the eerie appropriateness of moments of synchronicity; the whispered voice, the hidden presence

1. P- "PASSION": List at least 3 things you are passionate about. 

    a) great writing

    b) healthy plants

    c) kisses

2. O- "APPRECIATION": What are the little things in life that everyone can appreciate? 

    "O" is for appreciation? What's that about??

sunshine; cold drinks that are cold & refreshing or hot drinks that are hot & soothing; good tunes on the radio; doing something nice for someone you care about—not because you have to but because you know it'll bring them joy

3. S- "SELFLESSNESS": What was your last good deed? 

I decided to send Christmas cards this year, but only to the people who sent me one or gave me a present. Or who really needed one. Or who I really cared about. Or who might be going through a rough time. Or who made this year better for me somehow. Or... it's turned into sort of a mission, and I restocked cards twice already. I'm sure that I will forget or inadvertently miss someone who ought to have one, but it's felt good to try and be a bright spot.

4. I- "INVESTMENT": What is your opinion on emotional investment? 

it's risky, dangerous, sometimes painful, and almost always worth it

5. T- "TOUCH": When was the last time you hugged someone? 

this afternoon

6. I- "INSPIRE": What is your favorite inspirational quote? 

    Fall in love gently. Remind yourself that you are the longest relationship of your life. Remind yourself that you are a child of this universe and that you are worthy of happiness. 

    Fall in love with the way you feel things deeply. The color of someone’s laughter. The texture of someone’s kindness. The nostalgia of going back to places that caused you so much pleasure and pain. You are an old soul trapped in a body that’s slowly, slowly decaying. You are a traveler of both the outer world and the inner world. 

    Fall in love with your failures. The events that shaped you into becoming who you are today. 

    Embrace your shortcomings for they serve as a lesson in your formless memory. 

    Forgive yourself for everything that is causing you so much pain. It is a brutal process, and you must get through it. Self-hate can only generate more worry in your life. Let it go. You don’t have to carry it forever. 

    Fall in love with your body. Romanticize it. The freckles on your face are constellations. The heart-shaped birthmark right behind your hips. The positive aura of your gummy smile. The way that your body is working hard to keep you alive like electricity lighting up a whole city on a cloudless night. 

    Fall in love with your existence. The little things that make you who you are. The poetry that you write. The instrument that you play. The way you put your makeup on as you face another challenging day. These little things that make you who you are come from the way you express your being. 

    Fall in love with yourself until you finally feel like home.

7. V-"VALUE": What do you value most in a friend? 

presence

8. E-"ESTEEM": List at least 2 things that you like about yourself. 

the strength of my legs, and the blue of my eyes

[from here; the title quotation is by Charles de Lint, and reads in its entirety: "I do believe in an everyday sort of magic—the inexplicable connectedness we sometimes experience with places, people, works of art and the like; the eerie appropriateness of moments of synchronicity; the whispered voice, the hidden presence, when we think we're alone."]