Perspective

First of all, if you haven't seen Ratatouille please see it immediately! Secondly, I love this quote, in the context of the movie it is brilliantly delivered, but it is a valuable sentiment no matter the occasion. Yesterday's post was cathartic and I was touched by the comments I got on the blog and offline about my fears. Perhaps the most interesting and insightful responses came from my parents, who both shared with me in separate conversations that expressing my fears was a healthy way of actually dealing with those concerns in my life.

By writing my fears and sharing them out loud (or online in this case) I had the opportunity to take a step back from things that have been bothering me on an ongoing basis and view them with fresh eyes and the perspective of close friends and family. When I was in college a classmate described writing like throwing up, you feel uncomfortable and perhaps a bit of pain while it's happening, but once you're finished you get an immediate sense of release. Perhaps the constant nausea was why I didn't major in creative writing (among other things), but it is a great reminder of why I initially started this blog, as an outlet and record of my thoughts and emotions. So much has changed in the last 2+ years that sometimes it is hard to keep up with it all, just in my own head, as new challenges arise I don't always step back to try and evaluate what is really bothering me. Self-reflection is healthy and important, but listening to the wisdom of others is incredibly helpful too.

The fears I shared yesterday aren't going to be tackled in a day or in a week, but putting them in perspective makes it seem entirely plausible that I will be able to overcome those fears and face new fears in the future. Nothing seems too challenging to tackle with a little perspective, and perhaps a good glass of wine : )