I liked reading this, Jo. My best life varies according to how well I am, and it’s been this way for quite a few years now. This morning my best life is enjoying my cat shedding white hair all over my black pjs, enjoying the last of the forsythia at the bottom of the garden, seeing the Mont Blanc a soft blur in the distance, and thinking how good yesterdays banana bread turned out for breakfast! Im house bound at the moment because of an IBD flare, which totally sucks, but I'm hoping it will pass eventually. So i try not to get myself too sad/angry/frustrated about it write a lot of poetry! i have a poetry book coming out very soon, which is very exciting!
I loved your comment Francesca, it made me chuckle as I read it after finishing clearing up the black dog hair off a cream carpet. The carpets were here before we arrived I should add I a, not that mad. 🤣My husband had Crohn’s so I understand completely about your IBD. I look forward to reading your poetry book 😘😘
Ah. The $64,000 question! I guess living your best life means something different to everyone. For me, it’s getting out there and doing what you enjoy.
Another great post, Jo. As thought provoking as ever. x
People often tell me I'm 'living the dream' because I live on a narrow boat, but living in such a small space with no car is a lot of people's idea of hell. I think self acceptance and living the life that suits you/us as individuals is our 'best life'. I've got friends who are still working in their 70s, others than devote almost all of their time to their grandchildren and they're happy doing so. I find accepting 'what is' really difficult at times and I'm hoping I can do that with more equanimity over time 🙂 x
You are so right Karen. I am so pleased to live somewhere where I can be me. We are all so different and we should embrace our quirks and never judge others 😘😘😘
In April 2023 I was finished being 2 years homeless and 3 months away from being placed in a Section 8 apartment.
It is the first time for me to live alone. I'm quite pleased.
I joined Substack because it appeared to be a place for me to express myself freely and openly.
After the deluge of Americans putting a horrible creature back into the Whitehouse I moved away from my own page and made comments on those who permitted without having a paid subscription. My page was getting too little attention anyway.
Now I'm getting new subscribers to my page because of the depth of my comments so I think I'd best get back home in Substack.
Jo, those photos were beautiful! As usual, thank you for being you. I don't think you need any advice from others. Not accepting yourself is a waste of precious time. I remember the past but don't live in it. Long ago I found making plans a headache because too often the plans fell through. So I agree with the Groucho Marx quote. Living for the day keeps my brain where it needs to be under the current circumstances.
Thank you Richard, Substack is a slow burner and I am so pleased you are thinking of restarting your posts. They are always worth reading. You have a real story to tell.
I’m glad you revisited your writing and shared it with us. We can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to live our “best life”. I was feeling yesterday like I have one life to live, so I need to live it well. As you can see from that language it was bound to have some sort of to-do list or pressure attached to it. So I love that you reminded us of the lightness that is essential to living our best life!
I liked reading this, Jo. My best life varies according to how well I am, and it’s been this way for quite a few years now. This morning my best life is enjoying my cat shedding white hair all over my black pjs, enjoying the last of the forsythia at the bottom of the garden, seeing the Mont Blanc a soft blur in the distance, and thinking how good yesterdays banana bread turned out for breakfast! Im house bound at the moment because of an IBD flare, which totally sucks, but I'm hoping it will pass eventually. So i try not to get myself too sad/angry/frustrated about it write a lot of poetry! i have a poetry book coming out very soon, which is very exciting!
I loved your comment Francesca, it made me chuckle as I read it after finishing clearing up the black dog hair off a cream carpet. The carpets were here before we arrived I should add I a, not that mad. 🤣My husband had Crohn’s so I understand completely about your IBD. I look forward to reading your poetry book 😘😘
Ah. The $64,000 question! I guess living your best life means something different to everyone. For me, it’s getting out there and doing what you enjoy.
Another great post, Jo. As thought provoking as ever. x
You sum it up much more succinctly in one sentence Rosie 😁 Doing what we enjoy 😘😘
People often tell me I'm 'living the dream' because I live on a narrow boat, but living in such a small space with no car is a lot of people's idea of hell. I think self acceptance and living the life that suits you/us as individuals is our 'best life'. I've got friends who are still working in their 70s, others than devote almost all of their time to their grandchildren and they're happy doing so. I find accepting 'what is' really difficult at times and I'm hoping I can do that with more equanimity over time 🙂 x
You are so right Karen. I am so pleased to live somewhere where I can be me. We are all so different and we should embrace our quirks and never judge others 😘😘😘
am living my best life my way, however that changes daily.
It does that 😘
In April 2023 I was finished being 2 years homeless and 3 months away from being placed in a Section 8 apartment.
It is the first time for me to live alone. I'm quite pleased.
I joined Substack because it appeared to be a place for me to express myself freely and openly.
After the deluge of Americans putting a horrible creature back into the Whitehouse I moved away from my own page and made comments on those who permitted without having a paid subscription. My page was getting too little attention anyway.
Now I'm getting new subscribers to my page because of the depth of my comments so I think I'd best get back home in Substack.
Jo, those photos were beautiful! As usual, thank you for being you. I don't think you need any advice from others. Not accepting yourself is a waste of precious time. I remember the past but don't live in it. Long ago I found making plans a headache because too often the plans fell through. So I agree with the Groucho Marx quote. Living for the day keeps my brain where it needs to be under the current circumstances.
Take care!
Richard
Thank you Richard, Substack is a slow burner and I am so pleased you are thinking of restarting your posts. They are always worth reading. You have a real story to tell.
Groucho’s quote is definitely worth noting. 😘😘😘
I’m glad you revisited your writing and shared it with us. We can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to live our “best life”. I was feeling yesterday like I have one life to live, so I need to live it well. As you can see from that language it was bound to have some sort of to-do list or pressure attached to it. So I love that you reminded us of the lightness that is essential to living our best life!