None at All

Daily writing prompt
What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?

I could easily list physical activities like hiking or skipping, but the truth is that I only do them when I am forced into it, not because I genuinely enjoy them.

I do like walking in silence with my headphones on. However, more than the walking I enjoy the peace and calm of the walk. No chatter of people, no chatter in my brain just being one with nature. I guess that walking is a sort of meditation for me rather than exercise.

Sports or exercise have never appealed to me. I am, at heart, a house mouse. All my hobbies can be done within the confines of my four walls. I am aware of the importance of exercise for my health, so I make the effort— out of necessity.

Maybe someday soon I will adopt a hobby that drag me to the outside. Things can change you never know.

Day 10: My Day Out

Today was the first time in months that I went alone somewhere. The pain in my leg always made me unsure. I was scared that I might end up falling down and unable to get up.

I choose not to leave the confines of my home and stayed constricted to my room. Probably one of the reason that contributed to my negative thoughts. It was like a vicious cycle, I was upset because I could not move. I stayed inside the house because I could not move. Again, I would be upset because I could not go outside.

It was a good time! Though we could not spend together as much time I we hoped we could it was nice to finally meet my close friends. Seeing them after so long really put a smile to my face.

Showing Respect

Daily writing prompt
What is something others do that sparks your admiration?

I feel that respecting people in any circumstance is something not everyone can do.

I often find it difficult to stay respectful when people annoy me. When I get angry I often cross the limits of respect. Afterwards, most certainly, I would regret my behavior.

Over the years, I have realized I am in awe of people who show respect regardless of how others behave. They are able to clarify their side without losing their patience.

I hope that one day I can be better. I want to learn how to respect others even in times when I don’t want to.

Day 9: Not a Productive Day

Feels like I am slowly falling back to my old habits. I just want to sleep all day.

It always starts with being lethargic. Then I slowly stop doing things and start wanting to just relax the whole day. Today I thought to myself, its okay if I miss one day it’s okay. I can continue tomorrow.

So I am definitely stretching myself to make that extra effort. I really want to know how do people stay motivated. The people who plan ahead of time how do you do it? And how do you stick to your plan.

I have made plans with my friends tomorrow. It is the first time I am going out alone in months. Here’s to hoping to have a good day.

Today was a day of zoning out. tomorrow I will do better. I have to. I just have to.

Day 8: Good Day

Today was a good day!

It was not because I was not it pain or that everything in my life is perfect. But today was good.

I spent the whole day with my family. We sat together all morning and just talked. Random things. Anything below the sun. We had food together and just chilled.

In the afternoon, we went for a movie. We watched an animated movie and guess what my parents actually sat through the whole movie. I was shocked. Never expected my parents to sit through an animation movie. Well I guess, when you become grand parents you will do everything for your grand kids.

I started watching the movie but somewhere in between I drifted to sleep. The reclining seat, the cool theater and the warm blanket was the conducive environment for the sandman to visit.

I did struggle to walk the distance and climb the stairs but at the end all I remember was the happy moments of the day.

Thank you God for today!

Almost Anything

Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite cartoon?

I don’t know why, but the older I get, the more I enjoy watching cartoons.

I like almost any type of cartoon, as long as there aren’t any disgusting bugs that make me want to puke. Other than that, any cartoon that can distract me from the everyday mess I call life is something I truly appreciate and love.

My forever favorite is Tom and Jerry. I adore everything about it—the hilarious dynamic between the cat and the mouse, the clever comedy, and the timeless charm. As a child, I loved it mainly for the humor. But as an adult, I’ve come to appreciate the unlikely friendship it portrays. Despite their differences, the constant fights, and society’s expectation of enmity between a cat and a mouse, Tom and Jerry remain friends. That bond always brings a smile to my face, and I absolutely love it.

And yes, it’s definitely time for a Tom and Jerry binge-watching day!

Day 7: The Turning point

Today was probably the turning point in my life—the one I had been waiting for. I have nothing holding me back anymore. Now, if I don’t take steps in the right direction, I will have only myself to blame.

Step by step, I am going to push myself to look at the bright side. Even on days when it feels incredibly hard, I will try. I am determined to create a purpose in my life—something worth living for.

To begin, I want to make a bucket list. I used to wonder what the point of it was. I kept thinking that I didn’t deserve happiness, that I had no right to be happy because I wasn’t perfect.

But you know what? It doesn’t matter. Happiness isn’t about whether you deserve it or not. Happiness is found in those moments that help us overcome the sad ones. I am going to embrace every happy moment life offers me, and I will be grateful for each one.

Cheers to a day of clarity!

Doom Scrolling & Impulse Shopping

Daily writing prompt
What could you do less of?

Over the last year, the coping mechanism I adopted for the stress I was facing was spending hours on my phone. There was a day when I scrolled for nearly 11 hours—11 hours! That’s almost half a day.

The irony is that I actually watched videos about doom scrolling, yet I still kept scrolling. Even though I’ve tried restricting myself, consistency has always been an issue. For two days I set a timer on the app, and on the third day I removed it.

I dislike traditional shopping sprees. However, that hasn’t stopped me from spending hours scrolling through shopping apps to find just the right thing to buy. In most cases, the items I purchase aren’t things I need. They’re things I buy for instant gratification. I usually make these purchases when my mood is low.

I’m hoping that by starting good habits, I will slowly and gradually let go of these unhealthy coping mechanisms. This year was a nightmare, but now that I’m at the end of it, I finally feel like I’m waking up. For the first time in months, I feel hope. I want to live—not just survive, but truly be happy.

Breaking Free

Daily writing prompt
What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?

You read about it. People in toxic relationships. I read about it too. People so lost.. so alone. All the while having thoughts in your head – “It’s your fault” , “Be Better”, “You have done something wrong”, “You should have tried harder”.

While the toxic relationship is hard enough to bear the torture cage that the mind makes is even worse.

I broke free. I thought I did. Never knew that my mind would be the one that keeps me locked in. It took me a year. A year of self hate. A year of blaming myself. A year of locking myself away. A year of hiding from my family. A year of not letting myself be happy.

This year, I finally stopped punishing myself. I gave it my best. Somethings are just not worth holding on to. Not everything that happens in life is for good. Sometimes you need to break away to start living again. And I finally did.

This is year I finally broke free!

Day 6: Back on my Feet

After days of excruciating pain I am back on my feet.

I want to get better so bad. I hate being sick. I hate the pain. I hate limping and having to sit every 5 minutes. I feel like a burden.

I know the disease will be something that I need to live with for the rest of my life. But, I want to have some semblance of normalcy. I want to be able to walk without support. I want to be able to climb up stairs. I want to not see the pain and concerns in my family’s eyes as I struggle to make it across the room.

I know I have a lot of damage and that it is going to be a slow recovery process. Just that some days the pain feels a little more worse. It just feels like there is no end to the pain. I do not want to fall into a gloom thought process. But somedays keeping the hope is a little bit difficult.

Today was that difficult day but somehow I got through. I got through it because I was with my family. My sister came over with the kids and we spent the whole afternoon putting up the Christmas decorations. The loud screaming and lame jokes kept my mind in it’s happy space.

Today was a difficult day but somehow it ended with me having a good memory to hold on to.