Category: shame

advertising, choices, confidence, conscious living, cosmetics, different, fears, judgment, make up, manipulation, marketing, masks, noticing, propaganda, public relations, secrets, self esteem, self worth, shame

gag reflex

As a child, I decided not to lie — at least not intentionally. It sounded like a good idea at the time. You see, I’d noticed that no matter how well I thought I was covering up whatever it was I was trying to hide, the grown ups always seemed to know when I wasn’t … Continue reading gag reflex

Bernays, children, choices, conscious living, different, fears, judgment, make up, manipulation, masks, noticing, secrets, self esteem, self worth, shame, vulnerability

unacceptable

I didn't count on this showing up. If I did, I might not have done it. Maybe it’s best that I didn’t know. I might have chickened out. I’ve done it before, you know. What began as an experiment — immersing myself in being fully visible, without a mask to hide behind by way of … Continue reading unacceptable

choices, conscious living, cosmetics, different, endurance, fears, feminism, gratitude, inspiration, judgment, make up, masks, noticing, self esteem, self worth, shame, vulnerability, writing

only words

I’ve become fascinated, admittedly bordering on obsessed, with TED Talks regarding self image, concepts of beauty, and self esteem. A theme has emerged over the course of this project, which I will be exploring more deeply during the remainder of this month’s blogging challenge. There is literally more to it than meets the eye, which … Continue reading only words

aging, choices, conscious living, cosmetics, daughters, fears, judments, make up, masks, noticing, self esteem, self worth, shame, vulnerability

seven days

Cesca has shared with me a BuzzFeed video blog that she found on FaceBook of a young woman who went for a week without make up. I watched it with interest, having had many similar experiences. I even laughed out loud when a co-worker who remarked at her looking tired since that is what I've … Continue reading seven days

choices, conscious living, cosmetics, daughters, different, endurance, fears, feminism, inspiration, make up, masks, noticing, self esteem, self worth, shame, vulnerability

believing is seeing

I never know what’s going to show up when I sit at the computer to write for NaBloPoMo. One rule I set for myself when I began three weeks ago (has it already been three weeks?!) is that I don’t pre-write regardless of what I have scheduled or what shows up. After all, the point … Continue reading believing is seeing

children, choices, conscious living, depression, family, mental illness, shame, vulnerability, writing

from exile to emergence

There were no locks on the interior doors of my childhood home. Our family of six lived in a tiny two-bedroom house on the edge of Brooklyn in what had been a beach community of bungalows until the soldiers returned from WWII to settle down. The only privacy I had in that house full of … Continue reading from exile to emergence

choices, conscious living, depression, family, mental illness, secrets, shame, vulnerability, writing

something about mary

Sunday afternoons the six of us piled into Dad’s station wagon and drove to Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary’s house. It wasn’t a long drive but everything we had to do before we went there, made is seem so. First, there was church. Dad didn’t go - he was ‘done’ with priests after a falling … Continue reading something about mary

choices, conscious living, depression, family, inspiration, secrets, shame, suicide, vulnerability, writing

silence of the lamb

When children share secrets, there's a bit of intrigue mixed with excitement. A bond is formed between those ‘in’ on information meant for no one else. A child feels trusted … special ... chosen. When adults share secrets with children, it often has the same effect, but with the weight of burden. This weight of ‘keeping’ … Continue reading silence of the lamb

conscious living, inspiration, shame, vulnerability, writing

marathon (wo)man

Wow. That’s it. Just ‘wow’. See, here’s the thing, and it’s something I’ve come to terms with myself with a long time ago: I am a sprinter, not a marathon runner. Regardless of the arena I find myself in, corporate world or home, I work best with focused intense efforts under short deadlines, rather than … Continue reading marathon (wo)man