I Wouldn’t Do That

I have written before about trying new creative things.  But have you ever thought about just trying something, anything new.

I teach psychology at a local college.  For years I had an assignment called “I wouldn’t Do That”.  The idea was for students to try something they said they would never do.  I wanted them to get out of their comfort zone. 

My students did all kinds of things that they wouldn’t normally do.  The big one was trying sushi.  Every year I had at least one student who would try sushi.  Of all those students, only one ever said he would eat it again.  And that is OK; at least the others tried something new.

Other students would try another restaurant like Chinese or Thai.  Some students would go to a restaurant alone and found they enjoyed their food more since they did not have to talk to others.  There were also a couple of students who made a meal for their friends and found they were great cooks.

Another popular one was giving up their electronics for a day.  They turned off their phone and computers.  You would be surprised what you can get done when you unplug.  You can actually have a conversation with someone face to face.

Other students were more adventurous. I had one that took a hot air balloon ride, another who sky dived (with an instructor).  Some would travel to another city. 

 I had students who went to a church of  a domination different from theirs.  Some would go to a play or symphony concert or a sporting event.  One student wondered why she had never gone to a basketball game before.  She found it was fun.

What would you do?  Is there anything you have said “ Oh I would never do…”  How about trying it?  You don’t have to do it alone, find someone else who would like to be adventurous or maybe even supportive of you.  I remember one student had never gone swimming in a lake.  She wanted her children to have that experience and was afraid they wouldn’t do it if she didn’t.  So that was her project.  She thought it felt funny with the sand beneath her toes and little fish swimming around but she did it.  And hopefully her kids are enjoying lake swimming now as well.

So this week, go try something you have never done before or would never think you would.  You can start off small like turning off your phone.  But just start somewhere.

 

  ©2018- Cheryl Fillion

Positive Thinking Day

With all the negativity on the news these days, September 13 is definitely needed.  No, not as in Friday the 13^th but as in Positive Thinking Day. This is a day set aside to think of positive things.

Now how do you celebrate Positive Thinking Day?  You can wake up thinking about all the good things that will happen that day like maybe what you are going to eat that day, who you are going to see, and how the weather will be (even if it is raining, the rain is a good thing for the grass and the flowers),

Every hour think of 3 things in which you are grateful.  Maybe it is the people in your life or your health or the job or school you attend.  How about being grateful for your 5 senses?  Or even grateful that it is Positive Thinking Day and it gives you an opportunity to practice positivity.

Give compliments to everyone you meet. Everyone likes a compliment.  Or maybe extend some random acts of kindness.  This could be as simple as letting some go ahead of you in the check out line to paying for the meal of the car in the drive thru behind you.

In the evening, turn off the news (and don’t read the paper).  Watch a funny show or read an inspirational book instead.  What is usually on the news is the entire negative events that has gone on in the world during the day.

And of course the best way to keep yourself positive and spread positive vibes is to smile.  It is amazing how smiling can change your mood.  And smiling is contagious.  Have you ever noticed when you smile at someone, they will smile back (unless of course they are a Scrooge).

So while one day might be set aside to be positive, why not spread it to the next day and then the next week and then every day after that.  Happy Positive Thinking Day.

©2018 – Cheryl Fillion

Support Your Local Library

Our Fiber Artist group recently moved our meetings to our Local library.  It made me realize that local libraries are not just for checking out books.  Now not all libraries are like the one in my town which offers many of the services I will mention below but I bet your library has some features you did not even realize.

There are, of course, the books.  Is there a book you want to read but don’t want to buy?  See if your library has it.  If you would prefer an electronic book, many libraries now offer those types of books for free.

Is there a book you want to read but your library doesn’t have it?  See if they offer interlibrary loan.  This is a service many libraries subscribe to where they can get from another library a book they might not have on their shelves.  I use it all the time when I want to buy a book but I want to look at it first and my local library or book store doesn’t have it.  You should know that some libraries won’t lend out their books to other libraries until after they are about 6 months old.  They want their patrons to have first use of the books. But it is a great way to read books

With video rental stores going out of business right and left, the library is a place to check out old or new DVDs.  Sometimes there is a small fee but usually the service is free.  So if you ever want a movie night but don’t want to go out to the theaters, check out you local library.  In the summer our local library has free movies for the kiddos.  Movies keep them entertained and cool at the same time.

Services for children are another perk of a library.  Just checking out books can be an adventure for a little one.  I have heard many people talk about going to the library as a child with their parents, grandparents or even on their own.   And many libraries offer special programs for the kids in the summer.  Our local zoo usually brings small animals to the library and talks about them with the kids.   In the summer there are often reading programs.  If you read so many books, you get a prize at the end of the summer. 

Our library offers classes for free.  We have quilting and crochet classes.  I taught needle felting at my library.  They even offer yoga and meditation classes.  Some libraries even are able to provide the supplies for the classes for free. 

Interested in genealogy or local history?  A lot of libraries have special rooms that provide a lot of the books and records needed for this.

Some libraries have speakers or displays that might be of interest.  Our Fiber Artist group just had a fiber show at our library.  It was great and it was free.  I have attended a lot of community talks and programs at the library.  And it is a place to have a local group meet.

I bet there are things your library offers that I haven’t even mentioned here.  So don’t think your library is just for books.  Go there and see what it has to offer to you.  Libraries are great place to visit and enjoy. 

©2018 Cheryl Fillion

Expect the Unexpected

There is a saying that goes “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”  It means no matter how well you plan something, things can happen that disrupts those plans.  And that certainly happened with the Fiber Artist group of which I am a member.

We planned a show and sale at our local library where we meet. We made a reservation of the library auditorium in March.  Then the library had some personnel changes and through the shuffle (even though I confirmed the reservation), another group was schedule for the same day and time for the library auditorium.  They needed the room and the projection screen since their event was bigger than ours we were moved.

Now we had put out advertising for our show and sale so we couldn’t change the date (and so had the other group so they couldn’t change), so that meant moving to another part of the library.  Now this library isn’t real big so there are not a lot of rooms we could use.  We decided on the lobby. 

And this is where ‘the best laid plans’ idea comes in.   In the auditorium there were sound proof walls where we could hang quilts and other artwork.  It was also a little more formal looking than the lobby.  But the lobby had better lighting and it would put us out where people coming to the library could easily see us.  It meant coming up with another way to display our art.   I told one member, now is when our creativity comes through.

The other group now using the auditorium had to pass by us on their way to the auditorium, so that meant more people in the lobby area and more potential customers.  The staff member who made the error felt so bad, she went above and beyond to advertise our event through the library website and social media.  The reservation mix-up probably got us more publicity.

While we were frustrated with the whole situation, it actually turned out to be something good in the end.  You could see us as you walked into the library and so some people who knew nothing about our show and sale or even new about our group wandered among our tables to see what was what.  I think we got more people than if we had been in the auditorium.  It did mean we had to figure out how to display our items differently but that turned out OK.  I kept an unofficial count of people who walked by my table ( and I was at the end of the lobby) and the turn out was pretty good. So the “sometimes goes awry”, sometimes actually goes the right way.

If you have a situation, you have planned to the last detail and it gets disrupted, don’t give up.  Sometimes things work out for the better.

©2018- Cheryl Fillion

 

 

August Celebration: Just Because Day

I have been having a lot of fun this year looking for unusual and creative ways to celebrate.  I have found some quirky holidays (remember Take your Houseplant for a Walk Day last month).  But as unusual as some holidays are,  and there is probably a holiday for everything, this month has a holiday for anything you want.  On August 27^th, you have to celebrate Just Because Day.

The idea is that since we spend much of our days doing things we HAVE to do, why not have a day to do something for no reason than Just Because.  I like it.  Doesn’t everyone want to do something or like to do something for no particular reason. 

Maybe you see a new outfit at a store.  You don’t need it for an event.  You might have plenty of clothes.  You just want it so buy it, just because.

Maybe you want to go on a picnic but it is not a weekend day or a holiday.  So take the day off and have a picnic, just because.

Figure out something you want to do on this day and just do it.  Or better yet wake up that morning and do the first fun thing that comes to your head.  And make sure to let everyone know you are doing it Just Because.  Who knows if enough people do something just because it might become a national holiday marked in red on the calendar for no reason than just because. 

©2018 Cheryl Fillion