Has a Self-Help Guide Ever Helped You?
I’m seeking advice wherever I can find it, and really appreciate of all your helpful comments. (Please keep them coming.) Yesterday, a friend chimed in with what she’s sure is the definitive answer. Read anything by Rumi.
Illustration by Hope Gangloff. See her paintings at Susan Inglett Gallery.
How to Clown Around With Anxiety
When I find myself spiraling into worse case scenarios, which is happening these days about every 90 minutes, I try to jolt myself out of it with the mantra, HOPE/TRUST. I do this because a therapist friend suggested I need to have more “trust” that everything is going to “work out,” so even if I don’t really believe it right now, I’m going to pretend. HOPE/TRUST. The anxiety is spreading to silly, mundane things, like, will I get a parking spot on the right side of the street to avoid a ticket, when there are so many bulky garbage cans out tonight taking up precious space? HOPE/TRUST. Or, will the rain that’s being forecast on Friday, delay my flight to San Francisco, and make me miss a hair color appointment? HOPE/TRUST. What’s your mantra?
Image: Untitled #425 by Cindy Sherman. See her retrospective starting 2/26 at MOMA.
Presidents Day in Brooklyn
Image of Lincoln by Visual Resistance (photo: James Rojo). More Brooklyn street art here:
10 Platitudes That I Hope Are True
1. Crisis = Opportunity
2. It’s always darkest before the dawn
3. The most certain way to succeed is always to try one more time
Continue reading »
On the Hunt for Endorphins
I’m a wreck. In the face of looming life changes too big to absorb or talk about here (for now), I’m trying to find equilibrium. None of my usual coping methods of gratitude, popcorn movies, comfort food or soulful prayer, are offering any relief. What marginally works is a nightly martini with vermouth-soaked olives in a frozen glass. Even better is going to my ballet class, where everything is beautiful, despite a broken heart.
Image: Still-life Polaroid by Andy Warhol
Healing Power of Pretty Clothes
What gets you through the day during difficult times? Putting on a fabulous pair of boots or a great piece of jewelry has been known to cheer me up. Check out this trailer for a film about the iconic fashion photographer, Bill Cunningham. For decades, he has been taking snapshots of high society folks and trend-setting downtowners for his addictive NY Times column, On the Street.
Buh Bye Valentines Day 2011
The American consumer spends an average of $122.98 on Valentines Day gifts. Given that I’ve spent zero, someone must be rolling for the big bucks. I did receive a sweet card from my brother and my gay best friend. And my dog was just licking my face. But still, I need a cocktail. Does this day have any emotional weight for you?
Image: Intoxicated Woman at a Window, 18th century
Drawing Strength From the Egyptian People
It was impossible to stay steeped in personal drama watching the historic news from Egypt. When the announcement came that Mubarak was finally resigning, tears streamed down my face, with hope for humanity, and also for me. Commenting on the courage of the Egyptian people, President Obama said, “It was the moral force of nonviolence that bent the arc of history towards justice.”
Image: View of Tahrir Square today from space
When Was the Last Time You Had a Good Cry?
I’m having a “good cry” right now, though good is not how it feels. It reminds me of the scene in Something’s Gotta Give, when Diane Keaton is sobbing at her keyboard. Details to follow when I’m not so raw.
Image: Tears for Years by Mel Kadel. See her work in L.A. through March 5.
About this Site
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
Follow First Person Singular
Greatest Hits
