I post messages like the one above from time to time on Twitter or App.net. Here’s the secret: Whenever I make this offer, you can be sure I’m at one of my exceptionally low points. I’m a sensitive person, and I get overwhelmed by negative thought patterns easily. It often doesn’t take much to set me off. A simple misunderstanding can rob me of an entire day if I’m not careful.
The maelstrom in my head and heart is never about the actual thing that set me off. It’s about my reaction to the event, post, conversation, or missing information. My reaction can catch me off guard, especially since I spend so much time by myself.
I have a toolbox of methods to bring my mind back to reality when this happens, and many of those tactics involve some form of distraction. The faster I can take my mind off myself, the easier it is to recover some semblance of normalcy. Writing emails to other people who need a kind word has the added benefit of producing an actual good beyond simply distracting my brain.
I don’t always know if the emails I send out have the intended effect, but it never hurts to try to lessen someone else’s struggle.
I hear you. I am a fan of mail, so I often sit down with a stack of cards + postcards. This often happens when I feel lonely or disconnected. It reminds me that there are so many people in the world – people that I love, people that love me, people that I am connected to. Plus, I like filling the world with love, so there’s that.
That’s wonderful, Elizabeth :) I don’t send out actual postcards nearly as often, but I do enjoy doing that, too:
http://sweatingcommas.com/blog/vintage-tweets
Thanks for stopping by!