Being A Gossip Guy Works Well In Isolation Too
Talking Machine
I can never stay silent for too long if I am with someone. There are always thoughts racing in my mind to come out and dance in front of everyone. And this has resulted in the making and breaking of relationships.
The things that I cannot control, let’s not fret about that. But the things that I can control, the relationship I have built because of my gossipy nature, those are way higher in count than the ones I’ve broken. Coz the places where I’ve hurt someone, there timing wasn’t just right and it took another direction. If I had would’ve known the situation beforehand, I would’ve mended it my way. I still talk to them, but I have to be cautious with my words there. What human am I if I don’t learn from mistakes?
Power Of Smile
When you look at the mirror and smile at yourself, that vision is so strong, you won’t forget it if you do it wholeheartedly. And if you do this first thing in the morning, that is, wake up and turn on the lights to look at the mirror and smile at yourself, you’ve just created a positivity bubble around you that you will feel the entire day, and at the same time, you’ve sent a signal to your brain to calm down and cheer up for the whole day. You will even face every challenge with a fun attitude.
I established trust in this experiment by just practicing it for one day. That one day I woke up at 4 AM, shut down my insurance alarm because I use it only to hedge my extra sleep hours. I always wake up before the alarm and shut down so that my roommate doesn’t have to budge when I am away. Then I went to the washroom and looked myself in the mirror. That grin, that flex of facial muscle, those white teeth, that wide smile, that carried positivity throughout the day. That vibe was so strong, I do it every day after setting my bed.
When you have a good night’s sleep, then within one hour of waking up, we are not worried about the previous day’s stress. Whether it is work, family, colleagues or friends, we are not thinking about it for some time. And doing this smiling experiment in those early hours instills even more courage to deal with any problem we might encounter in the day.
Everyone’s Laugh Is Unique
Every group has a person with the weirdest laugh. Sometimes it is annoying, but mostly it is the starter for everyone’s comedy hour. That person’s appearance is associated with his laugh. That is just because he/she does them so often. They laugh so frequently that their image is set that way. If everyone also does it so frequently, then they will keep the conversation alive all the time. The group will be happening all the time.
Positive Self-Talk
When you are talkative, it will reflect in alone time also. It highly depends on how we see solitude. This quarantine period is a test for us to see how do we handle the alone time. Do we just hang in or learn something on the way? People who have a positive self-image will turn up great after this is over. But those who are happening outside but have a slightly negative self-image when living alone, they spiral down even more if they don’t share feelings with someone close to them, someone they can vent to anytime.
I’ve tried to develop a positive self-image in my head over the past few months that is helping me talk to myself during this time too. I talk myself into time management every day, embracing solitude for reflective introversion, flashing past funny memories so that I can laugh whenever I want without even talking to anyone.
Yes, maniacs do that, I understand, but they are at a different irrational level that I don’t know and I am not even in competition. Many times my roommate also asks me, “What happened? Why are you laughing so hard?” I guess he also wanted some part of the fun but it is hard to explain. How do I tell him that I was laughing at a great joke I made up a few years ago after a very long time in a friend circle which often pseudo-boycotted me for throwing pretentious humor. That is too much a reason to justify my laugh. Instead, I just say that I found something funny in a social discussion on Whatsapp and rolled with that.
It is better not to jinx your smile by finding a reason. If you feel something is funny and the group won’t judge, laugh your asses off. You might trigger the weird laugh of many people this way and healthy discussions will flourish thereafter. You will feel good that you started it in the first place. Try it. No promises, no regrets!
This article belongs to a series of articles I am publishing in this 21-day streak. See the first one here. This is the seventeenth one. 4 more to go…
To read the remaining ones, navigate to the end of the first article where there is a reference list sorted by day number.
~ Sanjeev