Welcome! Introduce yourself here 🙂

[tyme]

Hey @Mustang67 ,

Sounds like your birthday brings up a lot of unpleasant memories. It's no wonder you are feeling the way you do right now.

I can't say I have too many happy birthday memories so I just see it as another day now. The day holds no value for me whatsoever.

I hope you will be able to reach out work through some of this hurt. You deserve the best @Mustang67 .

Also, I have to say, thank you for sharing the last coin arrival. it looks incredibly awesome! 

Go slow. Be kind to yourself my dear.

[Mustang67]

Hi @Explorer7 

Thank you for your thoughts and the image of the "above and below the line thinking". I will print that image out and place it somewhere, that I will see it often, to remind me that I can choose (well sometimes) how I think and react to my memories.

Unfortunately, I seem to take a long time for ideas and actions to sink in and become a part of who I am.

I will definitely take your advice onboard. It does resonate with me. And in my current frame of mind, I can clearly see and understand your ideas.

Thank you so much 😊

[Mustang67]

@tyme 

Thank you for your kind words.

I have felt for many years, the same as you, that it is just another day. And nothing special.

I am currently working through my issues, so will get there eventually. It will just take time, and I need to be kind to myself and allow myself however much time, it is going to take.

I am starting to see improvement in the way I am thinking when certain issues arise, so I know that the therapy is working.

Enjoy the rest of your night 😊

[kiwigirl64]

Hello everyone! I live in sunny Victoria, and have lived here since 4th May, this year.

I originally lived in New Zealand, and I have four adult children, and ten grandchildren😁🖐

[tyme]

Hey @kiwigirl64 ,

Welcome to the forums!

Thank you for sharing a little about yourself.

I've been to NZ, and I found the weather very similar to Melb. What do you think?

How's your weekend going?

[kiwigirl64]

Where I was in New Zealand, it was very cold and damp in the winter. I'm not sure about Melbourne, because I flew in, in May then left, and now live out in the rural. 

It is cold out here but hasn't got to -1 or lower yet.

[Harmonium]

Hi @Mustang67 

 : ) wow, you sure do have the bug. It’s a wonderful thing to feel so excited to examine a handful of change. I learn more and more with each examination. A friend enjoys collecting coins too and we had our first coin sharing night and it was a buzz. I learnt heaps and we compared notes and views on different coins in our collections. My friend keeps them in fishing tackle boxes for each decade 10 compartments numbered for each year in the decade. It’s interesting to note which year’s compartment are full or empty and explore the reasons why. Over time, knowledge deepens and its a top lesson in history too. 

Love that some coin - never seen one of those! 

Thanks for the tip about Woollie’s/olympics. I was shopping at Woolies the other day and when I was due for change I asked the assistant if she could choose a coloured coin for me and she did! Thrilled with that…got an Olympics 2024 Community coin that way. I think I’ll keep asking vendors if they can include any coloured coins in my changes. 

Nice tip about coin noodling : ) I think $50 in coins would do me for a good session. I feel like time stands still when I do the first pass and then when I circle back to deep dive on coins that piqued my interest. I saw in a film somewhere that the happiest people have rituals or interests that enable them to enter like a state of engagement during which they lose time. Coin collecting is one of these for me, it’s virtually free, I can do it at home, it’s great for the noggin and I it’s exciting to find something cool or possibly valuable. 

I discovered I feel flat over the winter and it’s a pattern year after year. My sister once called it the SADS (seasonal affective disorder). So I try to do extra things to boost my joy. Coin collecting is one. Singing and swimming are others. The deep breathing with singing is quite effective even after just 10 mins. Honestly, I feel a lift after just 10 mins!

Cheryl Porter singing classes is my latest way to change my state and boost some much needed happy endorphins : ) here is a link to some of her stuff and you can click through or google her name to find plenty more for free:

https://youtu.be/YPO3vxUrCTo?si=SCVpDcnt_hZ-vw9u

Just wanted to say thanks for writing back and sharing your coin stories and hope you’re having a positive week : ) Hope everyone is having a good week : ))

[Mustang67]

Hi @kiwigirl64 

I absolutely love the kiwi accent and if I ever managed to have a holiday overseas, New Zealand is the top of my list.

10 grandchildren, wow. Where do your children & grandchildren live? In Victoria or back in NZ?

Welcome to Australia 🇦🇺 

[Mustang67]

Hi @Harmonium 

Thank you for your response.

I have joined a few coin groups on Facebook, which I find very helpful for information on particular coins. I find most of the coin community to be very helpful and friendly.

They run prize draws, that they call DIPS (no idea why), but basically you purchase numbers, and they either spin a wheel, or do some sort of race and you can win coins.

I recently spent $20 and I won a 1 Oz Silver Vortex Bar Scottsdale Mint .9999 Fine Silver in a Capsule. I was so excited.

My First Silver Bar

I have finally pulled out my albums from when I started placing coins in a 2 x 2 self adhesive Mylar Cardboard Flips, to help protect the coins and stop the degrading any further. So over the next few weeks and probably months, I will try to concentrate my attention to these albums. To see which coins I need to complete each denomination.

I too, noticed years ago, that I felt flat over winter. And I think someone did mention to me about the SADS. But these days with my depression cycles, I no longer notice it, because I am flat on and off all year round.

I must say that my coin collecting and communicating with such lovely people on the groups on Facebook and Tik Tok, it has really helped me. I lost faith in the world for a while there, but I have met some truly beautiful people, and they have restored my faith in humanity. And it gives me something to get excited about and to have an interest in.

Thank you for sharing what ways you cope with your SADS. I have been doing a bit of meditation. And on my good days, I love nothing better than to go for a drive, turn the music up and sing my heart out. That is how I can tell if I am mentally good or not. If I sing while in the car, everything is good. If I am not singing, I am either having a bad day or something is on my mind. And I know it's not depression, as I would be in bed, closing the world out and not driving anywhere.

Where abouts do you swim? At the beach or at a swimming centre? I have been thinking about taking it up myself, as I have back issues and am overweight, so I thought this would be a good option to start moving and help strengthen my muscles.

Thank you for the Cheryl Porter singing classes link, I will definitely have a look at that.

I am doing a workshop at the moment called Dare to Dream. It covers developing a self-care plan, Empowering self, Wellbeing after trauma, The power of positive thinking, reaching goals, Being your authentic self and Great communication matters. I have one done 1 session so far, but I am hoping it will help build up some skills, to help me in the future and also to see a future for me. 

I hope your week is going well for you.

Kindest regards

Mustang67

[Daisydreamer]

Hi @Imallpeers88, welcome to the SANE Forums! Tagging you here so you can introduce yourself to the Forums community. You will find incredibly understanding and compassionate people here 😊