Not perfect can be good enough

I bought a painting a few years ago that hangs in our bedroom and is emblazoned with the quote, "I know well from what I flee, but not what I'm in search of." That's how I feel often in life, that I'm escaping displeasure without really knowing what will make me happy.

I'm in the middle of Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare to Dream by Whitney Johnson, which I came across after her interview with the Good Life Project. Whitney, who has accomplished so much in her life fearlessly, saw other women around her who didn't have the same inspired dreams she does, but were also not fulfilled. Her book is meant to inspire them to dare to dream, to recognize their dreams and have the courage to follow them. It's definitely given me some of her courage and open-mindedness.

One of the stories just touched off a spark. A contributor writes about how she encouraged her son to draw as she read him a story. As he drew, he realized that his images didn't quite stack up to the professional illustrations that accompanied his favorite books. His wasn't good enough. Instead of enjoying the experience, he threw a temper tantrum and drew big, dark lines over his work. His wasn't good enough and no one would see it.

It made me wonder how many times I cast my work aside when I'm not happy with it or, even worse, refuse to start a project if I don't think I can succeed. I'm driven by success. Without it, I'm not really interested.

Now I realize that I'm selling myself short. If I don't let myself do, even if I might fail, I'm going to miss out on the many achievements I could have and success may elude me.

Living in Midnight in Paris

Living in Midnight in Paris

Have you seen Midnight in Paris? Steve and I love Woody Allen movies, but this one is endearing for so many more reasons besides the director's quirk. It's a great story of wanting, wandering, trying to find your place. It also has such whimsy and just a hint of Dali, another personal favorite.

After watching the movie, I've been learning more about Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of F. Scott and the basis of many of his characters. She also embodies the 1920s indulgence mentality and spent much of her own life on a similar search for purpose. I'm reading her biography now and a review will be forthcoming. 

For now, check out this set and certainly find the movie soon. 

Proof & Provision

Is anything more lovely than being able to show out-of-town friends a good night in your city?

I was finally able to meet my good Twitter friend, Callie, last week. Our love of the Braves made it easy to strike up a conversation. We've talked for more than a year now and it's great to know that we're great friends in real life.

Nate and Sharon joined us, and Nate's great recommendations came in handy. After a great dinner at Cypress Street, we tried Proof & Provision in the basement of the Georgian Terrace Hotel. I highly recommend this bar, especially if you're entertaining out-of-town guests.

Across the street from the Fox Theater (which is always fun for visitors to see), the drinks were creative and strong. The service was friendly and quick. The atmosphere was classy, but laid back. I only wish that it was a little quieter and that I had taken pictures!

Pictures borrowed from the Proof & Provision Facebook page.

I'm Praying for You

Wednesday's my birthday and I'm giving a gift to you, the gift of prayer.

I'm praying for my friends that are lost and those that know where they're going.

I'm praying for my friends that suffer from physical pain and mental anguish, and those that are happy.

I'm saying prayers for friends who sing God's praises and those who only see a deficit of blessings.

I'm praying for my patient, funny friends.

I'm praying for my friends who reach out in need and those that answer the call.

I'm praying for my friends who relay God's Word when I need to hear it most.

I pray that I love in God's way- patient, tender and everlasting.

Most of all, I pray for my friends, like me, who forget they never go through life alone.

Book 6: How Did You Get This Number

I love Twitter for its jokes, its news but, most of all, that it exposes me to so many new things. Whenever Twitter leads me to something new, I never remember how I landed there, who took my hand, what path I chose. However, it really opens my horizons and makes me wonder why I didn't know it before. Like Sloane Crosley.

"How Did You Get This Number" is a great story about growing up, or being of age finally learning. Her command of observational story telling and mastery of adjectives makes me, a former government PR flack, want to write a "power word" list.

There's something about your 20-somethings that make you feel both old and incapable. You should be so much farther along in life than you are. Sloane embraces that while making it feel like more of an adventure than the trip where you lost your map and no one spoke English. Which is what I feel like all the time.

I can't wait for my beach trip in May. This book will be great to re-read in a place where the world seems more stable, where you can breathe.

Then I apologized to the travel gods for thinking I could do this, remembering there's a reason we don't always fulfill the wishes of our younger selves once we're grown.

The Value of Good Advice

You can get really good advice when you ask for it.

Around 2006, I was facing the end of another failed relationship. Something about this one didn't sit right. I suspected it wasn't him, it was that I was a spoiled brat. I decided to ask the experts (my ex-boyfriends) a burning question. "Am I difficult?"

Most of them were polite enough not to give a real answer. One, however, fired right back, "It's not that you're difficult. You're immature and unnecessarily confrontational."

A different time, I was thinking about taking a new job. I called my previous supervisor to get his advice. We talked about the job, the responsibilities, the different politics involved. "Here's something else to think about. You're very opinionated, which is great, but when someone makes a decision different from what you recommended, you can be... stubborn about it."

All of the advice was solicited and came from people I really respected. It was also advice I really needed to hear, even if I didn't completely agree. Years later, I've really worked to accept and act on the advice and it often comes to mind when I find myself lapsing into the old bratty me.

So, ask for advice. People that know you best want to help you. You just need to be ready to accept whatever they say.

Zooey and Personal Finance

We generally don't look to Hollywood for money advice. With paydays that eclipse what most of us make in a year, it's a place of excess. Fancy foreign sports cars, designer clothes, and huge jewelry would sink us pretty easily. Even still, many celebrities end up filing for bankruptcy or losing homes by giving into the hype and spending outside their generous means.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I came up when I formulated this blog post. I found your Hollywood personal finance role model: Zooey Deschanel. 

No, really. Zooey and her husband recently announced they were divorcing and, as part of their court filings, Ms. Deschanel attached her income and expense statement. Zero credit card debt, millions in investments and she only spends about a quarter of her monthly income. 

Yes, she's still spending over $20,000 a month, but she's done what so many of struggle to do: live below our means and invest in our future. And, I might add, she's still fabulous. She's certainly a financial role model to me.