Author Archives: Monty Vern

Personal blogger, author & illustrator, and overall fallible human being.

1001 Life Lessons…

15th post for #bloganuary (a WordPress event)

The Prompt: What is a life lesson you feel everyone can benefit from learning?

The Answer: Always include a number in your blog title.

Ok, I’m being just a pinch sarcastic on this one, but tell me it isn’t true. No, please tell me. It feels like so many blog titles are following a recipe that calls for a numbered list. All this math is exhausting. Anyway…

I shared my perspective on this topic already in the very first post of this series, however it received very few reads as I was just newly onboard this WordPress platform and hadn’t built up an audience yet. So I highly encourage you (beg of you), to check out Dear Monty (1st post for #bloganuary). Don’t miss out on this life lesson!

Be well,

Monty

Paint(ing)

Be well,

Monty

Coloring Outside the Lines

Be well,

Monty

The 6am Job Interview

14th post for #bloganuary (a WordPress event)

The Prompt: Write about a challenge you faced and overcame.

Facing challenges, overcoming some, learning from all, has been a central theme in my writing. Earlier this month, I wrote about my journey of recovery from chronic pain and living with depression (Discovering Hope). I won’t repeat myself. So, I’ll share with a you a simple story about the challenge I faced this morning and how I approached it. Life is not always about the big challenges and events, sometimes its just about meeting the little challenges of the day.

At 6am this morning I had a job interview. I’ve got a good job already, and this company had reached out to me, so it wasn’t a high pressure situation. However, this was my second interview with them and the during the first interview I kinda started to get my hopes up about the potential opportunity. I really liked the line manager and, if there is one thing I’ve learned after a quarter century of working in industry, a line manager can make or break a job experience. There is nothing worse than having to go to work everyday and face someone that doesn’t trust you (or you them). Anyway, I started to get excited about working for this new company/line manager and it got my mind speeding up, building up expectations, and stress.

Last night I tried to calm my mind by jotting down a few key points that I wanted to make during the interview, but I still slept restlessly and awoke at 5am tired. What to do?

I did the same thing I’ve done every day for the past 30 days and off-and-on for the past few years. First, I rolled out the mat and did a simple 20-minute yoga session to wake my body up. Starting the day with a self-care activity is the best way for me to remind myself about my priorities. Starting off today, like any other day, helped remind myself to keep the day ahead in perspective.

Following the yoga session, I sat for a 10-minute guided meditation to get my mind in synch with my body (doing the yoga first is key for me as otherwise I’ll tend to fall back asleep when I try to meditate first thing in the morning). This morning, my mind was on fast-forward and I really struggled with staying present. I was so fidgety that I laughed out loud at myself at one point. But I sat and did my practice. It’s more important for me to do the work, than how well it goes on any given day. In fact, I would say that the practices that are more rough tend to be the most valuable for building my emotional resilience.

At this point, it was about 5:40am and I only had a bit of time before my interview. Not enough time to take my coffee, but too much time to just wait. I decided to try something to release my nerves. There was an exercise offered on my meditation app (Calm) called “Daily Move” and today’s movement was focused on dealing with strong emotions such as anger and fear. While I wasn’t feeling these emotions, I thought it could still release some of my nervous energy. The guide had me in horse position punching the air. I really got into it. Maybe I was feeling a bit of anger after all? Haha. Not sure, but it felt great.

With 10 minutes left, I needed to get set up and take a quick look at my notes. I logged onto the video conference at 5:59am. I felt energized. I felt calm. I felt confident. While it will be some time before I know the results of the interview, it doesn’t really matter for today. Today, I took care of myself. Today, I’m feeling good. I’m ready to face the next challenge of the day.

“Namaste” by Monty Vern

Be well,

Monty

Aging Grey-fully (a Paint Chip Poem)

No Love For Fatties invites us to join in on her Paint Chip Poetry by creating our own poem inspired by the paint chip colors of the week. I think this is a really creative and fun idea so I’m giving it a try. Check out her original post and join in too if you feel inspired.

Paint Chip Poetry

Aging Grey-fully

I never planned to age gracefully;

I never planned to age at all;

But with every attempt to abort a failure,

I’m still here;

Well, most of me;

I find myself disappearing top down;

Almost nothing left on my crown;

So, it’s a shopping day;

What shall I go with?

There are so many choices:

Silver Ash?

Whitewash Oak?

Arid Plains?

Something more macho,

Battleship Grey?

Or, perhaps one for each day?

A day-of-the-week toupee?

Yes, that’s it!

I’ve gotta take a pee, but I’ll be right back;

And I’ll take the multi-pack!

Be well,

Monty

Weird Science

13th post for #bloganuary (a WordPress event)

The Prompt: What does your ideal day look like.

The Answer: Frictionless.

I dedicate this post to all of my fellow science nerds.

Originally Published on MontysScribbles.com

WORK

If: Work = Force x Distance
Then: Work = Effort × Progress
Therefore: All Effort plus no Progress equals no Work


However, without work there is no progress
Therefore: No Work = Effort × 0 or Effort = No Work / 0 = 0/0 = 0
Therefore: Effort is worthless


Reality check:
“Work” (i.e. this here poem) is clearly worthless yet took a lot of effort
Therefore: Conclusion confirmed!


Implications:
1) I made an ASS(umption) of myself and /or
2) Physics is bullshit and /or
3) What the %$&@?


I’m gonna go with all three…I’ve discovered three new natural laws!


Wait?! Then evidently this poem is not worthless.
It must be priceLESS…oh no…not again.
Therefore:

Be well,

Monty

Speechless

12th post for #bloganuary (a WordPress event)

The Prompt: What emoji(s) do you like to use.

I make my own.

How I first felt when I read today’s prompt:

“sad”

But then I realized I could showcase some of my previous masterpieces:

“tantrum” – originally published in Monty’s Very Short Shorts
“on-fleek” – originally published in Monty’s Very Short Shorts
“not laughing!” – originally published in Monty’s Very Short Shorts
“outsmarted (by self” – originally published in Thirteen Words (vol. II)
“shh” – originally published in Thirteen Words (Vol. II)

I fully expect this post to translate into a spike in sales (and I will notice as I haven’t had a sale in over three months…haha). Happy emoji-ing.

Be well,

Monty

Living Courageously

11th post for #bloganuary (a WordPress event)

The Prompt: What does it mean to live boldly?

First let’s get grounded…

Boldly:

(1) in a confident and courageous way; showing a willingness to take risk.

(2) in a way that is characterized by having a strong, vivid, or clear appearance.

– Oxford Dictionary

Ok, so based on this literal foundation, I’m going to reframe the question for today as “What does it mean to live courageously?”

Living Courageously

Living courageously is being open, honest, and vulnerable.

Living courageously is admitting to my mistakes and making amends.

Living courageously is loving myself with all my faults.

Living courageously is loving another unconditionally.

Living courageously is changing the things I can.

Living courageously is accepting the things I cannot change.

Living courageously is choosing life even when I don’t want to.

Living courageously is finding joy amidst the pain.

Living courageously is simply,

Living.

What does living courageously mean to you?

Be well,

Monty

Sun, Happiness, Coffee, Writing & Gratitude

10th post for #bloganuary (a WordPress event)

The Prompt: What are five things you’re grateful for today?

1) The morning sun. While it’s not a sunny morning per se, the sun is doing it’s job and lighting up the morning sky. Reminding me to appreciate the improbable wonder of life.

“Life” – originally published in Thirteen Words (Vol. I)

2. Happiness. I chose to feel happy this morning. I’ve been making this choice more and more in life. I think this is what they call wisdom.

“Happiness” – originally published in Monty’s Very Short Shorts.

3. Coffee (and a sense of humor). Hehe. I make myself chuckle.

“Coffee” – originally published in Thirteen Words (Vol. III)

4. Writing. Writing saved my life once…and every day since.

“Wild Writing” – originally published in Thirteen Words (Vol. III)

5. Gratitude.

“Rebirth” – originally published in Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

An Uninspired Post

9th post for #bloganuary (a WordPress event)

The Prompt: What do people incorrectly assume about you?

Well, sh*t. I’ve been on a role (in my not so humble opinion), but I feel wholly uninspired by this question. This could just as easily be written as “What do I (incorrectly) assume that people incorrectly assume about me?” I feel all this assuming we do about what others are really thinking that causes such ugliness in our world. I don’t want to contribute to more of this unhealthy assuming. All we know is how others behave and all they know about us is how we behave. It’s that simple. Don’t get me wrong. I’m just as guilty as all of us in attributing others intentions and meaning behind what they say and do. I think it’s human nature. But it’s not helpful in most cases. Whether we are making positive or negative assumptions about others we are missing the opportunity to listen openly, to inquire curiously, and to trust vulnerably. We are missing the opportunity for true connection and love. So, uninspired by this question, yet inspired to do better, today I choose to share myself more openly and listen to each of you without judgement.

“Judge” (Originally published in Monty’s Very Short Shorts)

Be well,

Monty