#431. looking for the wallflowers, laughing at lame jokes & the luxury of time

Age: 41

Relationship Status: Married

Occupation: Storyteller

What is something you look forward to every day?

My cup of tea. I have one cup of tea – and all of the ingredients have been perfectly sourced from around the world. There’s a pinch of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice in it. It is perfection. And I have it in complete solitude – well, with the bonus of my cat if he’s around!

Describe how your year thus far is going, using only three words:

Grateful I’m here!

What is the most valuable thing you have earned?

The luxury of time. How it is spent, what/who it is spent on. Being in control of my time is priceless.

What is the most precious thing you have lost?

My childhood.

Fill in the blank: if loving _____is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Myself.

Is there a moment in your life where preparation has met opportunity? Did you take it?

No. I am working on getting better at preparation. I have had many opportunities lost to the lack of readiness on my end, and I regret not being prepared.

In a room full of people, who are you looking for? The wallflowers. The shy, quiet ones, who want to have a conversation but have a hard time opening up.

What is the most impactful, published piece of writing you have read?

Emerson’s essay on Self-Reliance

When I am self-loathing, I tend to…

Self-loathing is too strong a description. I’ll cry, wonder why, and then my period shows up, and life is all rainbows and sunshine again!

When I am self-loving, I tend to…

I tend to myself every day as if I were a child.

If you had endless amounts of talent and skill, what would you want to be famous or known for?

I wouldn’t wish to be famous in this era of tech, but I would like to leave a legacy of healing through words.

How does the best relationship in your life make you feel?

Safe.

When do you feel most inspired?

When I have a goal to work towards.

What is something that your inner child needs to hear from you?

I grew up to be the person she needed when she was a girl.

What is something that your future self needs to hear from you?

You did good, and you did it well.

Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you had made a different decision, and do you wish you had?

Sometimes, but then I remember that not all paths would have led me to where I am. And I am where I needed to be.

If money were no object, what is one thing you would have an unlimited supply of?

Private fitness coaching.

What is the most predictable thing about you?

I will laugh at the lame jokes

What is the most unexpected thing that has ever happened to you?

Rising from the ashes so many times!

Describe a time that you were in awe of your own courage or bravery:

Realizing I was married to a covert narcissist. Left immediately and fought the divorce all by myself. I didn’t even realize I did all on my own until someone pointed it out to me. And that’s when I realized I am stronger and braver than I think I am.

BONUS: Tell me something good.

Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think I would live the life I am living today. And I am so grateful for it every day.