visit to the VNA footcare at the Rec Center. They helped me tremendously with trimming nails and checking out what is going on with my poor aching feet! I learned something new and the visit was paid for by my insurance! I encourage you to talk to those lovely nurses employed by the state and working with your local counties. They really fill a need and help us old folks! And prices are very reasonable if your insurance doesn’t cover it. I’m going back in 3 months! Take care of your feet and they will take care of you!

Today was also a day of researching, writing, and planning my finale in the book. The words flowed. I researched old gaming books of my husband’s (Shadowrun rocks!). And I found some excellent books on history, particularly amazing battle scenes. What a wonderful world at your fingertips! It’s finally coming together. Over the hump and excited to finish the storyline. There may be one more, but who knows? It depends on where I’m at after this!

So my swirling brain is getting it all together, but I just want to say one thing to someone I helped downtown this week: She came in with her check to pay her water bill and was complaining about the process. She gave me a check and I entered the information and that was that. While that process still works for now, it will eventually change. Checks are slowly becoming obsolete with Venmo and other apps to pay someone electronically. It’s inevitable that things will change.

So…I told her she could pay it online and I would help her walk through it if she would like me to help her set it up. She got a little snarky and said she didn’t trust computers. She also proudly stated that she didn’t even have a computer! I was sad that elders don’t understand or want to learn a different process. I have been paying online for over 27 years now and I have never had a problem with it. I have never been breached by the system. I was also sad that so many of us my age and older don’t want to be uncomfortable, which is what you feel when you learn new things. I just told her I have a computer, smart phone, and TV and it was easy to do once you learn it! But, alas, she didn’t want to hear my opinion (I have many, don’t you know?)

There are many things that I don’t always understand when it comes to new programs or software, or even the new publishing methods on my computer. I have to read instructions a few times, or go to a different site with a better explanation in order to work on something new. And sometimes I have to ask the family who are smarter than me on these things to help me out. But to dismiss a new way of learning and reading is a bit sad, don’t you think? Besides, the backlighting is terrific for reading! And there are infinite resources, better than the library (and I loved, loved, loved the library when I was young).

So, I urge all of you to expand your horizons and learn new things every day. Read, read, and read some more. Learn something new every day that you are on this planet. That’s how your brain will stay healthy. Enough said.

I love you all and hope you will keep up with your children and grandchildren!

Live and Let Live

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“The phrase “live and let live” has been used for centuries to express a philosophy of tolerance, acceptance, and peaceful coexistence. Its origins can be traced back to various cultures throughout history, where it was often used as a guiding principle in social interactions.”
https://crossidiomas.com/live-and-let-live/

I used to believe that we were getting somewhere with respecting each other, allowing each other to make their own choices and not imposing our beliefs on others. I used to believe that good people could make good choices on their own and not be judged by some hierarchical fanatic. I used to believe that we were working on the philosophy: “And it harm none, do what thou will.” I used to believe that supporting diversity, inclusiveness, and respect for all was something that should have been the logical process for treating everyone equally, not something that needed to be legislated.

And, then came the s#*! storm. So what was the precise moment where a majority of the nation decided that this idiom should become “Live and Let Die?” Was it the election, or had we grown so weary beforehand that we just gave up and let things happen?

Perhaps now there is a growing majority of those irrational believers waking up and realizing what they have done. I hope they are remorseful and are trying to fix things after the fact. Alas, I think they are also still scared. They have given into their fears and prejudices and are holding on to something that was enforced in them by their ancestors. They also still think that the make-believe nonsense about trickle down economy of the Reagan years was real. People, this never worked! Talk to economists and get an understanding of what this means so you can be more informed in the upcoming elections. Your educated votes make a difference in our world.

I thought that we were slowly rising up out of our past and recognizing that things had to change. And yet things have changed for the worse. I can’t give up on trying to educate and encourage others to do a deep dive into history, politics, and economics, and stretch ones’ brains to understand the differences between democracy, autocracy, and blatant fascism. (Look it up!) We are part of a greater world and should own it. We have to help nations in trouble and rise up out of this pettiness. We have to stop being afraid and break our individual bubbles, or at least absorb our bubble into the next person’s bubble and on and on until we are under one big bubble. I am reading and researching and writing more than I ever used to and I encourage young and old alike to do the same. We have to move on to the next step folks. We have to bring back a nation of love and understanding for all humans who live on this planet. Only then can we become harmonious and full of love for one another. We cannot give up!

I send out love and peace to everyone tonight. Hug the person next to you and engage in a productive conversation. Learn something new every day that you are alive!

Going Back to Work

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Today I was offered a job to go back to work part-time. Three days a week and they work around my schedule and pay me well. Not bad. So, since my brain has been in overload, I decided to do it for the next few months. It’s nice to get a call from the HR people who know me. I can fill in until they get a new person. And I’ve worked in all of their computer systems, and I know how to deal with telephone calls and people, so I should still be able to do it. Sometimes you just have to get out of your daily routine comfort and take the plunge. We can save the money for expenses that are coming up and maybe even go out and have a nice dinner once in a while. I love my little city and the people in it. Thank you all for allowing me to continue doing what I do best.

Remember that being a senior doesn’t mean you have to just sit and quit. You can stay active and learn new things every day. Learn from the young people working around you, bake them cookies, and knit them scarves!

And if you hurt a little more, try and take a little break in between assignments so you can take a walk. Our downtown is wonderful, and walking to the park and back is both good for the head and the body.

Listen to some good music like Tom Jones, The Animals, Buffalo Springfield, The Foundations, Four Tops, and even 3 Doors Down.

Sing oldies but goodies, with your wonderful choir, to the ones in Memory Care.

Tomorrow will be another day in towards our future. We have to release the negative for a little while and do what we can when we can. And if we get a little money for it, that’s okay, too! Save a little, pass on what you can to help others, and smile. So, For Once in My Life, Build Me Up Buttercup, and Help [Your]self, Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch!

I love you all tonight and hope we can all just breathe it out.

How We Communicate as We Age

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Welllll…yesterday I was in music La La Land, wrapped up in tunes from long ago and far away for our next concert. So, I didn’t get around to posting, and I broke my writing streak! But “I’m back, baby!” Day 107, and counting up again! Frank Costanza-Seinfeld

Recently, I have been hanging out with a bunch of seniors and I have been pondering how we communicate, because we all seem to be talking at the same time and none of us are listening to what each of us are saying.

For example, I explain something or try and state what needs to be done, and the other person bounces back and said, “So you want me to do this (some task at hand that we’ve agreed to)?” And, I said, “No, I want you to do this.” And it goes back and forth like this verbally until I think they finally hear me. Or so I thought. Then, I get a text and they say, “You want me to do this?” And I text back, and say, “Noooo. I want you to do this.” And, then I get an email saying, “So I’m doing this, right?” At that point I get a little exasperated and say it one more time, hoping for the best outcome, or I say, “Never mind, I’ll do it.” So here’s the thing. Am I communicating the task clearly? Or is the other person communicating what’s in their head and not listening? Or do they just not want to listen or do the task at hand, even though they volunteered?

There have been several studies conducted on our aging brains over the last 20 years, and here are some brief summaries of what I have discovered that might be the cause of our communication dilemmas:

-Hearing Loss: Sometimes we just don’t literally hear what the other person is saying whether it is a physical manifestation, or background noise inhibiting what is being said. Closing the door to noises and speaking one on one to relay the message you intended is helpful.
-Elderspeak: We are so used to people feeding us (seniors) information in small bits, almost as if they were speaking to babies, and over-explaining topics, that we tend to stop listening when others use long sentences. While explaining things in a slower speech, not using complex sentences and repeating the facts may work for those who are really impaired. However, sometimes this method backfires on those who are still cognitively with us. We need to explain things thoroughly, but we need to continue to speak to adults like adults in hopes that they become better listeners, and thus better doers.
-Word Retrieval Failures: Sometimes we call these senior moments. We are receiving the information as a transmission, but we don’t know how to retrieve the response from our brain because the connections have weakened over time. For example, this is particularly common when we are trying to think of the name of a famous person or actor. I continue to blank on Elijah Wood for some reason. I have to look him up every time I am trying to relate a story or a movie he’s in (Frodo in Lord of the Rings, duh…) And I love his works, so why do I forget that?

These are only a few items that have been discussed in the National Institute of Health’s publication. Check it out and read this interesting paper on some of the earliest discoveries of our aging brains: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK97337/

Back in the early 2000s, there was much discussion about using technology to help others understand what we are saying. For example, there have been great strides in the speech to text capabilities and use of computers and phones to translate what is being said. This is a wonderful tool, and folks like Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is a great advocate of this. He has a brain injury and uses technology to help him understand speech and the language of others. Sometimes I think groups that I am currently involved in could use this technique to relay messages. They would also benefit the use of this technology as a learning tool to actively listen.

In a Psychology Today article Language, Comprehension and the Aging Brain, the author discusses the concepts of working memory and  verbal fluency. “Working memory is our ability to remember and manipulate a small chunk of information in an immediate context, as opposed to committing something to our longer-term memory (e.g., to remember that information at some later point) or even just holding information while we jot it down but don’t alter it…” (commonly known as short-term memory).

Verbal fluency is being able to communicate information from any category and relay it to another person. “For instance, when asked to come up with as many names as they [seniors] can for a given category (e.g., plants or animals), [is] a task requiring them to search through word meanings that have been cognitively stored, older adults generate fewer terms overall and have less range in terms of the terms they come up with.”

This article suggests that “…print exposure, i.e., reading experience, not only helps by providing another source of information to draw upon when making semantic or syntactic decisions but also might even compensate for declines in those with poor working memory. For more information on this article see: Working Memory-Aging Brain

Some people have a hard time with my fast-paced talking and desire to always learn new things. They get brain headaches when listening to me. I try and slow down my process for them the best I can, but there is always so much to be learned out in the world, and I want to share that knowledge. I don’t want my brain to atrophy as I age. I hope I am in the classification called the Cognitive Super Ager, but who knows? I haven’t taken the tests. I implore you to read up on this phenomena found on the web. It’s fascinating!

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/how-aging-brain-affects-thinking
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/cognitive-super-agers-defy-typical-age-related-decline-brainpower

I hope you all take a moment to appreciate this information and pass it on to your loved ones and friends who might be struggling. I know I will continue to read and learn as long as I am able, and I hope when my eyesight (and possibly brain) starts to fail, someone will read to me about new and exciting adventures and discoveries!

I love you all and hope you are enjoying every moment with your friends and families!

Overcoming Frustration and Riding the Peace Train

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Frustration: a deep chronic state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs; the feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.

People like me are task masters and goal seekers. We always have lists, spreadsheets, lots of articles and books to read when we set out to learn something or try to solve a problem at hand. The frustration comes in when we cannot achieve a multitude of tasks that we give ourselves or have been given by someone else. We become frustrated because there are others involved in the equation and we are stymied into inaction. We can’t do anything about it because others are doing something completely different or nothing at all about it. We have to wait and see what’s next. We feel helpless because we don’t seem to be heard, or people aren’t doing the things we think they should do. We sometimes get angry at the person who we are trying to help or the person who is trying to help us.

In an article published in 2023 by Harvard Macy Institute at Harvard Medical School, the author talked about what to do if you have “…too much on your plate.” It stated that we begin to feel like victims and that “…we feel like there are so many things we have to do or are forced to do. The first step is to remember that you are the one driving. Anything on your schedule or to-do list is there by your choice, which means you get to choose whether to keep it on there in the long term, or whether to phase it off.”

The article stated that the first step is to assess just what you really need to do to get through the day or week. Second, it is important to see what is causing the overwhelming feelings. Assess what is the 20% that is causing 80% of the stress (the 80:20 rule). “If you can identify the main sources of the stress, then you can home in on ways to de-stress, minimize, complete, or step away from them. If it is not something you want to cancel, think about how you could delegate parts of it.”

The third step is to find ways to get through the next week, and the weeks after that. Maybe it’s just taking a day to get out of the house, thus out of your head. For more information go to their website:
https://harvardmacy.org/blog/too-much-on-my-plate

In my case, it was literally removing items from my work desk to focus on one task at a time. I moved the 20% stacks to the back desk so I could focus on finishing the book. Everything else could wait. And, the second thing was to stick to the morning cleanup, then writing until I went to work out. The first of my week was a bit of a clusterf*^$k, but the rest of the week went better. I refuse to let that feeling of helplessness overcome my thinking. My levels of stress will continue to be high, as the lists will always be there, whether written or just in my head, but I’m going back to the one thing at a time rule. I can only do the things I can do for now, and put off bigger life-changing decisions until later. I can’t let the anger of the world invade the space I need to solve daily problems.

There will always be some things that I can’t change right now, and I can’t quite let it go, but I can wait until I get some help on larger matters. I feel that we, as human beings, right now, on this planet need to take a collective breath, and turn off all the noise for now. We can only support each other and justify that our actions will bring about change in the world. Hope for the good things to come and try and ride the peace train for now. Love to all on this cold night.

Excerpt from PEACE TRAIN, Cat Stevens

Something good has begun
I’ve been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Something good’s bound to come…

I’ve been crying lately
Thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can’t we live in bliss?…

For out on the edge of darkness
There rides the peace train
Peace train take this country
Come take me home again….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9cJRqsKZKo

Interconnectedness

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Today’s reflection is about how we are connected in the world and how we communicate through the airwaves. The dictionary describes connectedness as the state of being connected and having a close relationship with other things or people. I believe that each person is their own distinct, physical being, but they can be connected to each other and nature in many ways. Connectedness is not necessarily bound by physical touch or language. Sometimes we just know something is going on, for example in a dream, or a stray thought. Years ago, I knew when each parent died. They came in my dreams to say goodbye. There are many examples that we have where we just knew something, the feeling that something was wrong, or got something in the mail that we knew was coming, and we called to check on the people that we loved.

We feel the emotions amplifying in a crowd, especially fear and anger. Perhaps that’s why we are feeling despair and discontent over decisions that are being made in the highest offices. We feel what over fifty percent of people are collectively feeling. Our interconnectedness is physical, emotional, and cognitive. Our global shared consciousness reaches out into all of our mental spaces. We are not individual islands and must become part of a bigger world, the ocean of mental waves.

If we share this despair, perhaps we can determine at a higher level that we are not alone in our thoughts and reach out to each other in our mental states. We should be free to keep the memories of the past, but make new memories and friends who share a common goal – protecting democracy and the people of all nations and races. Billionaires should learn from their families’ histories and be better human beings. They should learn how to connect with all those who are in need. Fascism cannot reign and must not be ignored in our society. It happened once before, and we wholeheartedly fought it. We must fight the good fight right now and restore a fair and balanced world. We have buried our forefathers and now we are the elders. We must act like the good and kind ones, and make progress towards fixing what has been broken, one little act of kindness at a time.

In Alice Hoffman’s latest book, The Bookstore Keepers, she stated, “Some things [will] always be remembered because they [are] handed down, things like love and memories and stories.”

For the rest of our lives, let’s remember the love and the beautiful stories handed down to us by telling our children about our past, both good and bad things that happened and what we learned as a result of our actions or in-actions. Let’s ask them not to repeat the bad parts of history and strive to make the world a better, and more peaceful place to live out their lives.

I love you all and wish only the best each day. Hugs tonight for those who need it.

Pause and Breathe and Schedule Worry Time

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Today seemed more stressful than others because I have a lot on my plate right now. So, of course I went searching on the web and found a bazillion articles on this subject. I found so many similarities of what to do but, this Calm website focused it a little for me. I don’t agree with everything, and decided to analyze what they were saying.
https://blog.calm.com/blog/what-to-do-when-you-feel-overwhelmed

Every self-help article has the classic how-to list regarding how to feel less overwhelmed. I feel I have embraced most of them and yet there are just those days. Here are a few of those listed from this website:

The first of the 12 on their list was to just pause and breathe. I tell this to people all the time and yet it is a hard step for me.

These articles always talk about talking to other people. I am good at that, but it doesn’t always solve the immediate problem. So I usually end up helping others solve their problem.

Meditation is another one that’s listed. I have a friend who runs a meditation class but my brain doesn’t shut off. It’s a practice, I know. So the main problem is how to schedule this time for the practice, right?

Journaling is always listed. I journal each day and try to let go of the day, but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It just brings all the thoughts into more focus.

And of course every article tells you to get some sleep. Well, I can tell you I am like the woman on the show High Potential and sleep never happens easily. Neither of us know how to shut down our brains. I am so enamored of people who can actually sleep 8 hours a day. I have never been able to do that. And pills make me crazy the next day so I gave up on that!

There is always the Focus on What You Can Control. When did that ever work?

Get moving! I definitely know how to exercise and that has helped. And once the weather gears toward spring, I’ll be out in my garden. That is the best for me!

Break larger tasks into smaller steps. Trust me, I am the queen of spreadsheets and that still doesn’t help. You still have to do all of those things you have broken down so how does that help?

And finally, this was a laughable one: Schedule Worry Time. The article said, “Set aside a specific time to think about your worries. Outside of this time, try to keep your focus on the present.” Unfortunately, the worries are the focus in every present moment so I didn’t get that one. Who can do that?

So, I know baking, knitting, gardening, and walks in nature help me. I can bake, knit, and walk inside right now. I know we are in a time of chaos, and the status will eventually reach equilibrium. If we can be vigilant with our thoughts and actions we can get through the day without being overwhelmed. That’s what I am working on and hope the sun will come out soon. I love you all and feel the intensity of the world right now. Hang in there!

https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/cat-hanging-in-there

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz-Part II

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This is an extension of Tuesday’s blog with a more in-depth analysis. Ruiz believes we have been taught since childhood to “…fit into society’s mold,” which made us forget who our “true selves” are. If we can adopt the Four Agreements as part of our lifestyle, we might break through these limitations. Why wouldn’t we want to live a life of freedom, happiness, and love?

The first agreement, Be Impeccable with Your Word, is a powerful understatement. Our words are a power that create influence on everything. Words are not just sounds or symbols. Nuances carry energy and intention. They can heal, harm, uplift, or degrade. Every time we speak we can go in a direction of positive or negative. Inflection is key, and your intentions manifest through your outspoken thoughts. Negative and hateful speeches can bring doom and gloom to any conversation and create a world which we don’t want to live. Remember your history. This happened many years ago in Germany. A horrible leader used his words to manipulate a whole country, mostly intelligent people, into committing the most atrocious acts and enter them into a World War. Humans destroyed each other because he activated their fear. They became afraid of each other. Ruiz stated that “Whenever we hear an opinion and believe it, we make an agreement, and it becomes part of our belief system.” Being impeccable with our word can transform us, create a better belief system, and foster loving and healthier relationships.

The second agreement, Don’t Take Anything Personally, delves into the idea that people’s actions and words are reflections of their own beliefs and emotional states, not necessarily about us. When people react negatively to what is said to them, and they don’t believe the information is the truth, it is due to the fact that they are actually struggling internally to some message they know isn’t true. They stand by a belief or misinformation. They believe they are in the right. The vulnerability of this emotional turmoil makes us hurt, angry, or defensive, and we lash out. If we can take a step back and not be swayed by either praise or criticism, we become more emotionally stable. If we can have honest conversations and agree to disagree, we can make progress. In the movie, Dr. Strange, he is confronted by the Ancient One on a roof top in New York. Dr. Strange had a terrible car accident which crippled his hands (he was a neurosurgeon). In the conversation the Ancient One reminds Strange of his fear of failure. Strange thinks it’s what made him a great doctor. The Ancient One told him that fear was what actually kept him from true greatness. She tells him that was why he never found true happiness. Her last words to him were: “It’s not about you.” So let’s look outside ourselves, our fears and move beyond “taking it personally,” we might learn something new about the rest of the world. Ruiz states: “If you live without fear, if you love, there is no place for any of those emotions.”

Two favorite quotes of the day. Something to think about:
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”― Maya Angelou; and
“When someone tells you that a term or phrase is more accurate/less hurtful than the one you’re using, you now know better. So why not do better? How does it hurt you to NOT hurt another person?”—Ron Howard

Part III tomorrow on the third and fourth agreement. I love you all and hope you take a moment to reflect what’s holding you back to embrace love in the universe and yourselves.

Happiness Quotient

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The happiness quotient (HQ) is a measure of a person’s level of happiness. It can be used to assess an individual’s overall well-being. It is not a hard science, but it determines where we are at, mentally, during stressful times.

The Harris Poll reported some significant trends that will have staying power in 2025.
https://theharrispoll.com/briefs/america-this-week-wave-253/

Here are two of those trends that should be addressed by all of us to increase our Happiness Quotient:
Feelings are more important than facts. “Last summer, while the market was roaring, we polled with the Guardian to ask Americans a pop quiz on the nation’s economy. Americans got it wrong, with (49%) believing the S&P was down (it was up); that we were in a recession (56%), and that inflation was rising (72%) (no to both). Surprisingly (76%) of Americans told us that economists may say things are getting better, but they’re not feeling it where they live. Economic dissociation was a canary in the election coal mine and proof that we are in a post-fact society where institutions and authority are less important than the voices of those we trust and with whom we have shared lived experiences. More and more trust will be built bottom-up than top-down.” And that can have negative impacts such as what we saw in the last election. If the facts are so way off the mark and incorrect that people project on others, society will have a breaking point.

The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of mental health. In 2024 Elmo from Sesame Street tweeted out: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” and got trauma-dumped by the Internet. “The tweet, and the campaign it spawned, reached over 300 million people, with more than 3 million heartfelt reactions pouring in. As Elmo’s viral moment and this new study indicate, the most pressing issue facing American families right now is mental health and emotional well-being.” When asked what we should prioritize for the future well-being of our country in our Sesame Workshop Harris Poll  State of Well-Being Report, (77%) believe mental health, well-being, and happiness are nearly equal to economic stability (80%). This year, wellness will move from a squishy, feel-good concept to a monetizable national asset.

“Americans see kindness and resilience as pathways to improving well-being. Strong majorities of Americans say it’s important for society to promote kindness (85%) and resilience (83%).”

For further information, go to:
https://sesameworkshop.org/about-us/press-room/sesame-workshop-and-the-harris-poll-unveil-inaugural-index-on-the-state-of-americas-well-being/#

So what I have to say each day is about how to send out love and kindness to the universe. If there is such a thing as a collective consciousness, I want to put those grand positive thoughts out there! It’s not always about the politics as my friend seems to think (although we need to be logical and calm when we go up against misinformation that we overhear in conversation and sometimes I’m just…not calm…. But I won’t apologize for that right now.)

My process for peace and happiness is about being in a good frame of mind most of the time. It’s about being able to live in our little bubble of happiness that rises up each day. It’s about doing what we can to help our individual selves, our families, and others cope with what’s to come in our future personal lives and worldwide. It’s about loving and supporting each other, day to day, and ignoring the hate, and figuring out where we fit into the world. It’s about how to live our lives to the fullest.

So maybe I’m idealistic in my thoughts that all people should be treated equally and not have to put up with hate and misinformation. Maybe I just want to be that one more voice that gives off positive, helpful information regarding what we can do each day that we are here in this realm. And maybe other people should acknowledge that it’s okay for me to feel the way I feel right now. I can’t ignore every conversation that surrounds me. And, I really shouldn’t have to. We must all figure out how to get along and stop spewing nonsense. We have to learn to trust the process once again and even though trust is hard right now, equilibrium will happen in the future. We just have to get through the day. We have to live with our own thoughts and actions.

I love you all and hope you can learn to be kind to each other every day.