Random Acts of Shifeness - The Blues

  • Happy Father's Day. These two make fatherhood a very cool and rewarding experience. They have made me a better man and I'm grateful that I have such wonderful kids. 
  • Quote of the week: "If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present." - Lao Tzu
  • The above quote really resonated with me today because I have been working on being happy for a long time. Maybe it was fatherhood or embracing my own mortality but it was something. I think two of the biggest factors for me were keeping a daily gratitude journal and also practicing mindfulness. I also got tired of being unhappy so I decided to pull myself up so I could pull myself forward.  
  • The challenge for June has been no social media. Maybe that's why I am in a better mood? I don't miss it at all. I will check them occasionally for messages because that's the only way I keep in touch with some folks but then I am out. 
  • I have been waiting my whole life for this:


  • The St. Louis Blues joined the National Hockey League (1967) and never won the Cup. Well, that changed last night. After 52 years, Lord Stanley's Cup is coming home to St. Louis. 
  • Ted has left the building. After 7 weeks, Ted's humans picked him up and took him to his new home in Alabama. 
  • We miss Ted.
  • We also miss the beach.


Hope you are well. Thanks for stopping by and I will talk to you soon.






 I will persevere. I will keep moving forward. I will be the stream.

Comments

  1. I read Eastern philosophy for a long time when I was in college, and that's pretty much the best pearl of wisdom to be had in it, so far as I could tell. Living in the present kind of thing.

    There. I saved you a lifetime of reading. Or Lao-Tzu did, I guess.

    Happy Father's Day.

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  2. I'm not sure I want to live in the present - right now -
    getting ready to go to the dentist and it is 102 out!
    ak! :-)

    Kids adorable as always. Will miss Ted too.
    Abby and Tar say 'watch out for squirrels and
    cats in Alabama. We hear they are everywhere!'

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  3. Lao Tzu was definitely on to something there. I have been practicing meditation for the past three months & that has elevated my mood somewhat. Mindfulness is the goal. It's not always achieved, but it is always the goal.

    May June be mellow sans social media distraction!

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  4. Love the photographs, Matt. Those children are wonderful. On the days when you feel down, just think of them and know how lucky you are to have them. God bless, my friend.

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  5. No wonder you miss the beach ~ the kids look so happy to be out there...Ted looks like a wonderful dog (although I think they are all wonderful). How nice that you have the opportunity to have him in your family even for a short time!

    I agree that it is difficult to work on the happiness factor. Even though I believe that I'm in charge of my own happiness, there are times when it's really difficult to find it. Although it sounds cliche, joining the church and committing to it has really helped me with that. Plus, I enjoy being around grumpy old Greek ladies, they crack me up.

    Lately it seems that social media ~ mainly Facebook ~ is so full of ads that I'm considering putting it off the radar for a month...great idea that I'll try.

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  6. Feeling unhappy is so exhausting, even physically. I understand the struggle to rise above it. It's hard to get a great beach vacation out of your head; they are kind of magical. Wishing you a wonderful Father's Day!

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  7. I'm glad that ditching social media helped you. I wonder if the world at large will ever get back to where we were before iPhones and all that goes with them came to be . . .

    Kids made me a better person too, I know what you mean. Your kids are growing by leaps and bounds!

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  8. Hello, I just discovered your block and I followed. I'm really glad you come by.

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  9. girl look sad at first two photos, then she smiles at the last photo ….boy happy always....glad to see....

    have a wonderful summer for you and yours

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