What Love Looks Like, Scottish Slang, And Doing What You Love

Here are ten hand-picked and carefully curated recommendations to give you an uplifting dose of wisdom and inspiration:

I.

A wonderful quote I’ve come across this month. Writer and activist James Baldwin on what love looks like:

“The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love — whether we call it friendship or family or romance — is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other’s light.”

Source: James Baldwin in Nothing Personal.

II.

Q&A: I’ve never been particularly fond of asking young kids what they want to be when they grow up. It not only puts pressure on them that I think is unnecessary, but it also puts emphasize on their connection to the material world while they’re still exploring who they are and what excites them. In the Q&A of this month, I’ve answered a reader’s question about the importance of doing what you love.

III.

This month’s shower thought: Cell phones are not merely addictive—they are designed to be.

IV.

What Readers Are Saying: One of the latest reviews I received from a reader for the book Tell Me Who I Am:

V.

Scottish Slang: A word I came across during my trip to Scotland this month that quickly became a favorite: a wee bit, meaning something like: ‘a tiny bit’. The Scottish seem to use it at every possible opportunity. Scotland has some seriously fun and playful slang, I just love it. Other Scottish slang terms: peely-wally (looking pale or unwell), doo-lally (crazy), or crabbit (grumpy).

VI.

A documentary I’ve watched: The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris, 1988) — It’s a classic and a great example of how powerfully the truth comes across when it isn’t shoved down your throat. It really shows how much more powerful a story can be when it trusts you to engage with it and think for yourself.

VII.

I love this parable: The Blind Men and the Elephant is a re-telling of an Indian parable, challenging the notion of one singular reality. The message behind this parable implies that our perception of the world is conditioned—our lens to look at the world determines the interpretation of what we see. In other words: what we see, is determined by how we see it and not by one reality.

VIII.

Strange discovery: Every now and then, I love to delve into old advertisements because they offer such an intriguing glimpse into how society once viewed beauty. It’s fascinating—and sometimes a little wild—to see how social norms were formed and presented to the public. Take this 1930s French ad for ROTO-STAR, for example. This machine promised flawless boobies by washing and massaging them with cold, pressurized water. Strange inventions like this show just how far people were willing to go for perfection. It really makes you wonder how much has changed in our quest for the ideal body, and whether we would make wiser decisions now.

IX.

A must-read: Anthony Bourdain was a season chef who opened up about his wild kitchen adventures in his 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential. He also hosted the Emmy-winning show Parts Unknown on CNN, where he took us on unforgettable journeys. On his personal blog, Explore Parts Unknown, you can dive into his travel notes, which I always enjoy reading. His writing has this amazing way of pulling you in, making you feel like you’re right there with him, exploring new places and cultures.

X.

In the spotlight this month:

Lili Jampolier, 2011, acrylic on linen 40 x 53 cm
by Neel Korteweg

Lisanne