#001: How to shed perfectionism, being undefinable, and trying something new
The first edition of the weekly Future Histories newsletter
Read time: 3m 8s
Hi wonderful readers! First off, I’d like to say a big thank you for sticking with me through the first 20 days of my 100 day writing challenge. I miraculously only lost about 10 subscribers and am choosing to take this as a compliment 😆. Secondly, I’m VERY excited to be launching a new weekly format for Future Histories that means you can still keep up with my daily writing, while also snacking on some other goodies from my little corner of the Internet 🍿.
Without further ado, let’s get to it!
A window into my brain
This will usually be a round-up of my daily articles from the week, but on this special occasion I’m spotlighting five of my favourite pieces that I’ve written so far.
Being deliciously undefinable: why I spent my first two decades on this planet trying my absolute best to be easily defined
On kaizen: the first ever poem I’ve published into the ether (!) on the topic of shedding perfectionism
Unzipping your everyday skin: how to take advantage of the fact that what’s obvious to you isn’t obvious to others
How language can help us time travel: how language shapes our reality and creates our narrow perception of time
An ode to unbecoming: an exploration of the process of unbecoming through the eyes of the people-pleaser
Sentences I wish I’d written
I fall in love over and over again with the written word. Sometimes the resonance of a phrase stuns me into silence, so I thought I’d share my weekly discoveries with you here and show gratitude to the beautiful minds who crafted them. Bonus: you’ll also get to see how wacky my information diet is 😄.
Almost anybody can learn to think or believe or know, but not a single human being can be taught to feel. Why? Because whenever you think or you believe or you know, you’re a lot of other people: but the moment you feel, you’re nobody-but-yourself.
e.e. cummings, A Poet’s Advice
Praise … is the confidence in yourself that you get from people whom you have succeeded in pleasing when you haven’t any confidence in yourself.
Laura Riding, Four Unposted Letters to Catherine
The self is a spiral: we are always winding past parts of ourselves we thought were gone and watching them come alive again, only to soon shed them and re-awaken aspects of ourselves we didn’t know existed.
Isabel, Mind Mine
It struck me that in every family, culture, or religion, ideas of right and wrong are the hot cattle prods, the barking sheepdogs that keep the masses in the herd. They are the bars that keep us caged.
Glennon Doyle, untamed
Be patient. Your future will come to you and lie down at your feet like a dog who knows and loves you no matter what you are.
Ted Chiang, Stories of Your Life and Others
From idea to reality
I’ve found that my recent writing has tended more towards the abstract and philosophical rather than the grounded and practical. I want to use this section to translate one of my ideas into an actionable step you can take to shape your reality.
If you’re curious about unzipping your everyday skin and peeking at the layers that lie asleep inside, it’s probably because you feel something inexplicable simmering under the surface. To bring that feeling forth, try something new. Exist in a new space. Unravel a new face. Travel to a new place. Let me know what you find ✨
A question for you
In this section, I’ll share one question that I’m pondering that you may also wish to consider over the next week. No pressure, but it’s here if you fancy it 💡.
If you let go of your base fear driver (e.g., fear of being alone, fear of not being enough), what potential might you unlock?
Have a joyous week ahead,
Nikita 💃🏽