I Started Learning Qigong!

Have you heard of Qigong? Well, for those of you who haven’t, according to National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “Qigong, pronounced ‘chi gong’ was developed in China thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being. Qigong has both psychological and physical components and involves the regulation of the mind, breath, and body’s movement and posture.”

I started doing Qigong 1 or 2 months ago and I swear by it. It’s so nice to have use gentle techniques to improve my physical and mental well being. I like the idea of using breathwork and slow movement to help me be present and mindful. Especially now that I’m working full time. One more thing I have to add is that the person who leads the class does a great job. He uses guidance but allows everyone in the class to find their own way.

Have you tried Qigong? If you haven’t would you?

Writing Prompt Wednesday!

“Write what should not be forgotten.” — Isabel Allende

Did you write today? If not, write something you never want to forget.

Feeling down? Write about an experience big or small that brought you joy. Pull it out now and to keep it fresh in your mind

I don’t want to forget about going out to lunch with my mama. We don’t get to do that very often. It was really nice. I like having her around.

PC Gaming

I’m not the best at video games but I still like to play them. My next video game goal is to try PC gaming. I haven’t tried PC gaming since DOOM was on DOS. Wait, was it DOS?

Right now I play a silly little fairy game called Fairland where you combine different items and collect things, but unfortunately, there isn’t too much puzzling. Just requires consistency and patience. It works for now.

What I’m looking for is a game I can pop in and out of because I don’t set aside a lot of time to game. I’d like fulfilling play in about 25-30 minutes including how long it takes to boot the game up.

What are you playing? Any suggestions for PC gaming?

Words Pierce

“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly — they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.” -Aldous Huxley

I have never heard this quote before! I think he’s too timid about the piercing power of words. Words are xrays. They pierce through cold souls hot tempers. They silence noise and the opposite. Used improperly, you could kill a man accidently. Used with the intention of good, you could liberate an entire nation. I believe deeply in the power of words, I’m Huxley did too. I’ll have to find where this quote came from.

How do you feel about the power of words?

Paid Writing Platform

Hey writers, have you tried Medium?

Medium is a writing platform that pays you for your writing. There’s no limitation on genres. You can post anytime of day on your own page or share work throughout the platform.

I’ll give a brief summary.

It works best when you hang out and post for free a few times. This will help you get a better understanding of the platform. Once you’re feeling ready, you can grab a membership to start connecting with other writers and commenting on their work.

A great tip is to share your work on pages that are similar to the genres you write. Look and see if some of them are accepting writers. This is how you get new connections. New connections help a million ways including boosting your views.

Some people are weary of having to pay but the truth is if you’re posting and connecting with other writers, your earned dollars will easily pay for the membership.

It’s still blogging and it still requires work. With that said, it might be nice to earn a couple bucks if you’re writing anyways.

https://medium.com

Tomorrow Marks 16 Years

I had my first born 16 years ago.

As crazy as this may sound, my first born saved me. Having her made me braver. I pushed myself further than I thought I’d ever go because I wanted to be my best for her, but over these past few years she’s given me the space to appreciate my softness. All these versions of me parenting her, and she’s the greatest adventure and deepest love I’ve ever known. I can’t help but feel that I owe her so much. I may have brought her into this world but that little 7lb bundle brought me to life.

Through thick and thin, I will forever and always love her.

Happy Birthday baby girl.

Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is my current read. I’m enjoying it very much so far. I’m just under a quarter of the way into the book. I like the tone of the book so far. I like the matter-of-fact-ness about it.

Here’s a summary of it

“Billy Pilgrim (Michael Sacks) is an ordinary World War II soldier with one major exception: he has mysteriously become unstuck in time. Billy goes on an uncontrollable trip back and forth from his birth in New York to life on a distant planet and back again to the horrors of the 1945 fire-bombing of Dresden.”

This book was written in 1969 and here’s some themes of the novel that AI came up with:

  • Free will and predestination
    Vonnegut argues that free will doesn’t exist and that all human actions are predetermined.
  • The illusion of free will
    The Tralfamadorians, who are shaped like toilet plungers, discuss the philosophical question of whether free will exists.
  • The inevitability of death
    Vonnegut uses a matter-of-fact tone to describe Billy’s encounters with death.
  • Time and memory
    The novel includes time travel, and Billy leaps in time to experience his life’s events out of order and repeatedly.
  • Acceptance
    Vonnegut’s famous line, “So it goes,” is repeated whenever a character dies.
  • Human dignity
    Vonnegut believes that war is not heroic or glamorous.

Have you read Slaughterhouse Five? What did you think? (without too many spoilers)

Seasonal Allergies!!

It that time of year where allergies are a pain in the 🍑

I love spring but the pollen and whatever else floats around that I’m allergic to, is the worst. I don’t have a deathly allergy. I have general seasonal allergies. I do wonder if there are any natural remedies to prevent allergies. I do my best to keep my nose clean with saline. And I take allergy pills as needed.

I thought it would be nice to share some ideas on how to soothe your allergy symptoms.

I asked Google Gemini for some tips here’s what I got.

  • Nasal rinse: Using a saline nasal rinse can help clear mucus and allergens from your nasal passages, relieving congestion [allergies sinus rinse].
  • Air filtration: HEPA air filters can help remove allergens from the air in your home [HEPA filter allergies].
  • Lifestyle changes: There are certain lifestyle changes you can make to minimize your exposure to allergens:
    • Keep windows closed during high pollen count days.
    • Shower and change clothes after spending time outdoors.
    • Use a dehumidifier to control mold and mildew growth (especially helpful in spring, summer and early fall).
    • Drink plenty of fluids to help thin mucus.

What do you think? What kind of things do you do for your seasonal allergies?

Empowerment

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you’re in a stressful situation, self-empowerment is a great tool to unleash. Let’s start by talking about what empowerment means. Empowerment is the process of building your confidence, knowledge, and skills so that you can make your own choices and achieve your goals. The key word is process. Empowering yourself is a tool but it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something that should be pulled out of your tool kit on a regular basis.

We all have discouraging days where we feel like we’re lost in the storm. It can be a real drag, but there are definitely ways to fight back and feel empowered again. The first thing is we should neutralize discouragement, which can often be fueled by negative self-talk. Try to identify these thoughts and challenge them with a more realistic perspective. Are you being too hard on yourself? Would you talk to a friend this way? It’s easy to forget all the things you’re good at. Take some time to reflect on your accomplishments and strengths. Remind yourself of what you’re capable of.

Remember, discouragement is a normal emotion but so is empowerment. You should always take time to find ways to empower yourself even when you’re in a good place. Find which way works best. Switch it up once in a while. Just make sure you have empowerment in your toolkit.

Find your inspiration

What are you passionate about? What stories have stayed with you?

Just wanted to send some writing inspiration into the world. There’s a million things to write about, and that’s exactly what slows me down. If I can refocus and remember why I’m writing (which is more challenging than it sounds), maybe it will help out a bit. I’m passionate about increasing the well-being of my fellow humans. I want to make the world a better place. The craziest thing is that I have to make my own world a better place first. I’ve been working on that and I’m getting better and better as I go.

How about you?