This piece made me feel homesick for somewhere I’ve never lived, but by far my favourite part was this: “The human experience is just that, isn’t it? Persistence. Living with the fruits or the consequences of trying again and again. At least that’s how I want my life to be.”
Going to keep repeating that to myself - thank you! x
so interesting: “it’s important to have both magnitude and direction for ambition.” i’ve always felt that ambition without direction wasn’t ambition at all, just low self-worth. the ambient feeling that big external accomplishments are needed to justify one’s existence.
i think discourse around ambition gets it backwards. its described as finding an arbitrary external action (founding a company, getting rich, publishing, getting tenure, etc) to cultivate a positive internal quality (self-worth, esteem, “agency” etc). but ambition, to me, is the other way around. it’s noticing a positive internal quality, and then finding a way to externalize those life-affirming qualities more broadly in the external world and in others. ambition without direction is just megalomania.
Beautifully written. and I love that SF has ultimately made you feel more calm. (Hey, neighbor! I’m in San Francisco, too 👋🏼)
“New York makes you desire intensity and status, SF makes you desire thought-leadership and freedom.” Fascinating and accurate, from what I know of NY at least--never lived there and have enjoyed my visits, but don’t think I could live there. I have been in the Bay Area all my life and I’d say that’s 100% the case in my experience.
Also loved the Rilke quote about living our lives in widening circles. Love me some Rilke. ✨
i think this is one of my favorite things you've written! my experience moving to new york echoes the same themes of effort, uncertainty, reinvention :)
This piece made me feel homesick for somewhere I’ve never lived, but by far my favourite part was this: “The human experience is just that, isn’t it? Persistence. Living with the fruits or the consequences of trying again and again. At least that’s how I want my life to be.”
Going to keep repeating that to myself - thank you! x
Thank you! ☺️
so interesting: “it’s important to have both magnitude and direction for ambition.” i’ve always felt that ambition without direction wasn’t ambition at all, just low self-worth. the ambient feeling that big external accomplishments are needed to justify one’s existence.
i think discourse around ambition gets it backwards. its described as finding an arbitrary external action (founding a company, getting rich, publishing, getting tenure, etc) to cultivate a positive internal quality (self-worth, esteem, “agency” etc). but ambition, to me, is the other way around. it’s noticing a positive internal quality, and then finding a way to externalize those life-affirming qualities more broadly in the external world and in others. ambition without direction is just megalomania.
Absolutely the ending noticing a positive internal quality and then externalizing it is 💯
Beautifully written. and I love that SF has ultimately made you feel more calm. (Hey, neighbor! I’m in San Francisco, too 👋🏼)
“New York makes you desire intensity and status, SF makes you desire thought-leadership and freedom.” Fascinating and accurate, from what I know of NY at least--never lived there and have enjoyed my visits, but don’t think I could live there. I have been in the Bay Area all my life and I’d say that’s 100% the case in my experience.
Also loved the Rilke quote about living our lives in widening circles. Love me some Rilke. ✨
Thank you! Yes Rilke is so good :)
i think this is one of my favorite things you've written! my experience moving to new york echoes the same themes of effort, uncertainty, reinvention :)
Thank you Anita!!