Living Well

The great thing about being a blogger that is constantly searching for positivity is that I have a storehouse of posts about finding that silver lining. Once again, I have been feeling cranky, and I came across this post from February of 2011. It made me feel so much better that I thought I would share it again with you all.

I’ve been feeling unwell, not sick,

Just cranky, and not quite myself.

Hurt, frustration and fear have welled

Up inside of me, pestering me.

I tried to call upon wellbeing.

I opened my door up wide

And invited her in, cajoled even,

Okay, maybe I insisted she come,

Which is never the most seductive

Way to attract a desired guest.

So I backed off a bit.

I left her well enough alone.

I put extra effort into my

Teaching and grading and did yoga

And read with my kids and

Made comforting stews and banana bread.

Watched American Idol (a guilty pleasure).

Things that I have control over.

Things I know how to do.

Sure enough, she slowly found her

Way back, like a repentant lover.

I have to declare that living

Well is still the best revenge,

Even if really, truly, you’re only

Feeling vengeful against your own fate.

* * * * * * *

This post was brought to you by Six Word Friday. One more word of wisdom about living well from my yoga teacher: “Don’t wait until you are dying of thirst to dig a well.”

28 Comments on “Living Well”

1 ayala said at 6:59 am on February 25th, 2011:
Lovely, Molly. I think that you always find your way to your positive radiant self. We all have these days, I am so glad that you are feeling better. I love American Idol as well. Banana bread sounds good right now with my coffee:)
ayala recently posted..How Well Do We Know
2 Kristi said at 8:36 am on February 25th, 2011:
Found you from the Six Word Friday posts. Your poem is beautiful…thank you for sharing!
Have a beautiful day..

P.S. I love American Idol too! Shhhhhh! :)
Kristi recently posted..What did they get into now Describe a time your toddler got into something they shouldn’t have
3 Molly Monet said at 8:49 am on February 25th, 2011:
Thanks, Kristi. Great to connect with you. My kids love to watch it with me so it’s a family activity ;). I like it better this year with the new judges.
4 Molly Monet said at 8:51 am on February 25th, 2011:
Thanks, Ayala. I always do find a way to turn things around, but this time it was taking a while and I was starting to get impatient and frustrated. I guess patience is a virtue.
5 alita said at 8:54 am on February 25th, 2011:
I love how you included yoga into the mix because our bodies and our minds are so very connected. Which just reminded me how much I miss running (I don’t “do” running in the snow, I loathe that stuff.) I think I may feel better if I do some yoga though. Thanks for the reminder. And … I get this. I understand the need to take care of your self in tender simple ways.
6 kate said at 9:00 am on February 25th, 2011:
“I have to declare that living

Well is still the best revenge”

although i try and be positive,
this line made me really nod.

and yoga and banana bread. yes!
kate recently posted..well
7 Molly Monet said at 9:28 am on February 25th, 2011:
Oh Alita. Yoga is my savior. I’ve said it before. It is definitely one of the keys to my peaceful divorce. My ex practices too.
8 Molly Monet said at 9:29 am on February 25th, 2011:
It’s one of my guiding principles in life, but sometimes it’s harder to put into practice than others.
9 Sara said at 9:40 am on February 25th, 2011:
I love that you refer to your wellbeing as a she :) I would like mine to return as well. But the banana bread is certainly helping! Beautiful, as always.
10 Molly Monet said at 10:19 am on February 25th, 2011:
Thanks, Sara. It’s funny. I thought about it and she just seemed feminine to me.
11 Brook said at 10:26 am on February 25th, 2011:
yes, wellbeing won’t be commanded. She likes to be teased, tickled, tempted, wooed. Just like the rest of us :)
Good self awareness happening here, too. Congrats on that. and on another lovely post.♥
Brook recently posted..Six Word Friday- Well
12 Molly Monet said at 10:37 am on February 25th, 2011:
Thanks, Brook. I guess I’ll have to tempt her to stay around ;)
13 Juliana said at 10:38 am on February 25th, 2011:
It’s great that you know the things that can help bring you out of that funk. For me, it’s running (which is extra hard to do during a funk), playing piano, and sitting in the sun. :-)
Juliana recently posted..Winnie the Pooh and the Red-Letter Day
14 Molly Monet said at 11:02 am on February 25th, 2011:
Sometimes, I can push myself through and do the things that I know will make me feel better and sometimes, I just have to relax and wait for the storm to pass.
15 aac said at 11:10 am on February 25th, 2011:
quite beautiful. quiet intense. thank you for sharing yourself in this way.
16 Molly Monet said at 12:54 pm on February 25th, 2011:
Thanks, babe.
17 melissa said at 3:55 pm on February 25th, 2011:
I’m glad she’s returned to you.
Sometimes cranky is worse than sick! :)
melissa recently posted..six word fridays- well
18 Belinda said at 3:59 pm on February 25th, 2011:
I always surprise myself with how a little effort (sometimes a lot) can root out those unwanted feelings. I was really annoyed and a bit hurt over something that I was expecting but didn’t get yesterday. I woke up still feeling the sting and then I reached out to some friends and soon enough, joy took over.
19 Molly Monet said at 5:00 pm on February 25th, 2011:
Yep, but sometimes you get sick and cranky, and then you’re screwed ;)
20 Molly Monet said at 5:00 pm on February 25th, 2011:
That’s usually how I am but this time it took longer.
21 Lorene said at 11:47 pm on February 25th, 2011:
Molly,
I found you through a Huffington Post column that you commented on. I have been living in grief and anger for 10 days, since my husband left our family. There are no words to express my gratitude for what you have given me.

A peaceful divorce is something I want, something I am going to strive for. I didn’t know it existed and it feels so right to me. I’m still incredibly sad and angry, but at least I know where I need to go from here.

Thank you.
22 Molly Monet said at 12:21 pm on February 26th, 2011:
Lorene-

I’m glad you found my blog! Peaceful divorce does exist, but it definitely requires dedication, presence of mind, and patience. However, it is so worth it. Check out a couple of my older posts on how I got a peaceful divorce and if it is was your spouse who ended the relationship, this post might be helpful about letting go. Good luck, keep reading, and feel free to email me if you need any support.
23 Mel Gallant said at 8:14 pm on February 26th, 2011:
Love your perspective on attaining well being. Knowing it cannot be forced is a good reminder that you can’t push anything into “being” until it (and you) are ready.
Mel Gallant recently posted..Six Word Fridays- well
24 Sasha said at 2:19 pm on February 27th, 2011:
I love your personification of wellness, a guest to be invited and not cajoled. I suppose she can be capricious, too. You can see how the Greeks & Romans came up with such a pantheon, can’t you?
Sasha recently posted..oh well
25 Cassandra Kinaviaq Rae said at 4:28 pm on March 3rd, 2011:
Beautiful post!

I too went through a similar experience recently and one of the things I did for myself was to go to Office Depot and browse through all of the journals & pretty paper (I love paper!) Then I bought myself a new 12-pack of Mr.Sketch scented markers and a sketch pad. It was less than $10 and I know both will bring me joy for a long time. Woohoo!
Cassandra Kinaviaq Rae recently posted..Are you ready to SHINE
26 Molly Monet said at 6:38 am on March 4th, 2011:
Ah, it’s those little things that sometimes just turn our mood around and give us a pick me up. Thanks for visiting and commenting, Cassandra.
27 Anna said at 6:51 pm on April 30th, 2012:
Love it!
28 Molly Monet said at 10:09 pm on April 30th, 2012:
Thanks. Anna. I’m glad.