Natalie Audelo

I’m fascinated by the way that the cheerleaders themselves have narrativized this sort of self-objectification: in all the talk about locking eyes with a spectator and giving them that special moment , in the focus on the happiness you provide just by existing , in the focus on sanding down just enough individuality (even height differentiation) to... See more

It’s not hard to see where the pervasive numbness comes in from here, as a sort of sinister phase two. The opposite of love is not hate, but apathy. I hope it’s obvious why this is a problem, but maybe you’re still thinking so what. To put it succinctly: when you take an ironic, negative, or numb attitude to everything, you are by definition not on... See more

And in America, no matter how much you’ve got, someone next to you has more. This is what Chris Hayes once described to me as “fractal inequality.” America’s top 10 percent are far, far better off than the other 90 percent, but the top 1 percent is far, far better off than the 10 percent, and the 0.01 percent is far, far better off than the 1 perce... See more

During this final lap I’m paying close attention to the choices that I make. I’m trying to be very intentional. When I say that I’m aiming to create the fullest expression of the work, I don’t just mean the stories. I want to perfect the process too. How exactly am I using the time that each person gives me on the street? How are they impacted by t... See more

Having 'potential' in your mind, feels better than failure in reality. This ego-cushion prevents millions from creating their life's work. Once you feel it- physically- that cushion becomes painful, like a tumor you have to remove. And you only get it out one way. By identifying not with goals, but with output. You should feel dead inside if you ha... See more

“The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.” The critic and novelist Namwali Serpell told me that the quotation appeals to her in this moment, even though Žižek’s translation is slightly unfaithful to the original. The phrase “now is the time of monsters,” Serpell said, “allows us to think about the... See more

My narrative as I age is about using my skills, abilities, and know-how to make things better for other people. Helping to facilitate the circumstances under which others can flourish gives me joy. And it's not a sense of stepping in to save people, or whatever mucked up, ego-driven thing that might be. It's knowing where I have connections, privil... See more

I can chart the exact moments of inflection where I was being pushed to rise to a new level of worth and, instead, took what was on offer. Said yes when it didn’t feel right. Gave something valuable away because I didn’t even know it was valuable. Took whatever was offered to me instead of saying no, and demanding options. Being so impatient to pro... See more

Experience must be followed by reflective thought and an internal processing that links the experience with previous learning, transforming the learner’s previous understanding in some manner. Learning, therefore, takes place within a cycle that includes action, reflection, and application.