Where I'm From

In Chapter 3, in addition to the ongoing precautions against toxic people and harsh critics, Julia invites to recover our sense of self by, quite literally, remembering who we are.

What did you love to do as a child?
Where did you go to feel safe?
What would you do for fun?
What did you do that made you lose track of time?

These are my own questions as I don’t have the book in front of me but you get the idea. 20 years ago, In the margins of my book, I had scribbled ride my bike. Draw.

When was the last time I rode a bike?! Hmmm... like almost a year ago! I used to have these fantasies about riding my bike to work. But considering that it’s uphill both ways.... :)

It’s noteworthy that so many people have to go back so far into their past to tap into JOY. Perhaps as adults we make it overly complicated. I think we have a tendency to conflate “joy” with “fulfillment” or something more all encompassing. I look at my own children and envy the ease with which they can just be really joyful. When they are doing that thing that they love, they aren’t planning ahead or allowing the thought of tomorrow’s quiz cloud this little spontaneous dance party, or whatever it is that they are feeling really good about right now.

Anyway, these are great questions.

There's a similar exercise that I've adapted from a poem called Where I’m From by Georgia Ella Lyon. My kids love it, as do the Story of You’ers!

You can get creative with it, if you want. Here's my art journal version...

Feel free to download the template for yourself... but promise that when you’ve filled it out, you will read it out loud to yourself! ;P