Lori tagged me to share 7 things. Surprisingly - I’ve started and stopped writing this post a few times. One would assume that a blogger - who speaks largely about her life and experiences would find this easy. I didn’t. To make it worth writing (and reading) I felt I had to find real value in the exercise instead of just listing some of my more humorous idiosyncrasies (i.e. my fear of clear noodles) and interesting factoids (i.e. I used to train predatory cats). So instead I recruited one of my best friends to interview me - and because she loves me she didn’t toss a single wiffle ball my way - I encourage everyone to try to answer these 7 questions for themselves. Here are my results:
Q. What do you value most in life? I’d have to say freedom. Freedom allows me to live authentically, to surround myself with my favorite people, places and have a variety of the unique and profound experiences which have made up my life.
Q. Do you think you learn better from success or failure? I certainly learn humility best from failure…and humility has been a critically valuable lesson without which I could not have hoped to learned true self acceptance or self love.
Q. What is your strongest character trait? Loyalty. It has at times created co-dependencies or let unhealthy relationships linger but I am fiercely protective of those who I am lucky enough to love.
Q. What would people find most surprising about you? I am always hiding my manic side. I can seem like a free wheeling low key hippie offering sage advice while internally I’m hitting the panic button and second-guessing whether I’ve lost my cell phone, will accidently fall down the stairs, forgotten an upcoming deadline, left the front door unlocked or caused some other mundane tragedy.
Q. What’s the nicest thing someone’s ever done for you? When I graduated high school and was getting ready to move 1,500 miles away from everyone I knew without the safety net of a college campus - my father and I went on a day hike in the Catskill Mountains. During our picnic at the top of Bear Mountain he handed me a credit card and said “I love you – no matter what happens, no matter where you are in the world or when you may need it, I am giving you this so you will always have the means to come home”. Dad has always had a way of keeping me safe without encumbering my growth. Love HIM.
Q. What brings you the greatest joy? Doting. I have an “affection addiction”. Whether it’s cuddling one of my god-kids, comforting a friend, or cooking an elaborate dinner for Mate - it’s still really ALL ABOUT ME ;).
Q. What do you feel you’re entitled to in life? Thinking the world owes you something would be a mistake…but on the difficult days when it feels like I’m paying the karmic price for beating puppies or some other terrible thing I must have done in a prior life - I get pretty bent. The rest of the time - I just try to keep perspective that life, and all that comes with it, is a gift.
WOW! These are well thought out and deep. Yes sometimes the listing only scratches the surface of a person, but this is more than surface.
Lori
November 29th, 2008