One of my favourite places for occasional procrastination is the Ordinary Courage blog written by Brené Brown. She is currently publicising the release of her new DVD: 'The Hustle for Worthiness' - a filmed lecture on her "new research on love, belonging, and the power of being enough." She is hosting a "week of worthiness" in the blogging community.
I just happened to follow a link to an interview with Brené, and was inspired to answer the questions myself. At first, they seemed easy, but when I thought more about it, I found myself answering "I don't know" to most of them. It actually took quite a lot of soul searching and worthy contemplation to get to this point... and then it seemed a shame to throw my answers away, so I decided to share them with you!
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being in the creative zone - whether it be sewing, writing, exercise (creating a new me), housecleaning (making dull things shiny) - anything that transforms the mundane into the magical, requires my body to be occupied and allows my mind to soar free. A bit like this song clip, really... (if you don't have time to listen to the whole song, at least fast forward to near the end so you can see what she makes!)
2. What is your greatest fear?
Being unloved and misunderstood, hurting people and not being able to make amends.
3. Which living person do you most admire?
Truthfully? Myself. *Blush* I know... isn't that awful? But no, it is not. I am proud of my resilience, my ability to keep trying, to pick myself up from the depths and start again, to stare my faults in the face (and they are myriad) and to do daily combat with them, knowing that win or lose I will show up again tomorrow to fight the good fight once more. Don't you think it is important to admire the person you know best in all the world? Or perhaps I just have a greater tolerance for my own weakness than I do for that of others :P
4. What trait do you most deplore in yourself?
I too often and too easily make my children suffer for my frustrations. I am a bully.
5. What trait do you most deplore in others?
Sitting on your high horse and judging others (unfortunately, this is also the second trait I most deplore in myself)...
6. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Know what? I don't think any virtue is overrated lol... I even read through the Wikipedia article on virtue - very interesting and informative - searching for one virtue I could single out, and instead emerged inspired to cultivate even more virtues in my life. Honestly, I feel that the whole concept of virtue is so UNDERrated by modern society that the structure needs support, and I would be ashamed to throw another stone at it.
7. What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Yeti :D We were married on the anniversary of our first kiss, so on March 20th we shall celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary, and our 18th year of life together. Since I will be 36 in August, that means that as of this year I have spent half my life with Yeti! When we met, I was 18 and he was 37. I was a catholic schoolgirl, he was a Harley riding biker. I thumb my nose at all those who said we would never last, and hope and pray for many many many many more years.
8. Which talent would you most like to have?
Oooohhhhhhh.... I want to be able to freeze time or stre-e-e-e-e-e-etch it... or maybe just move at super speed, that would do it.....
9. What is your current state of mind?
Anticipatory, eager, a little anxious... actually, there's a bright blue sky of bravery, a burning sun of determination, plenty of soaring birds of ambition.... but way down below there's a tiny little darkness under a rock that is s***scared.
10. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Motherhood... it's also my greatest challenge (see 6) and at times my greatest failure (see 4)
11. What is your most treasured possession?
Ok... I have now mentally reviewed my boxes of clutter, my shinies and my sentimental specials... yes, there are lots... but for the here and now the answer is my mp3 player / ebook reader (cheap chinese) and my Bang & Olufsen (chinese copy) headphones... at the moment I am getting in at least 30 minutes on the cross trainer each morning because I have loaded a scriptural rosary onto it so I can double guilt myself into getting out there to pray and exercise at the same time... then if I get the chance at naptime, I rush out for another 30 minutes of exercise so I can listen to Dickens' The Curiosity Shop which I have loaded as an audiobook. Sad but true :P
12. What is your superpower?
Ahahahahahaahaaaaa. I have the power to enter your mind riding a flood of words that lift you up and carry you away on fantastical journeys, all without opening my mouth or leaving my desk. As a recent experiment has shown, my kryptonite is being confined to one word lol.
13. What is your motto?
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." (Carl Bard)
I have a book full of them, though... Some of my other favourites include:
"Even a dead lion scares the sheep." (Anonymous radio announcer)
"Bad weather always looks worse through a window." (Tom Lehrer)
"You are on first name terms with lucidity. I have to call it 'Mr Lucidity'." (The Tick)
"Rest and be kind. You don't have to prove anything." (Jack Kerouac)
14. What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty, humour, acceptance of my foibles.
15. Which word or phrase do you most overuse?
"No."
16. What is your greatest extravagance?
Ebay
17. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Loyalty
18. What is the quality you most like in a man?
Commitment
19. On what occasion do you feel the most authentic?
When I am writing - and not always about myself lol.
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