Jenny Ryan
Blogger & Certified Life Coach
I haven't asked, but I expect that the e-book will be - seriously - about meditating AND - hilariously - about cats and other pesky distractions.
Jenny does that - combines funny and factual, deep issues with a joyful sense of humor. Her new blog showcases her sense of joyfulness - covering such topics as: division of labor in a marriage ("A Tale of Two Spouses"), what goes on with our bodies - and fear related to this ("Don't Ask, Don't Tell"), as well as cat-related observations (one of which is called: "Jenny's First Law of Feline Dynamics").
Here's how Jenny answered the question:
How Do You See Yourself as a Square-Peg?
Humorously - and off the cuff, she said:
I'm a
trapezoidal peg!
What Has Been the Hardest For You as a Square-Peg?
Jenny said that, in her old, smaller school: I was a big fish in a little pond. Everyone liked me. I was into achieving..
But at her bigger, new school:
Every day I thought I would die.
Jenny described how she coped with her worst Square-Peg experience:
I stood up for my religious beliefs and my personal integrity. I didn't drink and was vocal about it and I stood up for kids who couldn't stand up for themselves.
...I decided to fake confidence. I would cough or yawn to clear myself then look people in the eyes. I pretended to walk with confidence.
She chose to display her talent as a pianist: ...I was the accompanist for everything, that saved me. No one else did that.
And she did a very radical, Square-Peg-inspiring, thing - she created a Square-Peg world for herself and others in her school. Jenny told how:
She also used humor and her ability to tell a story. Jenny said that other high schoolers: turned to me to sum up the situation...
to turn events into stories - funny stories.
Jenny has continued to build on the foundation of observation (seeing things
differently and questioning) that she established as a young girl at a new
school in the South.
How Do You Maintain Your Square-Pegness (in a round-hole world)?
Jenny said that she asks:
She says that:
What Square-Peg Trait are You Most Proud Of?
Courage - I face things...generally. I look at things and let them be what they are, more and more...
Jenny uses the phrase "more and more" when talking about change. She says the phrase was passed to her from one of her coaches - a grace-full, space-making phrase, which allows you to change - rather than forcing it...I practice relaxing my judgments and stories - that takes the charge off things.
Jenny's humor energizes her writing and coaching.
I can vouch for that, as Jenny is a coach that I've gone to when I've been stuck and in need of grace.
When I asked Jenny to describe how she writes humor (which is HARD to do!) she said:
She also
mentioned the attraction principle:...because I am looking
for funny - it's there.
What Can a Square-Peg-Person Learn From Jenny?
There are alternate ways to see every situation - you just have to look.
It takes courage to face things, but when you do you can make a difference. You can create a Square-Hole for yourself and others.
Be on the lookout for humor - it can open your eyes to the possibilities noted above. Angeles Arrien (in The Second Half of Life) writes: "The comedian Victor Borge said that laughter was the shortest distance between two people. Laughter lightens our burdens, releases our attachments, and restores balance."
Humor opens doors to connection and change. Yes? Jenny Ryan has many facets: She's a coach, Spanish tutor, cat lover, collector of 8-syllable words and a joyous, funny woman.
Click on the link to check out her blog, Using My Powers for Good.