Rock, Paper, Monster

Six Word Monster: Play Well

Six Word Monster: Riding the Waves

 

I swiped today’s monster from something a friend of mine wrote, describing how she felt after a particularly stressful week. I had to rewrite it a bit to fit my self –imposed six word limitation. The actual quote is, “I am riding the wave and I am grateful for the ocean.” If I understand her correctly, it means life, like a wave has its ups and downs (or its crest and trough, if you need your metaphor to have to proper labeling.) but she’s grateful to be here.  It’s a good way to look at things. It is very easy to dwell on the negative, despite the fact it never helps. Plus it’s always good to be thankful. My monster is depicting a bit more literal translation, but it doesn’t hurt to be grateful for the real ocean.

 

Six Word Monster: Bold

Six Word Monster: Happiness

If you have set qualifiers for happiness, you are probably screwed.

I’ll be happy when I get a new car, a new job, a girlfriend, a wife, or kids. It doesn’t matter. Happiness is always just around the corner, just out of reach.

Studies have shown spending money on experiences leaves us happier than if we spent the same cash on possessions. Is that true? It certainly sounds true. It’s a good place to start, any way. The exception is buying coffee. Coffee is liquid happiness. Everyone knows that.

 

Six Word Monster: Sparkle

Six Word Monster: Flying

Six Word Monster: Betrayed

When I get ill, I take it personally. It always seems like my body is letting me down. 

 

Robot

Six Word Monster: Good Tired

Once during an interview the folk singer, Harry Chapin, related something his grandfather told him. He said there is two kinds of tired, bad and good. The funny thing is bad tired could be a day you won, but you won other people’s battles and completed other people’s goals. Good tired could be a day you lost, but you lost fighting for something you believe in.

It’s just something I’ve been thinking about.

 

Six Word Monster: Laugh

If I could I tell the above monster one thing, it doesn’t matter if they laugh at you. I’m not sure he’d believe me. If our roles were reversed would I believe him?

My sister asked for a painting for her birthday. While working on it I had a bit of a breakthrough. I remained focused and the painting seemed to be going well. However I noticed I hesitated every time before applying paint to the canvas. That’s when I noticed the chatter running in the back of my head.

I was positive the next brushstroke would be a mistake and I was going to screw up the painting. How did I know this? It’s simple. I can’t possibly create a good painting because I suck.

Allow me to repeat that. I suck.

I’ve been aware of my self-esteem issues for a long time.  I thought I had taken care of the problem.  I had managed to push them to background like a radio, which no one is really listening to. Except, it turns out, I have been listening to it.

How do people begin to think that way? Was there some villain in my past who first told me I sucked? If so, why did I believe them? If I’m the villain, what possessed me to tear myself down like that?

I don’t have those answers. The whole thing seems so nauseatingly adolescent. I should have figured this out a long time ago.

The funny thing is I’ve always been surrounded by supportive friends and family who have always had something kind to say about whatever I did. I just didn’t believe them. Friends and family are supposed to say nice things otherwise they would be jerks. It never occurred to me they might be genuine.

I finished the painting and showed to my sister over Skype. She said she loved it. It wasn’t easy, but I decided to take her word for it.