First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Powering Downtime

Happy weekend! My brother is visiting from Boston, and we’ll be fine dining our way through the next few days.

Collage by Felipe Posada

How to Tackle Shame

For years, I felt shame about being single. I would dread the question, “have you ever been married.” I wondered if my answer would make people think less of me. And that’s because I thought less of myself. In part through this blog, and the great community of FPS readers, I’m no longer haunted by singleness. Quite the contrary. I feel empowered.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about shame in the context of people going through a career transition and struggling with self worth. Shame is corrosive. It disconnects us from others during times of vulnerability when we need to reach out. 

For my Career Coaching website, I’ve written a blog post about tackling shame when you’re out of work, and even if you’re gainfully employed, I hope you’ll check it out.

Illustration by Marc Johns

Jonathan Demme. Another Great One Passes

Jonathan Demme and Jody Foster on the set of Silence of the Lambs. Photo by Ken Regan.

Do You Pray?

Hong Kong, 1998. Photo by Steve McCurry

Finding Solace in Food

For years, I was possessed by sugary foods. I learned this early on from my Dad who, if left up to his own devices, would have eaten a piece of chocolate layer cake as his dinner.  On my own, in the first year of college without the watchful gaze of my Mom, I remember having Nestle Crunch bars for lunch. As a young adult living in San Francisco, I would savor nightly walks to the neighborhood bakery to buy 2 chocolate chip cookies. In mid-life, my favorite way to start the day was with a pastry. I was in a serious relationship with sugar, and it lasted for decades. Maybe it was sublimation. Somehow, I finally woke up (luckily before any discernible damage was done.) These days, I’m not completely sugar free, but I don’t long for it anymore. I view it as a rare treat. Do you have a food obsession?

Painting by John Honeywill

End of Week Zen

Make sure to take a break this weekend and have some fun. Gif by Lillen

Epiphany

Are you with me?

thisisn’thappiness

Paying It Forward 2017

This past Saturday, I took the bus (first time ever in L.A.) to go to the Tax Day March. At first, I wondered if it would be weird to go to a march alone. But I couldn’t rouse any of my friends. It felt like an adventure, as if I was traveling in another city. I met people right away on the bus, who were also doing their activist part. It was an excellent journey. Highly recommended.

365 quotes by Designcrush

Don’t Hold Back

In my work as a Career change Coach, I see up close how fear of failure stops people from achieving their goals. It can feel so risky to try something hard if there’s a chance it won’t succeed. But in whatever realm, victory only comes from stepping out and doing your best with a whole heart. 

Screenprint from BT Livermore

Another Upside of Being Single

Embroidery by Giselle Quinto