On Influence

I was reminded that this invisible force shows up in insidious ways, but we can control it.

In this essay, I walk you through a specific moment in my morning that held a powerful reminder: we are what we eat, which extends to our interactions, which further extends to the “invisible influences” we select to infiltrate our days. I’ve been really enjoying the “Re-Launch of Myself” project I coined, in which I’ve taken every effort to create more ease and energy in my day-to-day, from sleep habits and exercise routines, to books and podcasts, and even an illuminating bloodwork panel recently completed with a new doctor here in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. I felt inspired to sit down and write this before I scoop Cosima up and out to see her first Nutcracker ballet in hopes that it will ignite a sense of confidence and curiosity in you, as I feel, too. Last, I hope that when you reflect on the influences allowed on you, you find that I am a positive one.

This morning, I had a little treat of hanging back, remaining upstairs in our bedroom, while Phil and Cosima made their way down for the whole breakfast routine. I decided to use the time wisely and read a chapter in my book. (I specifically set out to read one chapter, no matter how long it was, rather than a few pages until I got bored.)

It felt amazing, but particularly because the book I am reading is a memoir from an audaciously adventurous and optimistic woman who has found tremendous love, success—and, yes, heartache—all while rejecting the idea that life should be anything less than, at bottom through ups and downs, joyful.