Tag: dailyprompt

Posted in Life

5 Simple Joys: Morning Sparks Happiness

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash
Daily writing prompt
What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?
View all responses

Waking up.

    I’m a morning person. An early bird. No two ways about it, I love waking up in the morning. Somehow my body knows the time, and I almost always wake up at 5:55 am. Depending on the season, it might be dark, or the sky may be light. But that’s when I like to wake up, and I like to wake up. Rarely do I sleep in.

    Waking up and walking the dogs.

    This has long been a part of my morning routine. After feeding the pups, I put on their leashes and we’re out the door. We walk around the block or around many blocks. It’s quiet. The air is still. I can hear the sounds of traffic and trash trucks off in the distance. I think it’s the best time of the day.

    Waking up and walking the dogs as dawn colors appear on the horizon.

    As we walk, the sky slowly turns from night to day. As it does, many hues of orange paint the sky, especially if there are clouds. It’s magnificent. How can there be so many different kinds of orange? I’m impressed by the Creator’s work up above.

    Waking up, walking the dogs, watching the brightening sky, and hearing the birds singing.

    When we leave the house, it’s quiet. But not for long. One bird starts singing. Another responds. Pretty soon, my ears are filled with birdsong. I whistle back, participating in an antiphonal chorus. They probably aren’t fooled, but I like to think we are singing together.

    Waking up, walking the dogs, watching the brightening sky, hearing the birds, as ideas show up in my head.

    This is when I think of some of my best, most creative ideas for writing and storytelling, The rhythm of my steps and the tempo of my breathing stimulate my right brain. I speak my ideas into my phone, messages I’ll see later. I don’t want to forget.

    Everything about the morning brings me happiness, from my first step out of bed until I get back from the walk. For me, it is a magical part of the day, regardless of the weather, the day’s agenda, or how I slept that night.

    Posted in Life

    A Forgotten Tool: Using a Slide Rule in Physics Class

    Posted on by William Douthwaite
    Daily writing prompt
    Describe something you learned in high school.
    View all responses

    I took physics in eleventh grade. It’s hard to imagine, but fifty years ago, four-function (+, -, x, /) handheld calculators were new and an expensive luxury. So I learned how to use a slide rule.

    My dad had a K&E slide rule he used through college and his early engineering days. I adopted it and took it to class every day to work through the math part of physics. I faintly remember getting pretty good at using a slide rule. Using logarithms, a slide rule enables you to turn a difficult multiplication or division problem into a simpler addition or subtraction problem.

    In the movie Apollo 13, a whole room full of engineers pull out slide rules to figure out flight trajectories to get the three astronauts home when their capsule is damaged by an explosion.

    After high school, programmable calculators became affordable, and by the time I started college in 1975, there wasn’t a slide rule to be found on campus.

    Posted in fitness, Life

    Fun Ways to Enjoy Exercise: My Journey

    Posted on by William Douthwaite
    Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash
    Daily writing prompt
    What’s the most fun way to exercise?
    View all responses

    I’ve done a lot of different exercising over the past fifty years. I played informal sports in my neighborhood growing up and some intramural sports in college. I didn’t truly get into fitness until my final year of college, when I decided to start running.

    Some hate to run. I loved it. I liked competing with myself, to run farther or faster each time. The self-competiton made it fun. Along with the music that ran through my head in time with my footsteps. I never listened to music while I ran. My creative brain sprang to life about a mile into those long distance runs.

    When I supplemented my running with weightlifting, I again loved the competitive nature of exercising. I carefully journaled everything, always pursuing another rep or a few more pounds.

    I still find exercise fun. My feet hurt so I don’t do much running. I do a lot of walking with the dogs and a lot of bodyweight exercise routines in the garage. Every exercise is a variation of the basic movements of pulling, pushing, squatting, and standing. I love learning new movements from fitness professionals who produce exercise videos.

    For me, the moving, breathing, pacing, and exertion are fun. It’s me against me, or the elements, or the two dogs on a leash. From the dog-smiles on their faces, I know they’re having fun, too.

    Posted in Life, listening

    What Makes a Person Unique: The Art of Listening

    Posted on by William Douthwaite
    Photo by Christina Morillo on pexels.com
    Daily writing prompt
    Which aspects do you think makes a person unique?
    View all responses

    I believe one thing that sets someone apart from most others is their willingness to listen.

    I say that because the norm is a person who talks about themselves. They ask, “How are you?” But they won’t listen to your answer. Whether you reply, “Fine,” “Terrible,” or “Living the life,” they will launch into a monologue about themselves, their family, their projects and their problems.

    What a difference when you encounter someone who responds, “What do you mean by that?” Or, “Tell me more about that.” Maybe a simple, “What else?” They show their willingness to listen with a nod and a smile. Nothing more. These people are few and far between.

    Such a person is not afraid of silence. They know you need a moment to think about your feelings, shape an answer, and unravel your thoughts.

    You can tell they are listening because they rephrase and repeat your thought, making sure they understand what you’ve said.

    This person neither approves nor judges what you’ve shared. They do not talk about their similar experience. They don’t tell you what to do. Or what they would do if they were you.

    They are that rare and unique person who listens.

    Posted in Life

    My Morning Ritual

    Posted on by William Douthwaite
    Photo by Yara on Unsplash
    Daily writing prompt
    What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?
    View all responses

    My body usually wakes me up around 6 am every morning. I don’t even have to set an alarm.

    After I pull on some pants and a t-shirt, I hit the bathroom, wash my hands and face, and wander out to the kitchen to start the coffee maker that I set up the night before. It takes about five minutes to brew the pot. I drink a big glass of water and wait to hear five beeps from the coffee maker. It’s ready!

    I drink my coffee black, so I fill up my favorite mug and sit at the dining room table with my bible, journal, and a pen, and do my morning reading and writing. I’ve been reading straight through the bible for years. I read a chapter or two and write down my thoughts, which may be the start of a devotion I’ll write for my blog. I also write what I did the previous day and the things I need to do today.

    Sometime during those quiet moments, I’ll hear the big dog (our Great Dane) stirring in the back bedroom. So I let her out of her cage and take her out into the back yard. When she’s done doing what she needs to do, I fill her bowl with food for her breakfast and another bowl with water. She’ll usually lie down for a few moments after she eats, giving me a little more time to write.

    And that’s my routine just about every morning. In the summer when the sun rises early, I’ll sit outside on the back patio. It’s so nice to be out there as the sky slowly brightens with all sorts of colors. It’s an amazing moment when the birds suddenly all start singing.

    Posted in Life

    The Secret Skill of Remembering Names

    Posted on by William Douthwaite
    Photo by cottonbro
    Daily writing prompt
    What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?
    View all responses

    My secret weapon is the ability to remember names.

    I didn’t even know I had this ability until people responded with surprise, “You remembered my name!” It might have been someone I talked with yesterday or someone I met a year ago. For some reason, names stick with me. I don’t have any mnemonic tricks. I don’t consciously work on it. Names lodge in accessible places in my brain.

    I read somewhere that the most important word you can say to someone is their name. You notice them. You connect with them. You care about them. They are somebody.

    Some lament, “I’m no good with names.” They can’t make the connection. Names don’t stick anywhere in their minds. It’s a real struggle for them.

    Once in a while, someone’s name won’t click for me. That’s rare. I remember the names of all the dogs I meet at the dog park. All the people I meet at church on a Sunday morning. The techs and nurses and doctors who treat me in the emergency room. The players on my grandson’s baseball team.

    Sometime in the future, I might forget. I might not be able to recall a name. It might be a friend. Or family. So for now I am thankful for my ability to astonish people – and sometimes myself – by remembering their names.

    Posted in Life

    Everyone Has a Story: Empathy in Daily Life

    Posted on by William Douthwaite
    Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
    Daily writing prompt
    What’s something most people don’t understand?
    View all responses

    The list of things that people don’t understand is long. But for the purpose of this post, I’ll propose that most people don’t understand that everyone has a story. And chances are, you don’t know their story. Just as they don’t know yours.

    What’s behind a person’s rude comment? Or impatient remark? What happened that morning to cause someone to cut ahead of you in line, lean on their car horn, look at you like they wanted to shove a knife in your gut, or suddenly push you out of the way.

    I have no idea. I don’t know what the doctor just told them. I don’t know what just broke on their car. What’s leaking in their house? I don’t know what kind of trouble their child just got into. Maybe they just their job. Or a close friend.

    I think most people don’t understand that we all have a story. Very few care about how my day went. Or what my struggles are. And to be honest, I don’t care about you and your problems either. It’s strange. We tend to be wrapped up in our own little world.

    What if? What if I paused for a moment and listened? What if I simply asked, “What’s going on?” What if I cared?

    I hate those questions. They are haunting and convicting. I know I should seek to understand. I too often forget. Be patient. Show some grace. It’s ok.

    Everyone has a story. Find out what it is.

    Posted in laughter, Life

    What Makes You Laugh? Discover the Humor in Life

    Posted on by William Douthwaite
    Photo by Jenna Anderson on Unsplash
    Daily writing prompt
    What makes you laugh?
    View all responses

    This is such a great prompt. There are so many things that make me laugh. Here’s a short list:

    • My dogs look at me.
    • Nothing but junk in my mail box.
    • I wake up just before my alarm goes off in the morning.
    • An obvious scam text in my inbox.
    • My three year old neighbor shouting, “Hi!”
    • A student in a middle school class asking me about life before iPhones.
    • My dog suddenly leaping a foot into the air.
    • The Amazon, Fedex, and Ups man all arrive within five minutes of each other.
    • Most of life is humorous. From the way people dress at Walmart to double lines of cars winding around Chick-fil-A, I find myself chuckling at life.

    Most of what happens, most of who I meet, and most of what I deal with in any given day makes me laugh.

    It’t all about the way you look at life. You either laugh. Or weep.

    Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

    Productivity or Leisure: The Art of Doing Nothing

    Posted on by William Douthwaite
    Photo by Jeswin Thomas: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-sitting-on-bench-under-tree-1280162/
    Daily writing prompt
    What do you wish you could do more every day?
    View all responses

    I wish I could do more “nothing” each day.

    Even though I’ve been retired for a few years, I still set daily productivity goals. I still have a “To do,” “Doing”, and “Done” Kanban board on the wall. I feel compelled to redeem my time each day.

    I consistently write, read, exercise, and practice music each day. I’ve always got a house project going on, do a little online teaching, love to cook and bake, and have dogs who need lots of exercise. Time for family, a few church activities, and learning new technology (3D printing and edible ink printing) and before you know it, my week is full.

    I’m fascinated when I hear people talk about all the TV or movies they watch, or completely wasted days when they got nothing done. I’m not saying I want to live those kind of days. I not sure I would even last 24 hours trying to do nothing.

    Maybe I should schedule a little nothing into my day as well. They say that simply sitting and doing nothing stimulates creativity, and I love the science of creativity. So if I could spend more time doing less, I would actually be accomplishing more?

    There I go again.