Hi all! Despite all that is going on in the world, I actually had a pretty good week last week. I really don’t have one huge thing, well, except for music, but that will be another post… But there were a lot of small things (OK, I see the eye rolls over another “it’s the small things post” ;) ).
As I mentioned, I finished a big music project I’ve been working on for over a month. I’ve had quite a few positive comments on it already, so that is good. I’ll write a post about it later today.
My dog Idina has not been into walking for the past few months, but she did go out for at least two walks every day last week, some days three or even four.
Even though Idina has been going out more, I’ve done some “special” walks with Fiyero, usually at a jogging pace. A few of them were pretty long, including hitting some territory where Fiyero has never been. He loves it! And, actually, so do I.
“Jogging pace” reminds me that I was able to go running four times in a week! I have been so off my running schedule for the last four months, that getting one solid week in feels great!
Lately I have been spending much more of my creative time and energy on music, so that I did a bit of writing this week was a plus.
Despite two snowfalls over the last week, it felt like spring. The big snow melted right away.
There are terrible things going on in the world. There is a brutal war. Energy prices are soaring and some can’t keep up with it. There is economic and political instability around the globe, including whispers of the possibility of World War III. New reports show that we may be past the tipping point on climate and that life around the world will change for the worse over the next few decades, effects we already see with major floods and fires and droughts. It is super easy to obsess over these things that we have absolutely zero control over. Yes, if we can help, we should. Things as simple as turning down the heat will both lower fuel demand and the amount of carbon released. We can act in places. But so much is beyond our control. We need to take a page from the Stoics handbook on these items. Part of that is noticing what we have that is good and concentrating on the positive and the things to be thankful of.
So that is my smile for the week, finding the small good in our lives despite all of the bad news that constantly bombards us.
What made you smile?
(A reminder – There will not be a Smile Recap post next week).
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Come on, I’m sure you smiled at least once last week. Why don’t you share it? I hope you can join in!
Here is list of “rules” and guiding ideas. If you don’t have time to read it right now, just remember that this is an exercise to spread positivity. Don’t smile about the misfortune of others. Don’t smile in a way to excludes others. Make sure a 12 year old can read it.
To join in, write a post to share your smile and then leave a comment on this post with a link to your smile. Or, if you prefer, do a pingback to this post (pingback = have a link from your post to this one) (Note – pingbacks have been very inconsistent – please leave a comment :) ). You can post any time until next Sunday evening (to be simple, I will say midnight GMT, which is 7 PM Sunday for me). Note – I am no longer compiling the
Trent's World (the Blog) 
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No eye-rolls from me, Trent! I absolutely hear & feel you …. I am so glad you were able to have a good week focusing on the joys & delights of household, animal friends, work!
It must be challenging to have Idina feeling poorly. My mom was the one nursing all our dogs, but having watched her, I know how tough it must be. Sending you & her lots of positive energy.
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Thanks. I am not sure if Idina is feeling all that bad, but she just doesn’t want to leave the yard. Do her joints ache? Possibly. Is she afraid of something? Maybe. So it is great that she did want to actually go out and take a walk with us – Fiyero loves his walks and would spend all day exploring if he could! And with Idiana it could be that the colder weather made her uncomfortable.
Thanks!
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Hope Idina feels better soon. I know it must be hard for you when one of your family is feeling poorly.
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In social climates of heated emotions and violent intolerance, it may not be enough to just not think/act hateful; we also need to display kindness. For example, following the June 6 killings in London, Ontario, of four members of a family for being Muslim, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested to Canadians that “the next time you see a woman in a hijab or a [Muslim] family out for a stroll, give them a smile.”
Due to seemingly plentiful incidents of hate-motivated crimes, his thoughtful request can be applicable to a wide array of such inexcusable attacks. I feel that offering a sincere smile can be a healthy and powerful, yet relatively effortless, potential response by caring individuals to acts of hate targeted at other identifiable-group members of society. (One might also wear anti-hate symbolism, e.g. a colored ribbon or shirt.)
I decided to do this as my own rebellious response to the (as anticipated) acts of racial/religious intolerance that soon followed Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. Anti-Trump demonstrators’ catchy slogan was “Love Trumps Hate”. Not much for the non-family ‘love’ part, I would do the next best thing by offering a sincere smile.
On one occasion, I smiled at a middle-aged Black woman as I passed her along the sidewalk. To me, she had a lined expression of one who’d endured a hard life. I gave her a smile, and her seemingly tired face lit up with her own smile, as though mine was the last thing she’d expected to receive. We always greet one another, since then, and converse when awaiting the bus.
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We do have to act towards the “good” to help counterbalance all of that hatred and such, even if “good” is just smiling at a stranger. Just you or me smiling at a stranger might not do much, but if everyone did…
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Always fun exploring new territory especially with a 4 legged pal. I think the best tribute we could give to those who are suffering horribly these days is to humbly enjoy what we have. Which is why I love all my blogging buddies, such a wonderful positive outlook on life.
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Exploring new territory is fun, but truthfully, it was just the far side of a couple of large fields where Fiyero had never been, so never sniffed. It was fun to see his excitement as we pushed his boundaries a little farther…
One thing about times like these is that it does make us feel grateful for what we have, understanding that it can all be taken away at any time, whether by natural disaster or man made…
I do enjoy the blogs better than social media like Facebook. It is more positive. But maybe it is just because I (and you) chose to follow positive people :)
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I am so grateful for all these “small” things that made you smile over the past week. In my opinion, though they may seem small compared to the global instability and all, on a personal level, I don’t think they’re small at all (unless you want them to be). I’m particularly happy to hear of Idina’s improvement on her walking!
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Our lives are made up of these small, every day things, and to ignore them is to ignore our lives… When doing a weekly smile, it is easy to fall into the mindset that what I writer about needs to be these big events, bu those are actually rare…
I am not sure what was up with Idina. She is getting older and does have some joint issues, but she played like normal, just didn’t like taking walks. Having her walk more is a huge smile :)
Thanks!
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Glad you got out so much to run, and into new territory for the pup too! My smile for the week was our concert on Tuesday night, and then the Ann Arbor Symphony on Saturday night. Two big smiles in one week!
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And I just got back from another run a few minutes ago! The pup loves new places, even if just a side of the field he has never visited.
Yeah, your concert sounds like a giant smile!! It has been a few years since I’ve been to the symphony (I used to get passes to the BSO), but that sounds great as well.
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Always a good reminder to take a moment to look at what we have and find the good in the world. Thanks, Trent.
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Sometimes it is hard to remember, but there is good in the world… And there can be good news, like finding pretty much nothing in an MRI, with all of the bad ;) (I talked to a nurse at the cardiologist’s office this evening)
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That’s great news!
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Yes, a huge relief :)
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Sorry Trent, I didn’t get bat back to you about the url – it was a very busy week, and among them were computer problems. One more visit to the geek squad for a new wifi card, and hopefully it will be fixed! My smile this week is the reflection in the window of Sutro baths in San Francisco that we visited when our son who lives in Holland visited us.
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Not a problem about last week’s url – glad you got the technical issues fixed. I think I did find the post in the end.
I’ll be by to see this week’s in a few.
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Hi Trent, thanks for this cheerful post. I agree that we must do what we can and not obsess of things we can’t do anything about because that is just depressing.
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Thanks, Robbie. It is good to be informed, but not good to be too obsessed about it.
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I got an unexpected day out with our son and the grandchildren on Saturday, my son treated me and even bought me lunch so huge smiles 💜💜
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Does sound like some huge smiles on Saturday :)
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It really was I had a great time 💜💜
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Small steps, small things, one act or step at a time…. that’s how we fashion our days and lives. And yes, in the “grand chaos” – coupled with all the uncertainties, the shocks and horrors, the terrifying, we must stop and ground ourselves …. and that’s by choosing the smaller things over which we do have some control. Stoicism has its virtues too. I suspect if we were to consider it in today’s “fancy words” – we’d say something along the lines of “accepting the moments, events as they are, for what they are and working with them as such NOT as we wish them to be” means success. At any rate, small slices add up …. after all, we had to learn to stand and walk before we could consider running.
Sounds like a pretty full week, filled with some lovely moments – smile worthy. Hope this week finds you with as many wonderful opportunities and slices of happy/joy. 😁
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I do know people who almost ruin their lives worrying about those things that not only can they not fix, but don’t directly effect them. We do sometimes need to be grounded, take a look around and see where we really are… Yep, it was a pretty full week, and I didn’t mention the half of it… I hope you also have a great week ahead :)
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thanks …. the temps are warming this week, so after the last significant snowfall, it’ll be welcome relief …. slow drip drip melt …. and mostly light sun – yay!
stress, anxiety, worry – it’s hard to swallow sometimes, but I suppose maybe (at least for me) it’s about sitting back and wondering how we’re supposed to continue along and not be affected …. but then, I’m an empath, so it makes things harder …. but yes, the day to day is what’s “real” … one foot in front of the other …. or two/four paws at a time! Anyhow, here’s hoping Spring is visiting (with intent to stick around) so you and yours can enjoy it …. looking ahead, looking forward. Sort of a make the moments to hand count kind of thing 😊
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Being an empath makes it even more important to let occasionally let go of those images coming across the wire (or ether…) from the far corners of the globe and concentrate on what is around you – there is always misery out there someplace, abut there is also beauty. Concentrating on only the pain is a good way to burn out real quick and not do anybody any good…. Here’s looking towards Spring! Hopefully we’ll see crocuses in a week or two.
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*smiling at the thought of spring bulbs* – we’ll wait awhile yet for those …. but it’s coming along … and that’s something to appreciate!
you’re quite correct – it’s so important to step back and stay “sane” – using small ways and means …. not always easy, but burning out is never a good option/result. (thanks for sharing your thoughts, gentle reminders, it’s kind and helpful 😊 )
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I just read the poem on your blog and now understand how/why current events (i.e, the war in Ukraine) feels more personal for you and is harder to step away from!
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thanks – and life continues, in its small marvels … slow melt and drip here as the temps start to warm in the north :) the birds are frolicking and playing, so small smiles ….. Have a wonderful day Trent :)
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Great good news! Thanks for this, Trent! Have a beautiful week! xx Michael
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Thanks, have a wonderful week!
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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