Advice on navigating breakups, finding your purpose, and fulfilling internet dreams.
FROM: Are you there Cher? It’s me
Hi Emma!!! I had a recent breakup that’s really been throwing me for an unexpected loop. There were parts of the relationship that were kinda red flaggy and sometimes made me question if it would ever really go the distance, but the relationship in itself was good, and I don’t think I ever really felt love like this before. They made me want to be the best version of me and after so many years of dating duds it felt like this would at least last a little longer.
The breakup - which was pretty much mutual - is now hitting me like a ton of bricks. I’m starting to have realizations that maybe there was more I couldve done or feelings i could felt - basically its hitting me hard and i’m genuinely afraid i’ll:
Never feel that feeling of love i felt with anyone else
Feel faintly blue forever
I’ve been listening to a lot of taylor swift but more specifically believe by Cher, and it’s got me thinking and kinda spiraling-is there life after love? Are there just always people who will hurt a bit more than any others? Is there such thing as right person wrong time? So many questions for you, but one can only listen to one Cher song and a lot of sad Taylor Swift songs for so long so please help.
ES: I recommend taking a break from framing your life in terms of love. Think of your life as more of a hero's tale. Love can still be part of it, but it’s just one of your many challenges and side plots - because ultimately, you’re meant to accomplish something great and to go on like epic adventures and all that. Like you literally have swords to pull out of stones and such to attend to. Devote your life to a craft, your work, hide in a wooden horse & storm the city of Troy or something. Why not??? Remember that not only is there life after love, but life is also BIGGER than love. There's so much more to it.
Ayaka Nakamura
FROM: What’s my purpose
I've been trying to find my passion and purpose in life, but I feel like I'm constantly changing my mind about what I want to do. How do I figure out what truly makes me happy and pursue it without feeling overwhelmed?
ES:
The good news is, there’s no deadline to finding your “purpose” in life. This is a case where I think taking your time can really pay off in the long run. Pay attention to what truly fascinates you. It could be anything - comic books, Mariah Carey, art nouveau artists in Vienna, astrology. Next, make a list of your skills. Again, this could be anything. Ask your friends what you’re good at if you’re having trouble! Look at these two lists and see what you can make out of your passion and skills.
sakir gokcebag
The bad news is, I’m (sorta) talking out of my ass here. One thing about me is that I literally have no clue what I’m doing at any time ever. But! I have more good news. Literally no one truly has it figured out either. I genuinely think most people don’t even give that much thought to a career - they just continue in the expected career path based on the job they got right out of college. Take pride in and take stock in the fact that you’re even thinking about your purpose and passions and calling and all that. A lot of people don’t! Add this to your “skills” list. Skills: introspection!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FROM: Trying to be an internet food baddie
Hi! I recently started a blog dedicated to food, but I'm seriously struggling with gaining an audience. Any tips on how to stand out online? Feeling pretty defeated.
ES:
I typically see three types of food videos on my TikTok account’s For You page: ASMR cooking, people dumping huge vats of syrup all over a plate and onto the floor, and food videos that are lowkey porn in disguise. Most of the last two appear on my FYP in the form of horrified reaction stitches. Pick one of the three!!!!!!!! Another option to consider: be Sofia Coppola’s daughter.
Ariel Parrow
Actual advice? I’m not an algorithm (sorry!), and ultimately I can’t tell you what will bring you an audience beyond generic “post across platforms” and “use tags”. There are tons of food blogs out there. What I can do is tell you the kind of content that stands out to me. I pause when a blog seems thoughtful, accessible, and is being run by someone who has clearly done their research. Anyone can talk about food - but content that I feel I can truly learn from earns my like.
