We're All In This Together

I had great intentions today to write some amazingly inspiring thing about fashion and individual style and self defined branding all inspired by meeting Kenneth Cole last week and it was going to be fabulous. But I just can't. I guess you could say I have writers block. But it is more like an emotional block. Without getting too much into my personal life, because this is not in fact my diary, let me just explain to you this emotional block I am facing. I miss home, I want it to be cold outside, I just want to eat a sweet potato, I don't like spending 80 dollars at Office Depot on ink and supplies for projects, I am tired of being hit on by homeless men, I don't like the smell of urine and weed that permeates this city, I am scared by emotions and don't understand them, and quite frankly I wish I was a cat. Essentially I have a bad case of the mean reds, with a touch of the blues.

Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's 

While lying on the floor complaining to my roommate (who is fabulous BTW) about how I don't know how to face emotions and how I am the only person in the world facing these mighty struggles, she said something very wise and made me realize that probably every body else gets into these ruts. Everyone thinks that their mountain is the highest and that their pack is the heaviest. At the risk of sounding cliché, we really are all in the same boat. No matter what metaphor you are using, everyone has their struggles and to each and every one of us it seems like the most terribly awful hardship in the entire world. Yes, some people do actually have real problems (other than not being able to fit in your favorite pair of jeans or not being able to afford yet another Pumpkin Spice Latte). There are some serious issues in the world. But it will be impossible to fight others' battles, or even just feel genuinely sorry for another, until our own is won. Winning doesn't always mean coming out in triumph. Sometimes it just means carrying on. It's not easy and it is certainly not enjoyable, but we have to do it. Because no one wants to have the mean reds forever. That would be truly horrible–no matter how cute we find Eeyore to be, no body really enjoys being around a depressing donkey all the time.

So what can we do to blow these emotional blocks out of the way so that we can get on with our lives and do amazing things?

1. Read. Read anything, my blog for instance, or poetry, your favorite book, a new book, a magazine (something classy though), plays, song lyrics, ANYTHING. Reading allows you to escape from the world, even if momentarily, and can give clarity to life. When I read I am reminded of how vast the world is and how many great things are out there and how really insignificant, and quite approachable, my little problems are
2. Talk to someone. Or something. Talking about what is bothering you can do two things. One, if you choose to speak to a person, they can give you advice. While my particular opinion on advice is the same as Oscar Wilde's,
   “The only good thing to do with good advice is pass it on; it is never of any use to oneself.”
   it may come in handy to you. And two, explaining your feelings to another, be that human, plant, or stuffed animal, can help you understand better yourself. In your mind you create all sorts of awful scenarios, you make everything seem worse than it is really is. Your problem may seem SO HUGE AND AWFUL and then you try telling someone about it and you realize that you are fretting about the fact that you don't know how to text a boy in the same manner as Poland fretting about being invaded by the Germans. All of a sudden life seems great.
3. Listen to music. I personally prefer classical, but I guess some people like music that has words which I guess is cool too. Again this is a way to escape for a while and gain clarity.
4. Enjoy nature. Did you ever see SpyKids 3 in 3D? Well I did and sometimes I feel like our world has become that movie. Not the part with the guy with the black rectangle over his eyes, but the part where they are in the video game and it is extremely stressful. We are always around technology, commercialism, bright lights, other people, craziness, you name it. A lot of times these things are what are dragging us down into the pit of despair. So it is important to make some sort of connection to nature and remember that there is so much more out there than our self centered lives. Like roses. There are roses. Life becomes so beautiful when you smell a rose.
5. Hug a cat. or watch youtube videos of kittens. Why? because cats are great. 

   

   Fatty is demonstrating his knowledge of geometry and ability to fit exactly into any place. He would be excellent at tetris.

If these fail I then resort to eating chocolate and watching movies (usually Breakfast at Tiffany's or Lord of the Rings) while snuggling with a giant pillow and wearing too large of sweatpants. That is not necessarily the best option though. 

Next time you feel that you are in a gutter of emotional turmoil, take a moment to realize that probably the majority of the people around you are right there with you–all sitting there getting trench foot together while waiting for the hardships to pass. When you know you are not alone it seems easier to tackle the problem. ALL FOR ONE and ONE FOR ALL and all that jazz.

Now let's all go out there and work on turning those mean reds into rosy pink joy! 

xoxo

Justice

PS None of the images in this post actually belong to me. I found them on the internet. hehe...except for that last one. Yeah that fat cat is mine

PSS I would be ever so appreciative if you would follow me on instagram and pinterest and tumblr and all those things that are right over there -->