I had a breakthrough at work and it's a huge relief and also, I have so little space in my head for anything but grief for the world that I can't really enjoy it.

[ianrosewrites@scicomm.xyz]

I had a breakthrough at work and it's a huge relief and also, I have so little space in my head for anything but grief for the world that I can't really enjoy it. How do we savor the small things, or even the nice medium-sized things when the big ones are so bad? But also, what's the damned point of any of it if we don't?

[jawarajabbi@mastodon.online]

@ianrosewrites

I so far feel like I'm keeping it together most of the time. The job at hand is to stay informed and engaged, and to stay strong.

So while I have had a few moments or days of panic or grief or whatever, I so far have been able to brush it all off and stay in the fight. Wild times.
#uspol

[minmi@sfba.social]

@ianrosewrites sometimes I feel like we treat suffering and stress like a virtue in and of themselves, when actually, they’re not doing any good. Finding joy and really feeling it, really living joyfully in defiance of it all—I think that actually is virtuous.

[jawarajabbi@mastodon.online]

@ianrosewrites
Wait that isn't quite what you said. Sorry. The way I maintain my space for fun and joy in my everyday life - in spite of it all - is to be sure I'm doing small things to fight the good fight. I think that's key.

[scandigonian@pnw.zone]

RE: https://mastodon.social/@BowieSpace/116156468999761529

@ianrosewrites
I just saw this:

The PNW Zone

(pnw.zone)

[curiousmagpie@beige.party]

@ianrosewrites I appreciate Thich Nhat Hahn's mahayana buddhist concept of InterBeing - similar to Gary Zukav's: what is in the one is in the whole and what is in the whole is in the one.

My suffering is not going to enhance the whole of humanity or of all beings. There's plenty to go around. I witness and hold in compassion.

But my deliberate joy, small and precious can enhance the whole - even in tiny doses. The more of us who look to practice joy, the more we can shift things in a more positive direction.

It doesn't mean ignoring or forgetting, it's an attempt to shift the balance.

[independentpen@mas.to]

@ianrosewrites Allowing yourself to experience joy and pleasure is resistance. Self care is a defiant act. Let yourself be well, if you can

[chigaze@mstdn.ca]

@ianrosewrites I think particularly in times like these we have to take comfort in what we can while still feeling grief and outrage in the things we have little direct control over.