Prompt of the Day

Daily writing prompt

Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?

Thinking about the past is something I have done since I was a kid and I have no idea why; I just know that I have always loved history and to compare life in the past with life nowadays. Even in my childhood I read many history books although it is not common someone so young do it. I have always loved the entire new world that history can bring to us and how we can travel throughout so many different lifestyles without even leaving home.

Then, I grew up, started to attend college and pursued other hobbies and studies, but history has always been with me even though I have never professionally worked with it. However, I still think that history is a wonderful tool to decision making because it gives a chance of learning with past mistakes. I know that it is not really healthy to live in the past and I consider it that I have done it for a while in my younger days, but those days have been gone for a long time.

Thinking about the future is tempting for most of us, but I never did it too often because it causes anxiety and the truth is that we have no control over the future. All we can do is living in the best way and hope that it will bring back good things, but nothing is certain. On the other hand, we suffer for thinking too much about the past exactly because it is so certain. It is certain we cannot change it, all is there, fixed, it is over even if we do the very same things all over again because now is already a different moment and it will cause different consequences. The ability of moving on is very important for human happiness and knowing how much we should stick to the past is an art.

So by nature, I have spent much more time thinking about the past than the future because I am a historian at heart. There is also a touch of escapism in it. Many people like to think about the past as an ideal place when things were so much simpler and easier, a place where we can somehow return in case things go wrong right now. “The grass is always greener on the other side”, according to the saying. We all want a place to rest when feeling tired, somewhere safe and for some people the safety can be the past.

But past thoughts can also be useful for us to cherish what we have nowadays, how much people fought and obtained throughout the eras and how in many regards we are much luckier than our ancestors. We have a bigger lifespan, better health care and comfort standards, among many other things. We can study, get better informed and it means that, no matter how problematic is, we will always have alternatives to make life happier and more comfortable. So, thinking about the past can be a very positive activity whenever it is used wisely.

5 de January de 2024 0

Prompt of the Day

Daily writing prompt

What is the greatest gift someone could give you?

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The best gift someone could give me is their time and attention. Life is much shorter than we can imagine and we live in a more self-centered era than decades ago. It means that if someone is considerate enough to give us their time and attention it probably means they like us a lot. After all, in many occasions, it is easier to do things for ourselves than going out of our way for others.

Much more than material things, sharing unforgettable memories with other people is what makes our lives worthwhile and when two people want to share their time together those memories just come naturally. It improves mental health and the sense of accomplishment. I know that the struggle for surviving can be overwhelming and make us forget about those moments, but exactly because life can be hard is that we definitely should do it.

So, more than ever devoted time is often a proof of love and it causes a much deeper impression in the long run. The ritual of exchanging presents sometimes has a social weight of an obligation, an object randomly purchased, but devoted time cannot be faked. The happiness of sharing part of their lives with others can easily be seen. With time we can develop a more solid foundation of human understanding and tolerance, avoiding hurried conclusions.

In such fast-paced world we cannot take time for granted. We are so often buried in our daily obligations that it makes time more precious than ever. In our free time we long to spend it in a happy and relaxed way and it is an honor to be part of someone else’s happy time.

Time is also great when it comes to long-lasting healthy relationships, not only romantic relationships, but all sorts of human connections. Having good people around us that follow us through life, always in a network of mutual support, attention, advice and love. It is beautiful when people stay, not due to co-dependence but because both people want to and they want it because it’s a beautiful exchange. The older we get, the more we miss having people who have known us for a long time, who can guess just by looking at our face how we feel.

History is built up right now, at this moment. It is up to us to gather the happiest memories. If someone else is generous enough to share their time and memories with us, let’s do it. If not, we can equally live wonderful moments by ourselves. Time is so valuable because we cannot look back or delete anything, there is no rough draft, so we should not waste anyone’s time.

4 de January de 2024 0

Prompt of the Day

Daily writing prompt

Are you a good judge of character?

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Yes, I can judge character in a relatively good way. Of course that it does not prevent me from being mistaken sometimes, but my intuition works well. I think it also helps the fact that I am humble and I acknowledge I can make mistakes.

Another positive point is that I am aware of the toxic traits of people that I really do not want to tolerate. I detest gossip and having around me people who are often saying bad things about others is a huge red flag for me. If they criticize others to me, they can also criticize me to other people. I also tend not to like bossy people, who think they can tell others how to live their lives, etc.

Having no previous expectations of people before getting to know them helps our prejudices not being on the way of our judgment. We need to feel the energy of the person and, in those cases, the intuition must act freely and we should have a relaxed state of mind.

Observing our intuition is also very important. It is not rare people have an accurate insight, but dismiss it thinking it was a bullshit. We need to trust our gut instinct and, as with everything else, it is a skill that gets better with practice and maturity. Once we realize there is something wrong with another person, we should drift away momentarily and analyze what is going on until we can make a better judgment.

Of course that judging other people’s character can be something quite different depending on the situation. We do not always have a chance to reflect before interacting with others or the opportunity of walking away of anything harms us. However, protecting ourselves from negativity is a survival instrument, especially because we need to make room for the truly positive people approach us. Once we are in a good mental state, in peace with ourselves, the right people come right to us. And, accomplishing this with bad people around, is much more difficult.

A woman is holding a book. She is outdoors. Her hair is long, straight and dark. She is wearing a gray coat and seems to be thinking about something.

22 de December de 2023 0

Prompt of the Day

Daily writing prompt

When are you most happy?

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I am fortunately happy with the simplest stuff in life. I love the day of my birthday and I am happy and grateful to have lived another year and going out and having a meal close to my house is already a perfect way to celebrate it. It is a day I would love to last forever.

I am also happy at the end of the month when I look back and realize I worked hard and got to do everything I was supposed to. I am grateful and happy that I am healthy enough to work and I am not in the unemployment line. I am aware that in such crazy globalized world merely having a chance to work is a privilege.

It makes me happy to work out, release endorphines and it is a joy whenever I get to do all exercises calmly and can feel my body getting stronger. It is also part of the package when I get to eat healthy food and do not give in to the temptation of carbohydrates.

I am very happy when I get to create good content and share something positive and informative with other people. I feel the good vibes returning right back to me. It totally includes my writings here, when you guys read me and consider my words meaningful to the point of you devoting some of your time to me. Thank you very much.