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Compliments That Aren’t About Physical Appearance
I struggle with linking my own self-worth to external achievements and other people’s opinions. It’s so important to recognize (and praise) your unique internal qualities and character; things that aren’t dependent on outside conditions. Thanks to Dorkchops for sharing this list of lovely compliments that are more than just skin-deep. “A lot of the time we get complimented on the way we look and we start to think that it’s the most valued quality about ourselves but it’s important to notice how skilled we are and how empowered we are as individuals. I found this list below that has a number of compliments we can start using that focus on how great…
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Pain au chocolat – Boulangerie Thevenin (6th arrondissement)
It’s hard to go wrong with breads/pastries/viennoiseries in Paris (it’s like pizza: even if you get a bad one, it’s still decent), but Boulangerie Thevenin is my current neighborhood favorite for pain au chocolat. One HUGE flaky, buttery, chocolaty treat will run you 1,25 € – the best bang for your buck I’ve seen in the area. Conveniently located by the Saint-Placide metro (line 4) in the 6th arrondissement, it’s a great place to stop for a treat before visiting the Jardin du Luxembourg or wandering around Montparnasse 🙂 Phoenix photo credit: https://wall.alphacoders.com/big.php?i=104284 #bakery #boulangerie #food #JardinduLuxembourg #Montparnasse, #PainauChocolat #Paris #SaintPlacide #Thevenin #Viennoiserie
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Doctorates, Down-Dogs and the Challenge of Self Talk (Guest Post)
This blog is new to me – but I find this post incredibly applicable! I have been practicing yoga on-and-off for the past year and notice remarkable differences in my mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing when I practice consistently – which is why I’m currently prioritizing it as part of my “life reorganization” (more on that later). I look forward to reading more from Fit Is a Feminist Issue! “The day I submitted my PhD dissertation was also my 95th day of a self-imposed 100 day yoga challenge. I had never intended to complete both tasks in such quick succession. Indeed, the fact that I actually completed either task at all…
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What is Art?
Art is anything that speaks to our soul. Art is the tangible representation of the language of the soul. Art is how one’s soul communicates with the world; a mystical thread that connects us – to each other; to something greater than or different from or outside of ourselves. It is beauty; simplicity; complexity; diversity. Art teaches us something. Beautiful, painful, necessary lessons. Art is a way to share emotions and experiences, while still each experiencing something unique and personal and individual. Art is nature; sound; picture; sensation. Perhaps the truest art is not man-made; it is what exists naturally, but that so few notice. Artists bridge the gap between seen…
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Process, Not Results
Why do we focus so much on results? This morning as I painted my nails, I found myself impatient with needing to apply several coats of this particular polish for full coverage, and thinking about brands that claim to only need 1 coat… which reminded me of this post on a friend’s blog about nail polish toxicity. I don’t have any real idea what is in this stuff that I regularly slap on my body to “enhance” it. And I don’t have any idea what happens to a formula when it’s modified to need only one coat, or dry more quickly, or not chip, for my convenience. How is that achieved? What…
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A little philosophy, courtesy of “The School of Life”
I started reading L’étranger (The Stranger) by Albert Camus after discussing a passage from it in my French course. Yesterday, this video on Camus popped up in my e-mail, from The School of Life’s YouTube channel, which I subscribe to and highly recommend. Favorite takeaway this morning: enjoying the magnificence of this life instead of pining for another one (i.e., heaven). That led me to Michel de Montaigne, “Camus’ favorite philosopher,” according to The School of Life. Though some of his ideas are not unfamiliar to me, I haven’t read any of his works (yet!), and I’m very intrigued by this introduction. Some ideas that resonated: authenticity – value and pursue what is useful/appeals to you; value your own mind; recognize…
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The Pursuit of: Intellectual Freedom
Throughout your upbringing and education, how many concepts were “truth,” and how many authority figures were “infallible”? I don’t know how to balance the need for children to have things they can count on – how to determine how much “grey” they can handle when they’re first developing – while instilling the idea that it is good essential to ask questions and to investigate ideas from various viewpoints before forming an opinion (we don’t even need to have an opinion on everything!). I fear that critical thinking is sorely lacking in (or even condemned by) many educational systems. We all have unique challenges to our growth and psychological development; some of my mine…
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Work and Play
Tuesday, 15 Nov Sunday-MondayThis weekend was relaxing, productive, and all about getting to know friends better! Late night girl chats and renewing spiritual time with some of the cast made for a good start to a busy week! Tuesday, 15 NovCostumes and sword fighting!Today I was transformed into some of my favorite characters! Or at least partially – some will be custom made for me 🙂 Consequently, I found out some of my much-anticipated casting for the other 2 shows! It’s subject to change (and I also have alot of smaller ensemble roles), but the ones I’m most excited for are:Mary Poppins (woohoo!!), Mrs. Potts, u/s Aurora, u/s Belle, u/s…
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And we’re off…
Sunday, 13 November ~ Rehearsal Week One! Tuesday, 8 NovAssessments, assessments, assessments…On Tuesday, it was back to assessments – this time vocal and side readings from scripts. I tried my best, but vocally just wasn’t where I wanted to be… hoping I sounded better than I thought I did. That night, we received our casting for the first show we’re rehearsing, all about Disney’s villains, which we began rehearsing Wednesday. I’m playing one of the 3 Fates (from Hercules) – that’s puppet work – and am also the lady pirate in the Hook scene; understudying Cruella de Vil (so much fun!) and the Evil Queen from Snow White, as well…
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A picture is worth a thousand words; or, Rusty the Red Panda escapes from the National Zoo
It’s pretty much every performer’s dream to be the focus of a media frenzy (especially for something positive!)… I got to experience a bit of that this week, in a very unexpected and wonderful way. Walking home from a family lunch in our neighborhood, about a mile from DC’s National Zoo, we saw an extraordinary animal emerge from some bushes. I recognized him almost immediately as a red panda – one of my favorite animals at the National Zoo and one I had often admired at our previous home’s wonderful San Diego Zoo. What I couldn’t figure out is how he could possibly be just a few feet in front of us, alone, strolling down our…
