Some bits and pieces of things I enjoyed this week:

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go and do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Howard Thurman

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This week’s This American Life story about the FBI, the Boston bombings and immigration.

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(My new book)

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This candid picture of my grandparents

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This travel series with this dude Karl who hates traveling and being outside of his comfort zone.

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Having heartfelt/meaningful talks with this girl:

“A Handy Tip For the Easily Distracted” by Miranda July – NOWNESS from NOWNESS on Vimeo.

Sometimes when I’m so inclined I turn to greatday.com for its daily message.  I read this one yesterday and particularly liked it, so much so that it was still on my mind when I woke up this morning.  Hope you like it too.

Willingness to Learn

Look back at everything you did yesterday and ask yourself this simple but powerful question. What worked, and what didn’t?

The way to improve and to become more effective is to learn. The way to learn is to take the time to look at what actually happened.

You don’t need some celebrated guru to reveal to you how to improve your work. You just need the willingness to learn from what you’ve done.

Instead of getting angry or frustrated about your failures, choose to learn from them. Instead of getting boastful or complacent about your successes, make the choice to learn from them.

Learn what helps you, what holds you back, what makes you more effective and what slows you down. Learn from your encounters, your experiences, your joys, your setbacks and from the surprising twists that life often takes.

In everything is the valuable opportunity to learn if you’ll simply decide to do so. Learn from it all, and make each day better than the one before.

-Ralph Marston

(Image found here)

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SMELL

Level Naturals is a downtown LA based all natural product company that I have fallen deeply in love with. Their Mission Fig & Lychee candle is one of the best I’ve smelled in a while.

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TASTE

I made and taste tested all of the smoothies in this GOOP magazine and ever since I have been craving them. The chai gingerbread shake is the freakin’ best!

Also, homemade sweet potato fries are amazing.

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TOUCH

CV Skinlab’s has become one of my favorite effective and chemical free companies. Their calming moisture feels insanely soft when I put in on. It is the best part of my early morning routine.

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HEAR

I have happened to listen to this Fresh Air interview with David ‘Russell many times. As you may know, he directed American Hustle. I always find it fascinating to learn about a filmmaker’s point of view.

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SIGHT

Sunday accidentally/happily became documentary day and I pounded out: The Square, an inspiring and chilling documentary about a group of Egyptian revolutionaries. It’s the real deal. I also watched Mitt, which is a documentary about Mitt Romney and I highly recommend it.

(via saipua)

Some while ago I started this thing wherein when I see someone on the street, or on the train, with a bouquet of flowers, I accept them (in my mind) as meant for me.  Once when leaving an event I snagged an extravagant spray made up of gorgeous blossoming peonies, among other buds, and on my way home handed out individual flowers to strangers I caught admiring their beauty.  One particularly enthusiastic man, heading out to dinner with friends, proudly adorned his lapel.  I linger in the flower section in Whole Foods’ entrance debating how much, if anything, I’m willing to spend on various assortment combinations before I’ve even gotten to my overpriced grocery list. When I splurge and make a purchase, I feel particularly delighted to be the woman on the street with fresh flowers peaking out from my shopping bag.  I go months without having any in my home and then
spontaneously pick up a bunch vowing I will always treat myself so well.

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Image sources from top to bottom 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

It has been a while since I have done a noteworthy post, but since it’s been a busy week it felt appropriate.

It is important for me to let myself be quiet and to let myself share ideas. 

When you feel you are lacking, it is actually really comforting to focus on what you do have. 

Dancing is pretty much awesome. 

Everything isn’t “the worst,” sometimes you are just tired. 

Happy gut, happy life. 

Sometimes you just need a drink. 

May today serve as an opportunity to expand my heart through a genuine appreciation for what is.

“…appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy, however stale these experiences may have become to others.  This ability to freshly appreciate everyday experience [enables you] to derive a sense of pleasure, inspiration, and strength from even mundane happenings.” (via here)

I would prefer to never been seen without makeup.

I have been reading Brene Brown’s book titled The Gifts of Imperfection and each time I read a chapter or two I feel a little bit more insightful.

In the most recent chapter I read, she discusses her research on perfectionism.

Here is are some profound thoughts on perfectionism:

“Perfectionism is a self-destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, live perfectly, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgement and blame.

Perfectionism is self destructive because there is no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal.”

I read this as an outsider looking in on something I felt was not me. I can think of many people I know that are obviously perfectionists, but never thought I was one.

Then I realized that of course I have many levels of perfectionism, in whatever ways that means to me.

Here are some of Brene’s thoughts on how to cope and heal from perfectionism:

Self-kindness, common humanity (“I am not alone” type thing) and mindfulness about your habits of trying to be PERFECT.

Of course nothing is perfect and reading some of these thoughts was a great reminder this week.