We feature an illustration by the wonderful Mari Andrew every Friday morning. Here’s today’s.
Also, tomorrow (Saturday, March 24th), I’ll be chatting with Mari at Books Are Magic at 7 p.m. Please come by! We’ll also be serving the best cookies in NYC, no big deal. :)
P.S. How to write a better rom-com, and how much you know.
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I think Nico Dimarco (insta handle @nicodimarco3) would be a great Friday feature.
He’s the twin brother of Nyle DiMarco (winner of ANTM & Dancing with the Stars). Both brothers are deaf & work hard to represent the deaf community.
Nile is a DJ. Yes. A DJ who is deaf! And he posts the BEST videos of him signing & dancing to songs. They make my day.
I’d like to add “lean in” “mind your own posture lady”
This reminded me of the quote in Lady Bird:
“I just want you to be the best possible version of yourself.”
“But what if this is the best version?”
This might be my favorite yet.
Love it!!
The magic happens when you step out of your comfort zone – ha, sure …. I love the rebuttal, I need to tell my boss. He thinks he needs to make me step out of my comfort zone, but they way he is doing it is trying to throw me under the bus. I’d rather stay in my comfort zone, thank you so much. I have loved my job for almost 20 years, and I could do it (with changes) for another 20 years …
Yes!
I have a chronic illness and it is so frustrating how many times people have said to me I just need to be positive about my situation. I understand that they just want to see me happy and healthy, but it is hard to live with crippling depression because of a debilitating illness. Even harder when people think you can magically get rid of your illness by changing your thinking. It’s like a relative once told me, “Just staying positive about the future is the only cure you need.” Ugh!
Oh god, I agree completely. I have 2 chronic illnesses and it’s maddening to hear it’s all in my head!
I feel you and I send you a big hug Chelsea.
I absolutely love this woman and her cartoons! I was realizing today that I literally look forward to these Friday posts all week, but have never commented. Thanks for introducing us! This one in particular was very spot on.
She is so great. Every week, I am even more impressed with her insights!
I think it’s possible to love what you do if you’re in the correct headspace and the idea of benefiting yourself is better than the grueling tasks that it involves! Just my opinion!!! Very thought provoking though! I love it!
Riley
I swear this woman is a national treasure.
This is wonderful and so true. Everyone’s opinion is not the same. Most of our “casual” sayings are dependent upon our personality and attitude. Thanks for sharing and giving me a little giggle today.
Love this.
So relatable.
Nail on head. Every single time.
Ha!! I love these!
OMG the one about “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”! Can we stop perpetuating the idea that work should be easy and you’re failing if it doesn’t strike passion in every fiber of your being? You can LOVE what you do and be proud of your work! You should! But, let’s be real… no matter what you do, there are parts that won’t be easy or fun or fulfilling. Ha, I feel like my generation was set up for failure with this advice.
Totally agree! I work in IT and I may not be passionate about it but it pays well and I’m able to live well thanks to it. I’m a 100% fine with the fact that I don’t love it. The financial freedom allows me to do other things that I love.
yes! with you on this.
So true, I’m a graphic designer and I pretty much always love it, but it’s definitely still work!
Omg this is so true. I basically had an identity crisis when I realized the day-to-day frustrations and challenges of my profession are grueling and make it much less immediately rewarding than I had anticipated since I was 16. Wish I realized this 6 months ago!
perfect
I really, really appreciate the last one. Being told constantly by social media that the only way to live an authentic life is to live BIG and outside your comfort zone or whatever makes me feel so crazy. Its good to step out and take risks of course but – some people really thrive off comfort and stability and want to live small lives with purpose and THAT IS JUST FINE.
I recently saw the film “Paterson”, by Jim Jarmusch, with a SUPERB Adam Driver. I reccomend you to see this delightful movie about happiness in daily life. It has been sort of a twist in my way of see life.
Amen to that. Small lives matter :) I happen to love and cherish mine.
Mari’s worldview is so awesome.
When my grandmother, uncle, cousin, father-in-law, and both of my husbands grandmothers died within months of each other (several of them succumbing to devastating diseases), while I was caring for a toddler and a constantly sick newborn alone (my husband was rightfully caring for his father), and working full time it took me a long time to allow myself to be sad and it was such a big mistake. I would always say to myself “it could be worse!” I mean, yeah, it could have, but it was also a really difficult period of my life and it was ok to admit that. Finally a friend said to me “it’s not like you’re sad because you had to sell your yacht, these are real tragedies” that I finally let myself feel. It made all the difference.
As always, Mari just gets it. The second one is SO TRUE…doing something you love as a living is a fast way to make it not lovable if you also don’t care for running a business. I love seeing her posts here every Friday! (And other days since I follow her on IG) :)
Hahahaha!
Hey Jo, are you going to Instagram Live your talk tomorrow so those of us outside of NYC can participate? :)
I’m in!
This would be awesome! clapping emojis.
Yes to this!
SLAM DUNK.
Also: “everything happens for a reason”. Oh p*ss off. Hope you have a great day tomorrow, wish I could pop in!
This is my first comment ever. I loved reading this so much that I almost yelled SHAZAM really loud, but I’m at work!!
yes. thank you. False positivity is exhausting. Honesty is better.
AGREE!!
Mari is just the best.
yes yes yes!!!
This reminds me of all those pretty quotes on Pinterest. I saw one this morning that said “Dancing in the kitchen fixes everything”. Like, I think I’m a pretty positive person, but come on…. that’s nonsense.
Thanks for the LOL!
I literally almost choked on my tea reading this. That is so nonsensical, it is a great laugh except that someone was being serious about saying that…..
Once again, Mari has gazed into my soul :)
Yes, the rebuttal to “happiness is a choice” is so perfect! And I have always side-eyed “Be Yourself”- like, my most authentic self wants to ignore responsibility and lay on the couch eating ice cream instead of going to work or taking care of myself so, what now?
hahaha right? Being “myself” is not a great idea, my teenage self taught me that!! To make life work, I am myself + loads and loads of self-discipline.
Yes!
And I like it in my comfort zone. It‘s nice and comfortable.
Hahahahahaha oh my god, Andra. I just laughed out lout. THAT IS MY TRUEST SELF, TOO!
Haha, “Be yourself.” Myself is thinking something snarky and doesn’t want to be here, but I’ve agreed to participate in society, so…
So, so looking forward to seeing Mari in DC next week :)
Love the happiness one. When my husband had cancer, it was on my mind always. So when people told me to stay positive – even about other things! – or when people said things like happiness is a choice, I went into full on rage that was often inappropriate for the situation, or I word vomited about cancer inappropriately, but happiness, in those times? Positivity? Those did not seem possible most of the time.
(Cancer free for almost two years now! Optimism is still sometimes a fight – anger is still present a lot, and grief. Counseling is a godsend.)
I’m so glad to hear your husband is cancer free Abbey, I was holding my breath as I read your comment.
It may just be that given the circumstance, your reactions were perfectly appropriate. :) <3
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
This describes everything I feel. How can someone I’ve never met know me so well???!?!?!?!
I’ll be in NYC in 5 days for a big Spring Break trip. So if you can schedule another chat/cookie meet-up for the next weekend, I’ll be there!
Would love to see Mari’s rebuttal to “Everything happens for a reason.” give me a break! Love these.
Me too! Although I have seen one circulating Facebook that says, “Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes that reason is people are stupid and make dumb choices.” Slays me every time.
I like the reply, “well, what is it? What’s the reason then?”
YAAAAAAASS!!
I would retitle the second column, “Reality.” Love this!
How true!
“Live every day like it’s your last” has got to be the worst. How? No. What?
I LOVE this!! I have a friend who ends every text or instagram post with “make it a great day” and on certain days it makes me want to punch her!! Sometimes the best I can do is make it THROUGH the day, and that’s okay, too!!
Love these. I’ve been working with an energy psychologist, Sabrina Piergrossi (on facebook she has a group, Heal Your Way to Abundance), and so many of these mirror what she talks about. Lovely. Jealous about missing the best cookies ;) enjoy
love love love