Take a blank sheet of paper (we’re going to be using a lot of blank paper in this book—it’s the staff of life) and, in a few sentences to half a page, answer the question: “Who do you think you are?” I am genuinely interested in the answer. What do you consider the four or five most important characteristics that define your identity? There are no right or wrong answers, and there’s only one rule: don't think too long or hard. Put down the first and surest things that come to mind: “This is me.”
Ok. This is me: I like trying new things. I like learning. I like to read and to dance and think hard about something when involved in a good conversation with a smart person. I am open minded and empathetic and I try very very hard to see things from other people’s perspectives. I also have a lot of wishes and not a lot of discipline. I am very interested in languages and language; I love literature and wordplay. There are a great many things I want to do but sometimes I realize I want to want to do them more than I actually want to do them. There are a great many things I wish I were more interested in.
