Alphabet of the Human Heart - M and N

It's back !

It's been a little too long since I went back to the Alphabet book. It's a lovely book, really thoughtful present. It has a lot to say and a lot to make you think about. I'd thoroughly recommend it (link will go in at the end !)

First up - M is for Mood.

"If your life is out of balance, seek to balance your moods. Many things can cause them to swing. Drink, drugs, diet, stress. To find balance, go back to basics. Bring your body and mind down to earth. Sleep well, eat healthily, exercise, choose your thoughts carefully."

I have the mood swings. I know other people do too. Our minds play tricks on us, the mind distorts our perception of the world. For an unfortunate number of us (more people than will admit it!), the mind twists our mood to the dark.

Resist ! My mood improves immeasurably when I talk to people. When I look at people and get a smile answering my grin. When the people I look to for engagement with what I send them reply and take me up on the implicit offer of humour I try to put in all I communicate.

The looking forward to Comic Con in May ! Tickets booked. No clue still (except for James Bond) for cosplay.

However hard it may be (and it can be really tough), look to the bright side. Resist that temptation to allow your mood to pick up on the dark.

M is also for Meditation.

Meditation takes many forms. For some, it'll be carefully practiced routines. A way of thinking that will put you at peace. A series of movements that exercise your body and allow the brain to switch off.

I try to slow my breathing, slow my heart, stop the incessant murmuring that my thoughts can become and look at the world. To observe. To really see. To watch how other people do things and ask, can I learn from what they are doing to do what I do better.

To meditate is to be at peace. With oneself, with the world.

I need to learn how to trigger the meditative state better, to help me sleep better. I can do the slowing of the breathing to put my body at rest but those thoughts keep jabbering in my head and block the sleep. It'll come :-).

N is for Negativity.

So many people fall into the negativity trap ! Me too. I find I need a fairly constant reinforcement from outside, or I start falling into a depressive cycle. Sometimes that reinforcement is just being noticed. Or getting a reply in from the people I find special.

What's in the book ?

"Life looks the way you look at it. A positive point of view sees a brighter future. A negative perspective paints a bleaker universe. Always remember that your outlook will be your outcome. A few small changes can make a huge difference. For instance, try saying yes to every question you're asked (within reason). You'll discover new places, meet new people and live a happier and richer life."

I look at the internet and how people behave on it. A lot of the time, the internet is infested with some really nasty people. But there are the exceptions. I mentioned the Heychrissa streamer. Yeah, she has a potty mouth but behind that is a lovely person who entertains her little band of followers and part of how she does that is by following the chat and joining in. Dunno how she does that to be honest, I can barely keep up and I'm not the one playing the game.

But yeah, so much negativity out there, it's far better to start from a positive outlook. The outlooks reinforce. Positive outlooks bring smiles, negativity breeds anguish. One reason I try to pass encouraging messages to the various people who's videos I watch is to pass on positive energy that helps them keep going. To encourage, to balance the negativity.

Negativity has a place, sure. But it's better to look for the positive ways out of situations. It can be difficult yeah but it's so worth it.

N is also for Now.

Now is the opposite of one of my worse characteristics - procrastination.

From the book : "Life is fleeting. Miss the moment and it'll be gone forever. To make the most of life, make the most of every moment. Forget the past, ignore the future, be present to the present."

This means you ! You reading this on your phone when you should be talking to the people with you ! The phone will wait for later. Smile at the people with you. Give now your full attention, other things can wait.

I know there are things I need to do in the future. I'd like to move out of here and onto a boat. But I also know there are things I need to do to set that up, so I don't miss the opportunity when it comes my way.

That's the thing - open yourself for being spontaneous. If there's something more fun you can be doing now, embrace the fun ! Send that nice message to the person. That nice message could be the start of something wonderful.

It can take a bit of bravery to live in the now. Do it ! It's a good place to live.

And that's it for today. I'll try not to leave it so long next time before I bring you more of the Alphabet book. Now you're asking : "Where can I get this lovely book ?" Here we go - Gratuitous Amazon link !