If you’ll remember, one of my nineteen Ideal Life Themes is Making Wise Decisions. This means that every three weeks, on a certain day, I am supposed to take five minutes and see how things are going in terms of making wise decisions. Usually, there isn’t a ton of decision making going on…my life isContinue reading “Wise Decisions: the lab experiment”
Tag Archives: Identity
The Ambivalence Problem
On a good day I consider myself a mediocre parent. My idea of winning at motherhood is convincing my kids to clean each other’s rooms up as a “surprise” so that I don’t have to do it. Our lockdown homeschooling consisted of going to skateboard ramps and riding around and climbing on them. I calledContinue reading “The Ambivalence Problem”
Proof of (Ideal) Life
My sister, Poppy and I were just recording our podcast and she mentioned something fascinating that really, really hit home for me. I think that you might relate. We were talking about the things we used to love when we were younger. I have long held that the things that made us sparkle when weContinue reading “Proof of (Ideal) Life”
Back to the Circus
I told you a while ago that I dreamed of being an aerialist in the circus. (Although those of you who know me personally would be tragically tempted to peg me as a clown, the cute, curious, innocent one with the flower growing from her hat. Ainsi soit-il.) There are lots and lots of reasonsContinue reading “Back to the Circus”
No More Vicarious Living
Have you ever experienced, vicariously, the apotheosis of your deepest darkest longing? Who am I kidding? If you watched Must See TV on Thursday nights in 1995, then you saw Ross and Rachel kiss in the Central Perk coffee shop. You know exactly what I am talking about. If you ever watched Morticia’s wrist getContinue reading “No More Vicarious Living”
Because it makes you feel alive
Somewhere on the spectrum of my Ideal Life, as a function of the themes of Passion, Wise Decisions and Scheduling and Planning lies the theme of Commitments. That word commitment gets pretty bad press, and for good reason. It’s such a personal thing, but more often than not, our commitments impact others. Commitments are aContinue reading “Because it makes you feel alive”
Passion
In the Ideal Life Exercise, on one of the Mondays (today, for example), my theme is Music. Music is my passion. It is what holds me together. When I peel the onion that is my life and when I get down to the gooey part at the center of who I am, there is stillContinue reading “Passion”
Synesthesia, or when you eat with your eyes
One of my goals this summer was to make headway on my dislike of cooking by going about the whole process a different way: instead of worrying about how it tastes, which is an area of complete ambivalence for me, I was going to occupy myself with how it looks. For whatever reason, I don’tContinue reading “Synesthesia, or when you eat with your eyes”
Our phenomenal destiny
There is a revelation that I have come to in the last few weeks that has been percolating for years, but that finally has made sense to me:. Thanks to my little challenge of wearing the same four items of clothing on rotation for the last two weeks, I have discovered a truth that hasContinue reading “Our phenomenal destiny”
Perfectionist Who?
Trigger warning: If you get nervous reading about rule-breaking, steel yourselves. I will break a rule in this article and it may make you uncomfortable. You may have noticed that I talk a lot about needing to “know the rules” and liking “firm boundaries and expectations.” This is so tightly wound up in my beingContinue reading “Perfectionist Who?”
Sing With Your Feet 