Know Yourself: Not a Bad Idea.

posted in: Day In The Life 2
The School of Life "Know Yourself" deck. (It's actually a pretty dove gray color... Not sure why it looks white.) Image: Scan by me.
The School of Life “Know Yourself” deck. (It’s actually a pretty dove gray color. Not sure why it scanned white.) Image: Scan by me.

 

I am sitting in my favorite black chair. There is a deck of cards on the window ledge at my right.

(This is me in the chair. I bought the chair in Washington, D.C., where I was living this time last year, getting ready for the launch of my fabric line. In Washington I also bought a dresser and other things that I mostly still have. Can you believe it’s been a year since Claus flew to D.C. to help me move home? Can you believe Claus is far away in Germany? Link by link, you’ll see the whole picture — or remember it.)

I got the deck of cards this summer from the gift shop of The School of Life. I’ve mentioned The School of Life before; Mariano and I got to know each other using one of their conversation decks.* It was a different deck than the one I have pulled off the window sill just now, though; this deck is called “Know Yourself,” and it’s really meant to be used alone.

Each card has a question on it that prompts you to think about who you are, what you really, really believe about and want from the world and yourself.

Maybe you’ll take out a piece of paper and jot down some thoughts. Or maybe you could copy and paste the questions into an email and answer them that way — then you could email it to yourself to read later. Whatever you do, dig deep. Go for it. Dig deep in your heart and your mind and be honest. You don’t have to type or write anything, though writing things down is incredibly helpful to me. I can’t make sense of anything without writing it down. (I write about writing from time to time.)

Okay, here are five really good ones, hand-selected, just for you. I care for you so much. Words fail.

  • If someone likes me a lot, I start to feel…
  • List the (now guilt-inducing) occasions when you were especially mean to people.
  • List five things that are important to you in your life. How much of your time do you give to each of these?
  • What did you learn about relationships from your parents?
  • What are you currently lying to certain people around you about?

Don’t think, “Ugh, that would take my entire life, trying to ‘go there.’ No thanks, Mar.” You could set a timer for ten minutes and move through them quick. You don’t have to spend hours and hours getting to know yourself — unless you want to, of course.

*The School of Life didn’t pay me to write this post, nor did they give me any free stuff. Yet!

 

2 Responses

  1. Carol
    | Reply

    Great post! Thanks.

  2. Lesley Gilbert
    | Reply

    Philip Larkin – worked as chief librarian at the local university in my home city Hull – made my day to read he is your #1. There is a larger than life statue of him in the city train station, which I walked past yesterday. I shall think of you now every time I pass him by 🙂

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