Then there is the extras - now really, they are what add up in weight - ladies - you know how important it is to have the right shampoo and conditioner, not to mention skincare and makeup - I weighed that on it's own one day - 2 kgs! Paperwork comes in at about the same (not books - have been using an iPad/eBook reader for over 5 years now, and love it!), then all of the cords that go with phones, iPads and computers - all of a sudden it's not the clothes that take up all of the room!
Reading a friend's blog has prompted me to go back and read some of the things that I'd written several years ago, and reminded me of the importance of making a note of one's thoughts, whether it be in a journal, or a blog, or even scrap pieces of paper on your desk. We have the ability to remember a multitude of things, but the more important they are to us, the more likely we are to remember them.
This was made very clear to me over dinner this evening - fresh tuna (thanks Shane!) cooked beautifully by Mum, together with very special salads and the dinner conversation turned to artists, songs, and years they were from, bought on by listening to Foxtel's Smooth station (806!). Steve was adamant that Hot August Night by Neil Diamond was from the late '60's, and Sean was in agreement, but I was convinced it was 1972 - sure enough with a bit of help from Google (how did we ever survive without it!) and I won that round (with music, that does happen often!) One of the reasons I was able to remember it so clearly is that I could see the album cover, recall the colours, in addition to hearing the music - not the first time I'd heard it, but I remember playing it decades after it came out. The more emotion that is associated with a memory, the more likely you are to recall it.
Take the opportunity now to remember one of your favourite times, close your eyes, see what you saw, hear the sounds around you, what were you saying to yourself, to others, what were you feeling. By recalling the sights, sounds and emotions, it makes it even easier to recall the memory. Another reason that we uses images and songs to remind us of times/people and the experiences that we had.
Random thought for today - the last day of the first quarter of 2016 - spend some time every day recalling a positive memory, and being grateful for it, and other things in your life - it is a truly wonderful way to focus on the positives, be it first thing in the morning to start the day off the right way, or last thing in the evening, to end the day in a beautiful state (thanks Tony!) - why not do both! :)
