Interviewing Lana Blakely – Thoughts On Journaling, Favorite Quotes And More…

I’m a quote-collector, and I used to not even like quotes! I currently really like this one by George Bernard Shaw:

“Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.”

Some people willingly get into arguments and disputes, and some even get satisfaction from it. I’ve learned over the years to choose my inner peace over choosing to be right, and I do that by being mindful of who I engage with, both on the internet and in real life.

This quote reminds me of that.

I try to think of happiness as a common feeling, because the harder I think about happiness and what it means, the more complex and difficult it seems to be to feel it.

As if it’s an unreachable goal that can only be achieved if every single aspect of a person’s life is perfectly aligned, and I don’t think that’s a realistic way of viewing life.

Today, I went out on a walk after my lunch. The sun started to come out behind the clouds, so I decided to sit down on a bench by an ice rink and listen to a podcast. I sat there for about an hour, and I felt great! I was full and quenched because I had just eaten, I was getting fresh air, the sun was warming me up, I got to see kids ice-skating and I was being intellectually stimulated by the podcast.  

Sure, that moment may not define my overall “happiness” (whatever that means), but in that moment, I couldn’t really have asked for anything more, and I like to think of that as happiness.

I’m currently doing a social media detox, and the positive impact that it’s already had on my mental health has been beyond what I expected. I feel less distracted, more present and my overall mood is better. I should take breaks more often.

As for negative, I mean, we all have things we’re battling in life, and I’m no exception. I’m just doing my best to cope with the things that are weighing me down. That’s really all we can do.

The weather!

Anyone who lives in the northern hemisphere knows how refreshing it feels to finally get some sun and light after a long, dark winter.

I’ve kept journals for many, many years.

I could write a long post about the benefits, but I think one of the most important ones in my life has been being able to notice different patterns in my life e.g., in my emotions, thoughts, and behavior.

It’s good to be able to look back and see how I’ve handled different situations, how they made me feel, and to see if (and how) I can apply that to a current situation. It’s sort of become my manual for living.  

I believe we have multiple purposes, and that’s something that is going to look different for everyone. Personally, anything that feels meaningful to me in any way, makes me feel like I’m living purposefully. That could be everything from sharing my voice online to being a good friend to sitting on a bench by a tree.

I like this quote by Alan Watts that a subscriber shared in the comment section of a video I made covering this very topic:

“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.”

I actually wrote about this topic in my newsletter recently, about how I feel awkward whenever I get asked about my favorite ‘X’. I’ve come to peace with the fact that I’m simply not a favorites kind of person.

But I’ll say this, I really, really enjoyed reading Stoner by John Williams, and I hold that book very dear to my heart. If you’d like a second recommendation, I’d go with Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse.

I would say that storytelling is what inspired me. For thousands of years, stories are what have brought people together, which is an idea I felt very drawn to.

I wanted to build a community of like-minded people, who in turn could connect with each other. I decided to tell my stories mainly in a video format because it allows me to be creative. And I’ve loved taking photos and filming for many years, so it felt natural to me.

This takes me back to the first question about a quote I really like.

Unfortunately, the online world has plenty of pigs who thrive on getting dirty, and I’m a human being with emotions, so of course, it gets to me sometimes.

But in proportion to the amount of love, support and positivity that I receive every single day, it’s almost insignificant. I’d feel foolish not to focus my attention on that.

I make a lot of ugly faces, especially when I’m on FaceTime with friends or family.

I think I often come across as a very serious person to those who only know me via social media, which is true to some extent. But I’m definitely a goof at heart.