u/meowwowwie

during my years in school, i feel like i lost myself. i lost my sense of identity because i was extremely insecure about everything, especially my appearance and the things i liked. i thought that in order for people to like me, i had to dress like them, like the same things they liked, and basically become more like them.

eventually, i lost interest in the things i genuinely enjoyed. after i graduated, i no longer had to seek validation from the people at school, and i found myself feeling lost. everyone went their own way, and the people who used to influence me and make me feel like i had to change myself to fit in were no longer part of my life.

now, even as an adult, i still struggle with this lack of motivation to discover new hobbies or reconnect with the things i used to love.

and maybe because of that, i struggle to tell whether i actually like something or not. i’m not really thinking about whether i, as an individual, liked something. i always include the people around me in that decision, almost as if i need someone else’s approval to know whether i enjoyed something or whether it’s worth liking.

how do i get back in touch with my own identity and learn to value my personal opinion again? how do i figure out what i genuinely like, without constantly needing other people’s opinions or approval to validate it?

i’d also really like to get to a point where i don’t feel ridiculous for allowing myself to enjoy things that i’m genuinely interested in, even when the people around me don’t share those interests. i want to be able to like something simply because i like it, without feeling embarrassed or needing someone else to understand or approve of it.

i used to watch this movie all the time when i was a kid, and i’ve been trying to find it for years.

it must have come out before 2010, but i remember it looking much older, maybe from the ’90s or even earlier.

the main character was a little boy. i vaguely remember there being a carousel, and i think it worked like some kind of portal. whenever he went through it, the movie would switch from live action to animation, and then later switch back again. i remember it alternating between the two styles throughout the movie.

i also remember the boy traveling around with a group of little animated creatures.

that’s honestly all i can remember, but i absolutely loved this movie and it’s driving me crazy that i can’t find it.

i don’t mean a self-help book, just something that makes you appreciate the little things and realize life doesn’t have to be huge or extraordinary to be worth living.

i’ve been feeling pretty lost lately, and i’m looking for a book that might help me see things from a different perspective. something i can come back to on the days when everything feels overwhelming and it’s hard to believe things will get better.

i want a book that makes me slow down, notice the beauty in everyday moments, and maybe helps me fall in love with life a little again.

i’m open to literally any genre if it gave you that feeling.

what book had that effect on you? i’d especially love recommendations that aren’t the same ones everyone always suggests.