Finding Agency Through Inner Work and Outer Action
Vive la resistance
The faces of poverty
How we can view and redefine poverty from a different perspective
Even though I sometimes believed it as a child, I was never really financially poor. This meant I had the privilege of enjoying a comprehensive education. However, for a long time, I didn't realize that I was impoverished in other areas. Only now am I slowly recognizing the different faces and forms of poverty and what effects they have. And that the lack of something and the possession of something else does not automatically trigger the feeling of being poor or rich.
Total availability and the creeping loss of silence
“What? You spend several hours a day talking to people all over the world?” – These words from a good friend stuck with me. Even though it’s part of my job, I knew that I had once again lost my way. I was basically available 24/7, and the consequences were obvious. That’s why, right after Christmas, I spontaneously decided to go “offline” again after a long time. I wanted to be unavailable to others for at least one day and not be able to reach anyone either.
When we are surrounded by a culture/society that is not good for us for too long, sooner or later we get carried away. No matter how well we know from past experience that it is not good for us. Then we need a strong network of people who build a different culture. People and a value system that remind us again and again to anchor ourselves within us and in the here and now.
What it means to be a woman
“We need more strong women—show yourselves.” That, or something similar, was a post on Threads by Maxim Mankevich some time ago. Actually, it was well-intentioned, wanting to support women. One would think. And yes, it was definitely well-intentioned, and yet there are more and more nuances showing up here as well.
Self-employment is the death of enthusiasm
I have been self-employed since 2018. But I have only really felt that way for the last 1-2 years. And since then, I have slowly realized how the enthusiasm I originally had for this venture died the moment I wanted to make something of it. Where it was no longer enough for me to enjoy doing something, but where it had to serve a purpose. Where it had to make money. Where it had to attract potential customers. In short, where I was no longer doing it for myself.
Artist or entrepreneur
Tad Hargrave has observed that as self-employed people, we have to figure out where we are on the spectrum between artist and entrepreneur. Basically, the spectrum between creativity and goal-oriented pragmatism. And it’s a very important insight.
What do we know?
As a writer, especially a rather unexperienced writer, I constantly ask myself: what the hell do I actually know that I can write about? The quote "write what you know" that I somehow strongly connect to the movie "Never been kissed" fuels this question.
woundedness and trust
"How could I ever trust someone if I have been betrayed?" This is a question we all ask ourselves at some point in our lives. Either consciously or subconsciously. And from what I've observed, there are a lot of different layers to this question.
working for or against something
Many people, especially in the non-profit sector, actually associate profit with a lot of negative things. We then often automatically equate profit with exploitation. But maybe it's time to change that. And then we can still decide whether we have a "for purpose" or a "for values" or "for whatever" organization, but then at least we finally get out of the negative pendulum movement.
I have it all figured out…
We all know those people, both on social media and in real life, that seem like they have it all figured out. They seem to have it all. They seem to be happy. They seem to be special. They seem like they never make mistakes. And I hate those people! I truly do!
Redefining productivity
Is it productive to take the time to cook a fresh meal? Is it productive to do handicrafts in a very slow and tedious way? Is it productive to stare out the window and let my thoughts wander? - Well, all of those I labeled unproductive, and am in the process of re-assigning the label.