What are you feeling good about these days?

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protozone
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What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by protozone »

Question: What are you feeling good about these days?

So this is just an open-ended query to bring some cheer to the forum. You can answer with anything you like about anything you like.

For me, I'm feeling pretty good about the following items:

1) I recovered 100% of my DAW machine backups from a dying harddrive and some scratched DVD-ROMs and some fresh ISOs. I put it all onto a new (used) computer which is running better than my previous one.

2) I was able to recover my entire VSTplugins folder of 145 out of 150 configured VST effects and instruments in about 3 minutes instead of 3 weeks like it usually takes. It's because this time I had saved a backup copy of the entire gigantic folder as an ISO file. So I just extracted it to where it belonged. The only ones that didn't work out were the VST modules that install to the registry (FL Studio, FiltrateLE, etc).

3) Similarly, I reinstated by backup of Reaper, so I can get back to work sooner. I always save extra copies of the configuration files and templates and custom settings.

But since I got it done so quickly, I will be able to start composing much sooner. I've still got access to my works-in-progress from last year. There are some gems waiting to happen. So that's cool.

4) I had a successful interview related to my health injuries. I was able to be more honest to the interviewers about the abuses I've endured over the past several years. In the past, whenever I talked about how I got hurt, people ignored me or ridiculed me or abused me more. This time some different people took me seriously. I'm taking on the abusers from a distance, but head on. I'm not going to sue them, I just want them to stop hurting me and hopefully aid law enforcement in getting them permanently stopped from hurting anybody anymore. I'm slow at this though, because I'm basically been plowed under for so many years. I'm weary. After the interview I felt sick and depressed even though it went well, because it brought back my worst memories.

5) I've been successfully surviving this effed up fall and winter even though I'm homeless again. I tried to relocate REALLY far away from where I used to be (as in several hundreds of miles away). It partially worked out because the abusers mostly stopped bothering me after I moved away. But the downside is that I couldn't find a place to live in with low crime and a decent job market and enough nature to keep me from feeling alienated. For now I'm OK. I could've died a whole bunch of times but I didn't. So I'm thankful for that.

6) I've still got a long list of goals to accomplish in terms of music and inventions and letters to write and non-profits to donate to and stuff like that.
I think I'm gonna be able to survive even though my body isn't as strong as it used to be.
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by j_e_f_f_g »

donald trump's impeachment

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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by Michael Willis »

protozone wrote:Question: What are you feeling good about these days?
Great question! I whole heatedly agree with the idea that finding happiness in life is more about identifying what is going well instead of endlessly trying to get everything that you want.

Off the top of my head:

1) Even though my love and I spend a lot of time on life's obligations, including chasing kids around, we're almost always there for each other at the crossroads... Early in the morning, two meals a day, and at night before going to sleep.

2) Speaking of kids, they actually like doing things with me... One of them is starting to show interest in wood working with me, another played a game of Carcassonne with me today (and yes, I got destroyed)

3) I have some coworkers who are interested in making music with me, it has been great having support from people that I regularly see face to face.

4) I live in a time with technology and other resources to make music, and experience music written by people all around the world. This one is really pretty amazing when you think of it... All of these people working on open source operating systems, DAWs, plugins, sample libraries, etc.
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by folderol »

One part of a project I work on having a successful completion in sight - after a couple of years.
Christmas this year will be with family members I very rarely see.
Preparing for full retirement from work - Yay!
A home renovation project coming to a close after {mmmfty}{mmmmf} years :)
The Yoshimi guy {apparently now an 'elderly'}
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by davephillips »

Greetings,

After fifteen years here at a little house we're moving to a much more spacious home. We're just moving across town, but it's a Big Deal kind of move. I've needed to get out of this house for a long time, and finally a unique opportunity presented itself to make it possible for us to have a much better space for much better living conditions. Among other amenities I'll have a studio space away from the main house, it's ready to go as soon as I get my gear there. Ivy's equally happy, she'll have a place for bringing over family and friends, something our current condition hasn't allowed, and she'll have a real kitchen (read: lots of area). Anyway, we'll be fully moved by tomorrow. Christmas is going to be a bit thin on the ground but we're feeling pretty good about it. :)

Best to all,

dp
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by jonetsu »

protozone wrote: I think I'm gonna be able to survive even though my body isn't as strong as it used to be.
I'd say that whatever makes one feel good these days, nourishing a 'fluid stability' in the body is a long-term source of feeling good. If it's done in such a way that's not strictly superficial (eg. going to the gym to 'pump it up') and more towards an inner peace and balance that's also reflected in the body, then one is armed so to speak for a lot of things in the long run, be them good or bad.

By this I mean something along the lines of 'inner martial arts' (1). Dave here practices tai chi. That's along these lines. Taking the time to breathe, to slowly move in a fluid manner. Doing this often, if not everyday, cultivates a stability deep inside and is also a lot beneficial for health in general, no matter what life throws a you.

Personally I do not do tai chi, at least not yet, as I rather mix a few little things in a routine. And a routine it can't hardly be actually as the first 15 minutes or so is only standing still and straight and relaxing the muscles, letting the skeleton support the whole thing. At least that's the idea. It's called zhan zhuang, standing like a post. Then after that there are slow moves done while still keeping the stillness inside as much as possible. and then some walking around in circles while still maintaining the stillness inside. So on so forth. Slow stretching. Once one is familiar with this you can add anything. I walk around carrying little weights at the end of extended arms for instance. Then you can test how much this relaxation has freed inner tensions in both muscles and mind, by doing very quick punches that stems from the soles of the feet and such. Walking around in circles and changing directions in a very quick manner while still trying to retain the inner stillness.

That last thing, about practicing the retaining of inner stillness while doing movements at any speed, builds up a leeway in both inside the body (muscles, etc) and the mind. These things are built-in. The comparison I come up with is like when one has an urge to pee and opens up a faucet to make some water flow. The running water will increase the urge to pee. This mechanism is built-in. There are a lot of such built-in mechanisms in both the body and mind. To often take the time to relax actively trains those subconscious mechanisms, and the result surfaces to consciousness when after practicing for some time we find that health and feeling in general has improved, that ideas are clearer, etc, etc. It's like doing something not directly targeted towards results (what's this silly thing about standing still and relaxing for 15 minutes ?) but reaping with due diligence an array of benefits. And it's much easier than sitting cross-legged for meditation or doing yoga. It's more natural I feel, flows better.

Cheers.

(1) Nei gong, nei jia 內功, 內家, on wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neigong
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by Lyberta »

I feel nothing good.
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by Michael Willis »

Lyberta wrote:I feel nothing good.
Let's work on this and see if we can find just one thing in this whole wide crazy world that you can genuinely love.
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by jonetsu »

Michael Willis wrote: Let's work on this and see if we can find just one thing in this whole wide crazy world that you can genuinely love.
Why look outside in the world ?
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by Michael Willis »

jonetsu wrote:Why look outside in the world ?
Well, by some definition of "in the world", even if you're looking inside of yourself to find something to love, it's still "in the world"... Anyway, let's not get caught up on semantics, I hope the intended meaning of my message doesn't get lost.
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by jonetsu »

Michael Willis wrote:
jonetsu wrote:Why look outside in the world ?
Well, by some definition of "in the world", even if you're looking inside of yourself to find something to love, it's still "in the world"...
At some level it can be. I can kill 100 000 children in Irak while parading a flask of white powder at the united nations. Maybe.

But then,

maybe not.
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by davephillips »

jonetsu wrote:
protozone wrote: I think I'm gonna be able to survive even though my body isn't as strong as it used to be.
I'd say that whatever makes one feel good these days, nourishing a 'fluid stability' in the body is a long-term source of feeling good.
...
jonetsu's entire reply is spot-on. I've been moving heavy appliances all week, and yes, I'm a little ragged but I feel great and I'm still quite capable at 67 years old (68 in January). The not-so-funny thing: The number of my peers who were unable to help because of poor or compromised health. It was a bit shocking to realize how many of my contemporaries are in such bad shape.

I've been doing t'ai chi for 40 years. I advise my music students to choose their paths carefully and to make sure they include methods of physical/mental/spiritual self-cultivation to help get them through the inevitable rough patches on their Ways. When I was in my late 20s I watched my grandfather die in pretty bad health, brought at least in part by his life choices. At roughly the same time I saw a demonstration of a sword form done by a Chinese gentleman somewhat older than my grandfather. After considering the profound differences between their conditions I decided I had to learn how that elderly Chinese man was able to do what he did. In retrospect, it's one of the best decisions I ever made. And to stay on topic, I do feel pretty good about it these days.

May you all be blessed. Paraphrasing Neil Stephenson in Snow Crash, the world is full of power and energy, and you need only a tiny bit of it to get you riding on the wave.

For any would-be students of the internal arts: Every now and then someone will ask if t'ai chi and similar disciplines will help them live longer. No-one can answer that question, our length of stay here is not usually ours to determine. But I can guarantee that with diligent practice you will live better in each moment that you are alive. Interestingly, Sun Lu-tang is reported to have stated that the purpose of studying the internal arts was to live a healthy life and then die quickly, without lengthy pain and/or decrepitude.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Lutang

Best regards,

dp

"A day above ground is a good day."
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by Lyberta »

davephillips wrote:When I was in my late 20s I watched my grandfather die in pretty bad health
Eh, I'm in my late 20s right now and I watch my mom and dad dying from bad health (all my grandparents are dead already). Myself I depend on a lot of pills to survive. Wikipedia says that my life expectancy is ~45 years so I have roughly 15 years left to live.
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Re: What are you feeling good about these days?

Post by Luc »

Well, thank you for that.
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