As part of my 'Love Project', I'm reading a lot of books, including Gretchen Rubin's 'The Happiness Project'.
I find her book packed with lots of practical advice and great at instigating action (for instance, today I unpacked my holiday suitcase, folded all my washing, got rid of junk lying around, tidied up my room, put all my 'research books' into a designated basket, went shopping, called my mum, washed my hair and now I'm writing a blog post!), although, as she said, we are different people and we all have our own approach to how we want to improve our lives. She mentions at some point during her 'Lighten Up' chapter that she (and reportedly many other people) doesn't find 'fun' activities fun. 'I love the idea of playing chess' she says,' going to a lecture on international markets, doing crossword puzzles, eating dinner at a hot new restaurant, or having a subscription to the opera or season tickets to the Knicks. I can see exactly why other people enjoy these activities. I wish I enjoyed them. But I don't.'
This made me think about how lucky I am. I like so many things I can hardly keep up with my likings. I like all foods (except snake - I am scared of snakes - and coriander - which I hate, sorry!), I like most drinks and beverages, I have an endless list of favourite films, books, musicians and bands, I like watching and playing sports, I love sleeping in a tent, I enjoy going to festivals, I like exercising, I like learning new languages, I like fashion and clothes, I like arts and crafts, I like architecture, mythology, history, opera and classical music, I adore travelling and there are not many things in this world I wouldn't at least try. As I am writing, a favourite quote from Walt Whitman pops up in my head. “I am large, I contain multitudes” he says in Leaves of Grass. I think this quote really captures who I am.
I recently mentioned to some friends that I would love to become a personal trainer or some sort of fitness teacher, because I really love exercising and I love helping other people getting the amazing benefits that exercising bring, whilst getting more of it myself. They all responded amused that I shouldn't forget I recently qualified as a professional stylist and that I am also planning to qualify as an English teacher for when I'm going to go travelling through Asia. Not to mention that I am in the process of writing a book.
I get their point and it is indeed a fair point only that... I wouldn't be me if I didn't try all these different things. Because you see, I am large, I contain multitudes. I see myself as made of rubber, I see myself like an elastic band circling the world, I wish I could stretch myself across the whole world. I am not naive, I know that's not possible, but I'll be damned if I am not going to die trying!
I've been spending quite a lot of time lately defining myself (either to craft my online dating profile or trying to write a credible platform about why should people believe anything I have to say about love and relationships). I was told that I'm trying to tick too many boxes and in my case the only word that's untrue is 'trying'. I don't try, I just can't help being 'large'. So I decided to come up with a manifesto, which I wrote down on the plane last night. Here it goes.
Iulia's manifesto
'I care not limit myself. I want to try it all and I want to be it all. I want to squeeze my life for every single experience it has to offer. I make no apologies for my choices, for my choices choose me as much as I choose them. I am more afraid of not trying than I am afraid of failing. I am limitless.'
Or in the words of the great Walt Whitman, “I refuse putting from me the best that I am.”
I find her book packed with lots of practical advice and great at instigating action (for instance, today I unpacked my holiday suitcase, folded all my washing, got rid of junk lying around, tidied up my room, put all my 'research books' into a designated basket, went shopping, called my mum, washed my hair and now I'm writing a blog post!), although, as she said, we are different people and we all have our own approach to how we want to improve our lives. She mentions at some point during her 'Lighten Up' chapter that she (and reportedly many other people) doesn't find 'fun' activities fun. 'I love the idea of playing chess' she says,' going to a lecture on international markets, doing crossword puzzles, eating dinner at a hot new restaurant, or having a subscription to the opera or season tickets to the Knicks. I can see exactly why other people enjoy these activities. I wish I enjoyed them. But I don't.'
This made me think about how lucky I am. I like so many things I can hardly keep up with my likings. I like all foods (except snake - I am scared of snakes - and coriander - which I hate, sorry!), I like most drinks and beverages, I have an endless list of favourite films, books, musicians and bands, I like watching and playing sports, I love sleeping in a tent, I enjoy going to festivals, I like exercising, I like learning new languages, I like fashion and clothes, I like arts and crafts, I like architecture, mythology, history, opera and classical music, I adore travelling and there are not many things in this world I wouldn't at least try. As I am writing, a favourite quote from Walt Whitman pops up in my head. “I am large, I contain multitudes” he says in Leaves of Grass. I think this quote really captures who I am.
I recently mentioned to some friends that I would love to become a personal trainer or some sort of fitness teacher, because I really love exercising and I love helping other people getting the amazing benefits that exercising bring, whilst getting more of it myself. They all responded amused that I shouldn't forget I recently qualified as a professional stylist and that I am also planning to qualify as an English teacher for when I'm going to go travelling through Asia. Not to mention that I am in the process of writing a book.
I get their point and it is indeed a fair point only that... I wouldn't be me if I didn't try all these different things. Because you see, I am large, I contain multitudes. I see myself as made of rubber, I see myself like an elastic band circling the world, I wish I could stretch myself across the whole world. I am not naive, I know that's not possible, but I'll be damned if I am not going to die trying!
I've been spending quite a lot of time lately defining myself (either to craft my online dating profile or trying to write a credible platform about why should people believe anything I have to say about love and relationships). I was told that I'm trying to tick too many boxes and in my case the only word that's untrue is 'trying'. I don't try, I just can't help being 'large'. So I decided to come up with a manifesto, which I wrote down on the plane last night. Here it goes.
Iulia's manifesto
'I care not limit myself. I want to try it all and I want to be it all. I want to squeeze my life for every single experience it has to offer. I make no apologies for my choices, for my choices choose me as much as I choose them. I am more afraid of not trying than I am afraid of failing. I am limitless.'
Or in the words of the great Walt Whitman, “I refuse putting from me the best that I am.”
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