What Do You Really Want? “Life In 10 Minutes” Story

2023 update

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This unedited piece originally appeared at Life in 10 Minutes.

“Ten minutes is long enough to uproot your life, get caught in a storm, drink a cup of coffee, memorize a child’s face, wash a sink full of dishes, recite wedding vows, fall in love with someone you shouldn’t, eat a sandwich, remember a dream, call an old friend, sketch a figure model, read a chapter, listen to your favorite song, get on or off the train that will change the course of your life forever. Ten minutes is enough time to write something strange and beautiful and true without editing the strangeness and beauty and truth out of it. We all have ten minutes, many times a day, so it’s hard to come up with convincing excuses—even to our secret innermost selves—why we don’t. Ten minutes is everything we can’t fit into a Facebook status, it’s slice of life, short-shorts, a Polaroid picture, a poem, a prayer. “

I want to be able to travel whenever I want to wherever I want to. Be able to connect with people across the world and I’m working toward that by creating my website and writing what I want to share with the world. I believe humans are inherently good. I believe so much in all the goodness that exists in the world: people, nature, animals, vibes. It’s all good.

I want to be true to myself while helping others. Can’t wait to reach more people and write more and more and be paid to do what I so much love to do. I want to have my people by my side, my support system is so strong, I can’t wait for the future when I’m making my own living and talking about it with them. My parents, loved ones and everyone who truly cares.

I’m not bitter anymore for a long time now and I hope it stays that way forever. I don’t have road rage anymore since coming back from Sri Lanka, I pay no attention to cars or people blocking the sideway. I remember “EVERYONE IS DOING THE BEST THEY CAN”.

I’m still meditating every day, I’m being good with my body. My eating habits have been back to normal for such a long time now and I couldn’t be more grateful to have gone through that and out.

I want to write about women’s struggles. About the little things that make our days making our weeks making our months and years.

I’m being there, wherever it is I am. I’m present. There. Here. One place. I’m true to myself, this way, I’m true to the whole wide world. I feel everyone should be able to do what they want and make a living out of it. Everyone is being kind to themselves and others. Everyone is happier.

Mental health awareness is being spread everywhere and everyone is more cautious and lovely and helpful and good. What I desire most is to spread that and everything I’ve learned and will keep on learning, helping people with my world, making someone’s day is just as important as making everyone’s day.

I don’t talk badly about others and other’s opinions don’t bother me, I know who I am and why I am. Music is good and photos are good. Love is the best. I try to love as much as I can.

I’m silly. I don’t take life seriously, but I take my work seriously. Start contemplating when I notice my coffee cup is still very hot on how things change and that’s wonderful and how good coffee is, just liquid gold indeed. Keep up with my people all across the world like Madonna just sang. She also sang, forget about the bad times. The bad times seem far away and whenever you feel bad you remember it’s normal and don’t worry about it much, you take extra care of yourself.

You’re positive about things, even if something goes bad, find the good in that and make it better next time. Breathe the air, it’s wonderful.

Try to catch sunsets as much as you can. You write in the balcony while the sun sets. You meditate while the sun rises. You’re there.

You’re halfway smiling when you’re walking down the street because now that you know you can’t unlearn it: it’s a good life. Joy can be found in the littlest of things if you look there. Your cat loves you even though he’s grumpy. Your hair looks good. The sun is being extra strong today, considering it’s March; your favorite month.

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2023 Reflections

• Fewer things feel more uncomfortable than looking at your old work.
• This probably belonged in my journal rather than an online publication.
• Capitalism and the workforce haven’t changed me.
• I really got what I so deeply desired.
• I didn’t end up “writing about women’s struggles” but I tried helping in other ways before burning out and entirely removing myself from that space.
• Mental health has definitely entered the cultural zeitgeist like I hoped it would.
• I recommend this exercise (set a 10-minute timer and write down what you really want until the timer stops)

Favorites

• I’m true to myself, this way, I’m true to the whole wide world.
• No road rage since I came back from Sri Lanka. I haven’t been bitter for a long time now, I hope it stays that way forever.
• I’m being good to my body.
• You write in the balcony as the sun sets. You meditate as the sun rises. You made it.
• I’m walking down the street, half-smiling because of what I now know and can’t unlearn: it’s a good, good life.
• My cat loves me even though he’s grumpy. My hair looks good. The sun is shining.