I need to start wearing glasses, metaphorical ones, I’m already wearing ones for distance. I can see the outline of my goal, the bright shiny vision of the future. I can see exactly what it will be like and how good it will make me feel. There is a soft-focus effect at play though, the image is not crystal clear. What is perfectly clear is the wall between me and my goal. It’s a wall that can only be broken Click for more
Tag: AYearWithMyself
Homage to Hybridity
When I read the Week 9 post it immediately brought to mind my wonderful hybrid sisters. They deserve to be named: Anastasia Ashman, Tara Lutman Ağaçayak, Rose Deniz, Sezin Koehler, Judith van Praag, Elmira Bayrasli, Catherine Salter Bayar and Jocelyn Eikenburg. These are women consistently remind me that being myself is ok, in fact, that it is terrific. Our backgrounds are varied, our locations global, what unites us is a belief in ourselves and an acceptance of our hybrid nature. What Click for more
All the Fun of the Circus
While asking questions and trying to figure out my “thing” a trip to the circus illustrated a few points about it. The circus to a child is magical and wondrous but to an adult it’s often bittersweet. Our eyes are often on the action outside of the ring, while a child will focus only on the performer. The child is amazed by the clown’s antics, the adult knows the clown is also the trapeze artist and the juggler. So what Click for more
Testing, testing…
According to the Via Me online survey my strengths are love of learning, judgment, prudence, teamwork and fairness. The Strong Life Test for Women tells me my lead role is that of caretaker with an open heart, a chance of being consumed by others feelings and that I should be on or leading a team. My supporting role is teacher, with faith in others, who should be paid to facilitate the success of others. The Primary Colors assessment meanwhile tells me Click for more
Writing from the heart
When I think of my most productive time in terms of creative effort it is slightly contradictory. I produced most but yet produced nothing for publication. In a way it was writing in its purest form, to figure out the world and my place in it. The overriding value in my life was, appropriately enough given the week that’s in it, love. I was newly married. I was exploring the culture I’d married into. I was learning a new language. Click for more
She’s got per-son-al-ity…
A few weeks ago a friend described herself as a Type A personality, while more recently Justine Musk had a post about being an introvert. I knew immediately that I was not the first but very definitely the second. I know, I know there are probably lots of Type A introverts out there but I am not that continuously stressed, need to control type at all. In fact to look at the state of my house you’d say I was Click for more
Inner critic exposed…
This weeks action step for A Year With Myself was to describe your inner critic, something which I did last week. Or rather I described the inner critic’s uglier face, the inner begrudger. So for my action step I thought I’d illustrate my inner begrudger instead. Beware it ain’t pretty!
The Tree
I’m not sure if I’ve found my true reflection in the world yet, but I can definitely say it isn’t a tree. The image of the tree that is you, with each ring a layer of your story is wonderful and uplifting but it is too fixed for me. My story is portable. My roots are shallow. I left my homeland for another and though settled where I am now, I really can’t say what the future will bring. Our Click for more
The Compass
This is inspired by week two of A Year With Myself. Leonie Dawson asks have we found our soul’s compass yet. Once upon a time I had a compass. It looked like this. It was a tool, a geologists compass. Not only did it help to locate me, it also allowed me to make maps, to reveal features that the eye couldn’t see in the landscape. It helped illuminate the enormous forces that shaped whatever piece of land I was Click for more
The Threshold
Just as I was pondering how to give myself the kick in the ass I need to get blogging again, I stumbled across this idea of A Year With Myself. Well, sez I, there’s the kick I need. So the plan is to participate while also getting on with the other things I’m planning. The way I see it the threshold is a little like the frost on the flowers, it can be deadly and paralysing but with a little Click for more