Hi Friends -- I woke up this morning and realized that I do quite a bit for myself.

SeptemberMorn, in her communication post, shared communication strategies her T shared with her. One T helped me to reframe activities as things I do for me and can enjoy, rather that responsibilities I have to handle. The activity in question was lap swimming -- something I've been advised not to do anymore but may give a try again soon now that I have both indoor and outdoor pools at my disposal in this community. I could see it as an unplesant task, or I could take delight in stretching out in the water and the endorphin surge later.

I pray every morning. God doesn't need my praying, that's for sure. This is strictly for me, and the day rarely feels quite right if I skip it. It is nourishing to sit in the silence, or chant sometimes, and honor the divine and the beauty and the love in live.

I pray most every night, also. These are not five-minute get-up-and-goes. Morning is 20-40 minutes, and evening, 15-60. This definitely is time for me and my soul.

I write in my journal most every morning. I've been skipping that, because of being busy and the poor sceen resolution on my back-up monitor. But the suggestions to take time for myself made me take time to do that this morning.

I also find immense joy in being part of the forum's communities. I don't even mind the squabbling. We are a like a family-of-choice for each other here, and sometimes families have disagreements. I am posting something else about this on a new thread: Thoughts About Our Community.

So it's all in my attitude -- whether I chose to frame what I do as routine tasks or joyful activities.

A new member wrote elsewhere that we are probably just being nice to each other out of some kind of self interest. I don't think that is true at all.

Except in this sense: I want to belong to a community where people are kind, compassionate, supportive, thoughtful, and loving to each other. I have found that here, at Psych Central (as well as in my current 3D community of faith). To have that kind of community, my part is to strive to cultivate those qualities in myself by how I behave here. But I don't do it so that other people will "think I'm nice" or for some outward, pandering reason. As Jack Nicholson said in As Good As It Gets to the waitress (Helen Hunt) he fell in love with, who was an authentically good and kind person, "When I'm with you, I want to be a better man."

When I am among the people at Psych Central, I want to be a better person.