rethinking appreciation #21

good mental health starts with our ability to see value in places where other people aren't even looking. now through the end of the year, i'm challenging myself to find something new to appreciate every week.

another installation of appreciation poetry

today we appreciate really really small things i mean the smallest thing you see thousands of them every day you see billions in your lifetime you never think about it but you instinctively know what to do when you see one and the true test of appreciation is to imagine a world without this minuscule marvel stop and take a second to appreciate the simplicity and necessity of the period

for information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com

rethinking appreciation #20

when i was younger, calisthenics was black and white videos of men in tight shorts doing exercises that looked scripted by monty python. 

or it was toe touches and jumping jacks in gym class. just let us play basketball!!!

now calisthenics is the thing I can't stop talking about.

when the conversation goes to diet & fitness, i'm that guy preaching about body weight exercises.

I appreciate the simplicity, versatility and portability of calisthenics. 

all you need is your own body.

no expensive gym memberships.

no equipment collecting dust in your basement.

no struggle to find 20 minutes in your busy day for exercise. 

i do squats and leg lifts when i brush my teeth. i told you i'm that guy. 

i'll stretch for 5 minutes in my office, and I don't have to change into workout clothes. 

my exercise used to be about pretty muscles. 

be buff. look good. 

now i want to keep my body functioning.

I want flexibility and balance.  

I appreciate that an exercise philosophy thousands of years old allows me to do that. 

for free. 

while i'm brushing my teeth. 

for information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com

rethinking appreciation #19

good mental health starts with our ability to see value in places where other people aren't even looking. now through the end of the year, i'm challenging myself to find something new to appreciate every week. 

another installment of appreciation poetry...

only a married person 

can fully appreciate 

the thrill of sleeping 

diagonal 

in a hotel bed.

for information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com

rethinking appreciation #18

i know i'm not the only person who starts my day with wordle.

and quordle.

and octordle.

and waffle. 

and blossom. 

when it comes to word games, there's a lot to appreciate, and not just the quantity or variety.

because it's about more than the games. 

even when limited to 5 letters, word nerds (takes one to know one) have a deep and expansive vocabulary. 

from acorn to magic, nymph to zebra, we're housing a lot of information.

there are probably even words you recognize but can't define. 

and when you consider the time it takes to solve the average game, the speed of word recall is astonishing. 

our brain recognizes dozens of letter patterns and files through countless options in less time than it takes to read this sentence.

H    R    C

your brain just did it! 

yes, you're trying to keep your streak alive, but your love of word games also gives you a chance to appreciate the wonder that is your brain. 

it is amazing how much it can do so quickly. 

and by the way, the word is chair.

for information about individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com   

rethinking appreciation #17

i appreciate, value, cherish, prize, am grateful for, and treasure the versatility of the English language. 

that being said, sometimes I worry that we get too hung up on words. 

we spend too much time nitpicking, quibbling and splitting hairs. 

my weekly appreciation exercise is about a philosophy, not a word.

i have no proprietary rights to appreciation.

i don't get paid a royalty every time someone expresses their appreciation.

mental health is not about fancy words, jargon, idioms, or vernacular. 

it's about looking at the world in a way that brings you happiness, joy, contentment, gaiety, merriment, or whatever you're looking for.

if you want to appreciate life, that's great. 

maybe gratitude is your jam (or jelly or preserves or marmalade). 

whatever you call it, the most important thing is that you find value in places where others aren't even looking.

find value in your life.

find value in the world around you.

find value in yourself. 

for information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com

rethinking appreciation #16

I worked in a nursing home for 5 years. even if I have to take the stairs or park in the back of the lot, I will always appreciate being able to walk for as long as I still can. 

for information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com

self esteem skills

if you want to function better socially, you develop social skills. 

if you want to handle stress more effectively, you develop coping skills.

if you want to manage anger, you develop anger management skills. 

if you want to increase your self esteem, you have to develop your SELF ESTEEM SKILLS. 

we have to start thinking of self esteem as a skill, not as some esoteric emotional wonderland. 

self esteem is the same as every other skill you possess, from coping to cooking, from anger to acting. 

it is not a thing that happens because you compliment yourself once.  

you have to work at it. 

you might not go as fast as you'd like. 

your progress will not be linear. 

there will be setbacks. 

but if you're invested in it, you keep going.

having self esteem takes deliberate and focused effort...just like every other skill you possess.

you will learn from your mistakes...just like every other skill you possess. 

the more you do it, the better you get...just like every other skill you possess.

because having healthy self esteem is a skill.

for information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com