Dr. Allendy asks Anais Nin where she has been most happy, and she replies that it is in nature, in a quiet place, wearing no make-up or fancy clothes, playing no roles. Anais has tended to wear costumes to set herself apart from other women, to appear interesting and confident, but the truth is, she does it to conceal her lack of confidence. She says other women ask her where she gets her clothes, where she has her hair done, how she does her make-up, in hopes of becoming like her, but Anais realizes her appearance is all part of her act. It is her act which distinguishes her from other women; it's how she does it.
Happiness, ever elusive. The new haircut, make-up, clothes bring us short-term happiness because we feel better about ourselves when we are out in public looking good, but when we come home and wash off the make-up and take off the clothes, we are left with ourselves. In our homes, being natural, not trying to impress anyone, feeling little stress, we can certainly feel peace. Anais felt most natural in Switzerland, on vacation. How can we bring the easiness we feel on vacation into our everyday lives? Do we have the courage to drop some of the pretenses in our daily routines?
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