In the equestrian world we call that, “giving the horse its face”, that moment when you let go. I come from generations of horsemen and women. That’s about the wisest thing I’ve ever heard someone say to apply to their own life. It’s always the right thing to do for both rider and horse. This was a truly wonderful interview; thank you!
Ohhh, the part about avoiding other people's wisdom rings so true for me right now. I realize there has been such a long amount of time where any time I would start to look inward, I'd get scared and would look outward instead ("hey guys, what should I do???"). Looking inward is making me feel so much more grounded and sure in the world. Yesterday I was getting donuts and fully half of the other people also getting donuts refused to choose flavors, telling the (terrified-looking) teenager behind the counter "Oh, you know, red velvet, molasses, that sort of thing, whatever, you choose." And maybe it's because I'm particular about donut flavors that it surprised me, but it also seemed like a remnant of this current internet vibe of not trusting ourselves to make our own decisions.
Mostly though I'm here to say I also got a galley of Interesting Facts About Space and I loved it so much, and there is one scene in particular that I still laugh about whenever I think about it.
"I hadn’t been particularly nice to this person back in high school or middle school—we were in different social circles—and I will forever be grateful that she rose above that to offer me shelter and friendship when I really needed it." moved me resonates
So much great stuff in here! Gosh, that book deal falling through must have been horrendous! Funny how some of the awful things that happened to us in our 20s turn out to be blessings in disguise!
Two of my favorite writers--Jane and Courtney--in one place! A wonderful interview, thanks, both of you for the honesty and freshness of the questions and the thought-provoking answers. I especially loved the story about your first book, Courtney, and how the heartbreak turned out to be something better. When I look back to my twenties (living in Paris then too!) I realize how much I didn't know about everything, how much I needed--but rarely took--advice, and how today I weigh advice much more carefully. Great post! Thank you.
Trying to Avoid Other People's Wisdom
In the equestrian world we call that, “giving the horse its face”, that moment when you let go. I come from generations of horsemen and women. That’s about the wisest thing I’ve ever heard someone say to apply to their own life. It’s always the right thing to do for both rider and horse. This was a truly wonderful interview; thank you!
When it comes to goals, the thing that’s helped me the most is setting a new one immediately after the first one failed.
I don’t give myself time to wallow or think “oh well, I guess I can’t do it”
I pivot to a new plan right away.
That means a lot of pivoting (so much) but it holds the hopelessness at arms length
Ohhh, the part about avoiding other people's wisdom rings so true for me right now. I realize there has been such a long amount of time where any time I would start to look inward, I'd get scared and would look outward instead ("hey guys, what should I do???"). Looking inward is making me feel so much more grounded and sure in the world. Yesterday I was getting donuts and fully half of the other people also getting donuts refused to choose flavors, telling the (terrified-looking) teenager behind the counter "Oh, you know, red velvet, molasses, that sort of thing, whatever, you choose." And maybe it's because I'm particular about donut flavors that it surprised me, but it also seemed like a remnant of this current internet vibe of not trusting ourselves to make our own decisions.
Mostly though I'm here to say I also got a galley of Interesting Facts About Space and I loved it so much, and there is one scene in particular that I still laugh about whenever I think about it.
"I hadn’t been particularly nice to this person back in high school or middle school—we were in different social circles—and I will forever be grateful that she rose above that to offer me shelter and friendship when I really needed it." moved me resonates
So much great stuff in here! Gosh, that book deal falling through must have been horrendous! Funny how some of the awful things that happened to us in our 20s turn out to be blessings in disguise!
Two of my favorite writers--Jane and Courtney--in one place! A wonderful interview, thanks, both of you for the honesty and freshness of the questions and the thought-provoking answers. I especially loved the story about your first book, Courtney, and how the heartbreak turned out to be something better. When I look back to my twenties (living in Paris then too!) I realize how much I didn't know about everything, how much I needed--but rarely took--advice, and how today I weigh advice much more carefully. Great post! Thank you.