Postcards from the Funny Farm

“How fragile we are.”
Sting

A single word can add value to your life. In college I read that in a book and tried it out. I bought a pack of 3×5″ cards on sale and searched my mind and dictionary for words to concentrate on. This had a profound impact on the anxiety and depression I suffered in that time. There were many I went though. I would write the word on a card and tape it to my bathroom mirror. I remember one word I had, for example, was the word “transcend.” I would repeat this word many times in my mind while brushing my teeth and routine grooming. The word took on new and deeper significance during this time and throughout my day. It was the most positive word I could think of and it was a word I wanted more of in my life. Sometimes I would be in class of just round about town and I would hear a word which I would in turn use in this manner. In a way, it is like a mini mantra or … mantra “concentrate.”

Part of fighting depression and anxiety is coming to the fight prepared and armed. A word chosen wisely and meditated on is a powerful tool weapon anyone can bring to the fight we call humanity.

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1. Ask the waitress to make your Kun Pao extra spicy for a real treat.
2. Cults exist with normal everyday people in them.
3. If it’s not the time for you to have a girlfriend, don’t take the matter into your own hands.
4. Not all girls like it when guys cry.
5. We are all totally alone in so many ways.
6. Celebrities are pulled from nowhere other than our ordinary neighbors.
7. Getting a degree is a bitch.
8. Getting a degree is worth something that you only know after you get it.
9. getting a degree is not necessary for success but it can’t hurt you.
10. The structure of modern English ENG 303 was worth taking twice ;)

Below is yet another post about having an open mind:
I had a professor of a writing class in college who told us she knew a famous actress. I would tell you who if I could recall but at the time I didn’t know them since they were a very old actress and the name didn’t imprint in my memory as a result. At any rate, this professor of mine, who was getting to the retiring age herself, mentioned to us that the woman had such grace and elegance in the way she ran her affairs. My teacher took care of her library for her and cleaned the house a bit while in college which was nearby. Because I really respected this teacher as a confident writer, I was all ears when she told this story. One day she asked the woman how she lived with such grace, happiness, and success and was now aging the same way and the woman said this simple mantra:

Accept everything.

Let’s look at that wisdom three ways. It could mean:

1. Don’t shut any person or idea out. Let it run completely through your mind and stand or fall on it’s own merits. This is a tough one to universalize. It is more like an inner mantra that can’t be directly applied to some concrete issues. Still, I like the idea of accepting everything in this respect.
2. Don’t be too good for any offer that comes your way. When you get work accept it. If you get a job for $8 do it like it was a job for 80K. I really like this idea.
3. And finally, be gracious. This is by far the best way I can think of to interpret it.

We had to write something on those 2 words when she shared them and I don’t have the paper I wrote at the time. I do carry them with me and I say them often. She was Canadian, I’m starting to think they know something we don’t up there.I’d like to know what they mean to you, any takers? Don’t be shy, just throw one out there.

While I’m on the subject of acceptance: If you are not content to accept your weight, a good resource may be weight loss pills.  Thanks for your support of Postcards from the Funny Farm.

Whether you are learning or teaching, it’s important to not over stuff your brain. Studies have shown that the mind cannot absorb more than three things at a time. So, if you are writing, don’t make more than 3 main points or they will be wasted on over-fed minds. If you are looking to read and understand something, break it down into three or less main categories. Yellow pads are great for this. You’d do well to “space out” the time you have to study as well. The theory of time spaced learning got me through College Algebra at the junior college. I have always struggled with math and a teacher shared with the class about it. My life has been improved ever since!

The theory goes like this: instead of studying to absorb new material over the course of an hour, break up your time into 15 minute increments. The data shows that memory is strongest when you start and stop a study time. Therefore, instead of having strong memories only twice in an hour, you will have them at the start and stop of each mini session. This equals more knowledge retained! Now this was great news to me, because I loved taking breaks from math!

When it comes to our brains, less is more and quality is better than quantity. Slow down and take more breaks, you’ll be amazed how much more you retain for life!