Janae O

Observing. Orating. Obsessing. Occasionally oily and outspoken.

[wordsthat-speak]

There were no sex classes. No friendship classes. No classes on how to navigate a bureaucracy, build an organization, raise money, create a database, buy a house, love a child, spot a scam, talk someone out of suicide, or figure out what was important to me. Not knowing how to do these things is what messes people up in life, not whether they know algebra or can analyze literature.

William Upski Wimsatt (via wordsthat-speak)

[janaeo]

How to Live Wisely

What does it mean to live a productive life? What about a happy life? Five exercises that tackle the tough questions. Try these at home.

[janaeo]

Mindy Kaling's Guide to Killer Confidence

Mindy Kaling's secret? You have to earn that bulletproof feeling. In an excerpt from her new book, Why Not Me?, she explains.

This is a thing you should read.

[janaeo]

One day the sun admitted, I am just a shadow. I wish I could show you The Infinite Incandescence That has cast my brilliant image! I wish I could show you, When you are lonely or in darkness, The astonishing Light Of your own Being!

Hafiz

A client just recited this poem to me. I asked him “do you have any other questions for me?” and he said “are you ready for a poem? It’s a short one.” 

[janaeo]

Life-changing things are about to happen. Send good vibes, if you can.

[janaeo]

How to Be Friends With Another Woman

Herewith, a helpful guide.

Outrageously grateful for my close, female friends, but even more grateful that I’ve learned that we don’t have to be competing for anything. There is enough good for all of us, especially if we keep building one another up.

[janaeo]

Grief is unexplainable and profound, scary to others who haven’t gone through it, and both comfortingly similar yet starkly different for everyone who has. And there’s no Grief For Dummies Handbook, so you just have to dive in and muddle through it the best you can. Crying helps a lot. So does smashing things. And never, ever underestimate the power of just sitting and watching Sex & The City reruns with someone who’s cool with letting you be quiet and sad because you just need to be quiet and sad that day (but you also don’t really want to be alone while doing so).

Amber Carter (via this post: http://www.amberlcarter.com/36/) 

THIS.

[purplebuddhaproject]

As time goes on, you’ll understand. What lasts, lasts; what doesn’t, doesn’t. Time solves most things. And what time can’t solve, you have to solve yourself.

Haruki Murakami, Dance Dance Dance (via purplebuddhaproject)

[janaeo]

Can’t handle it.

[janaeo]

“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.”

Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

This line (well, the part about “growing grim about the mouth and wanting to knock people’s hats off,” the rest is a little crazier than I remember) came into my mind this morning as I am in a mood. Time to take to the sea!

[janaeo]

Two new people have started at work in the past week. (Which puts us at five in the last month.) Yesterday, the person who started last week (O) was listening in to the person who started this week (B) and I speaking. For some reason, B and I immediately clicked and decided that formalities are silly, let's just act like we've known each other for years instead of hours. We were incredibly sarcastic around each other all day, especially during lunch. Then this morning, O told me today that listening to B & I speak is like his own live version of the show Friends. I just wanted to remember this. Also, for anyone who knows me, B is Nick W. in Denver form. Best.

[observando]

[thatkindofwoman]

needed this again. 

[janaeo]

Reminder.

[kevinfranzisamonster]

[help-fill-the-silence]

(via)

[janaeo]

Guilty. 4-player Pac-Man is the very best thing.

[buttwyattarchive-deactivated201]

[janaeo]

For your morning laugh.

[janaeo]

I am not a big fan of “What Kind of Man,” which made me very sad for the new Florence, as I love so much of her work. This one, though, is making me come around.

[janaeo]

You spilled avocado all over yourself. It’s there situated on your right boob on your white, flowery top. It’s on your black pants in at least three places. It’s everywhere. You are training two new people today. You are getting up in front of an entirely new improv class tonight. You have no time to make it home to change in the middle of this. 

But, hey, at least you had avocado at lunch. And you hate black pants anyway so get rid of ‘em. You go girl.