Today, we have a short article that is not really Yule-related; it's more like a Yule present for all of you. At the end of the year, we might ponder on our past and the future, things we have accomplished and things we wish for. This might sometimes make you feel upset with your life. In the following article, I have summed up some advice that could cheer you up a little.
Small Bits of Hobbity Wisdom
by Pycella Woodberry
Life’s not always easy, not even for a hobbit. There are times when you feel upset, exhausted, or lost. The world around us is changing, and it feels like we are being pushed. Even though you are giving your best, the standards seem ever too high for you to reach. You feel like you’d like to escape from an invisible cage.
In the Great Smials library, there’s a book called “Small Bits of Hobbit Wisdom”. It might not solve everything for you, but it might get you feel better about yourself. Here are some tips I have picked out for you. They have helped me, so I hope some might work the same for you!
Being mediocre is just fine
“Mediocre” should mean something like “moderate”; something not too good, but not too bad either. However, if you say something is mediocre, it sounds pretty negative. Surely we might aim a bit higher, try to be the best in everything we do? Well, some of us indeed are wizards and accomplish things that others won’t. But most of us are just normal, “mediocre”. Yet if you always expect yourself to come top in everything, you will probably face much disappointment along the way. You might dream of being a famous artist. It’s quite okay to have dreams, of course. But better not let your happiness depend upon filling those dreams. You are enough as you are now.
Small things matter
This piece of advice is related to the previous one. As the new year starts, you might feel an urge to change. Maybe you want to eat healthier or keep your burrow cleaner. Feeling very motivated for a change, you might set those goals too high. It’s better to start small - one meal at a time. It’s easier to keep your burrow cleaner if you do just do 10 minutes of cleaning each day. That adds up to 70 minutes per week! So, small hobbit steps actually can take you quite far.
Defeat them task lists - one hobbit step at a time!
No need to compare yourself to others
Let’s imagine that you are ploughing through some deep snow with others. Some of them seem to be faster than you – you can even see a pointy-eared tall feller walk on the snow with light steps! When you look at the easy progress of others, it makes you quite depressed. Yet you are looking the wrong way: you should turn around and look back. Look how far you have actually gone, all by yourself! Oh, and look, you are pulling a heavy sleigh behind you too. No wonder the others have it easier. So, remember this: you can only compare your progress to your own history, not to others. Only that truly matters for you.
Live in the moment
Sometimes you get lost in the daily routine. Time seems to fly and you can remember nothing of the past week. You might think: “Well, someday things will change and I can concentrate on the right things, things that matter.” Yet the future is not in our hands, we can’t know what will happen. We only have the moment we live in. Take a moment for yourself. Go outside and look around you. Look for small things you might miss. A ladybug wandering in the undergrowth. Strangely shaped trees. A picture that a wee hobbit has drawn in the sand. The world has much to offer. Also, don’t let yourself dwell on the past too much. You can’t change the past, and neither can the others. Don’t add those things to your burden, it’s no use.
Step outside your comfort zone
We hobbits love comfort, and our comfort zone is the best place to be. However, there might be things out there that would make us even happier, and exploring the new would boost our courage. Yet we are afraid of entering those unknown areas. You might have walked past the Green Dragon on Fridays and heard how the folks laugh and chat inside – yet you feel afraid of joining in. What if they are a close-knit group who will ignore you or turn you away? Maybe they will make fun of you? Or maybe you just embarrass yourself by doing something silly? Time to let go of those fears and step in. It might take some time to get used to the new situation, but at the end of the night, you might have new friends. One night, you might even step on the rug and share a tale to the others. One day, you might even host those nights. That what happened to me, and I have never regretted it. Now, that moth-eaten rug of Green Dragon is part of my comfort zone, believe it or not! I wouldn’t complain though if Barmy would get it cleaned though…
Stepping out from my comfort zone led me to my friends!
That’s all for now. I hope these small pieces of wisdom have helped you with some of your worries at least. However, the best thing to deal with negative feelings is to talk about them with someone else, someone who is a good listener. Sometimes speaking about your thoughts helps more than any advice others can give.
Oh, and one more piece of hobbit advice: don't laugh at live dragons!
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