Who: Nino Padova, senior editor
I’m giving up: Sarcasm.
I chose this because: For me, sarcasm is like that sleeve of Double Stuf Oreos you keep tucked away in your desk drawer: It tastes good and gives you a quick jolt, but in the end you wind up tired, bloated, and with a bunch of junk in your teeth. Empty calories for the soul.
My biggest challenge: Filling all that negative space with something positive. You know the saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say…?” Well, ______________.
My biggest temptation to cheat: I honestly think I’ll be okay, so long as I limit the amount of time I spend in the company of other humans. (Wait, did that sound sarcastic?) My biggest weakness, though? Facebook. It’s the open-all-night kiosk where my snark goes to snack. Look away from the comment box!
Coping mechanisms: First step is to seriously alter my daily media intake. No more reading the Onion or Buzzfeed or Maureen Dowd. No more binge-watching Storage Wars or My Strange Addiction or listening to ironic hipster bands with ironic haircuts singing in ironic falsetto. Mind you, I love all of these things, but the path to sincerity starts with a single, straightforward step. For the next five days, I plan to subsist on a diet of Oprah, U2, Ron Howard movies, and anything else that lifts up the spirit, inspires, and makes me feel wise without the crack.
Today I feel: Calm. Confident. Lightheaded.
