Down the Rabbit Hole

Fueling the Fear and Inspiring the Good Mood

"Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"
Day 2495 February 17, 2022
Prompt: Share a list of activities that put you in a good mood

This prompt is a delight today because I was just making a mental list of my personal "mood boosters" the other night, somewhat randomly, as I tried to rally through these last weeks of winter. I found my list was substantial but rather short...

Writing something that I believe is good...improves my mood most significantly. When something comes easily, flowing naturally from me it brings me a sense of peace that is really unrivaled. It anchors me when I am feeling unmoored. It gives me confidence when my confidence is shaken. It gives me meaning when I am feeling lost and purposeless.

A close second is reading a good book, either in bed under warm covers or in front of a fire or in extreme cases of emotional rescue...in a bubble bath.

Spending time at the barn with my gelding. There is an uncanny connection I can find in his big, brown eyes. I find serenity in his soft nickers and the way he can just "hold space" with me. I typically put in some solid physical labor at the barn and I find that it makes me tired in a very contented way. I am always leaving the barn in better spirits than I arrived with.

I found that during COVID and the long weeks working in isolation in my home...watching the birds brought me a lot of joy. I moved my work station to the window that overlooked my feeders in the backyard. The visiting wrens, cardinal and yellow finches were my constant company at a time when I needed to feel connected to the world in a new way. I still enjoy taking my breakfast with the birds before work.

Those are the big ones then there is a host of others....
Music is something I use to improve my mood. I have wide and varied tastes. I play music at work, and while I cook. I've recently discovered true crime podcasts too. I am a novice when it comes to yoga but I find it to be a great mood booster for me. I enjoy coloring with my daughter and playing with our dogs.

I have never been one plagued bouts with depression but when I feel the dip in my spirits, one of the methods above is a reliable way for me to kick the melancholy to the curb.


"Blogging Circle of Friends "
DAY 3388 February 17, 2022
“Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt
Do you agree or disagree with Mr. Roosevelt? Have you ever been in a situation that you were so frightened but found the courage to overcome?

I have always been medically phobic. I have a strict, "don't warn me just do it" policy when it comes to medical procedures. I schedule and then cancel doctor's appointments on a regular basis. Three months ago my sister in law was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She made me promise to keep up on my annuals and take care of myself. Seeing her go through chemo is horrific. It is heartbreaking and it is hard to wrap my mind around the courage it takes for her to put herself through that trauma for the chance to gain a year or two more of life. For her, life is more important that her fear...and she is fearful so very much of time I know. She is an inspiration to me in so many ways but none more than this. She sees a beautiful life beyond the sickness and for that, she will walk through hell. I don't know that I have will ever face anything even close to what she is dealing with but if I had too, I hope I have even a little bit of her bravery.