Hi Friends!
Another week is in the books and I am looking forward to sitting in a patch of sun in my living room with a mug of hot coffee, digging in the dirt, finishing some books I've been slowly reading, and taking a short road trip this weekend. That feels like a pretty great combo of activity, accomplishment, and quiet contemplation. I'm all about it. What are you getting in to this weekend?
I enjoy putting these lists together and finding themes I didn't realize were there as I collected them during the week. This week we're talking about finding the helpers and relishing the small stuff. Let's dive in!
Trenton New Jersey found some helpers in the Smith family: Dreaming big and creating long-term change.
Speaking of dreaming big, I revisited this piece about identifying your main types of motivation. By tailoring your goals to push your motivation buttons you'll feel even MORE excited about your big dreams. Working with yourself instead of against yourself is some good help in my book.
The Small, Happy Life: I literally stopped and smelled the roses this week thanks to this piece; and I found myself reverently present while watering my plants and watching the sky.
Do you make fear decisions or growth decisions: This ties in nicely with the motivation essay. When you figure out your motivation type, you can also check in about whether fear or growth is guiding you. For example, let's say Social Factors motivate you so you sign up for that 10K with your friends and you all train together. If you make this decision out of fear you might be thinking "I have to sign up for this, otherwise my friends will do it without me, leave me behind, and won't want to hang out with me anymore." If you make this decision out of growth you might be thinking "I want to sign up for this because it will bring me and my friends closer, I'll get consistent social time with them, I might even make some more friends through this new community!" See the difference? Which one feels better?
Roadtrips are one of my favorite ways to relish the small stuff. A few hours in a car can take me places that are *just* different enough from my everyday life to make me sit up and take notice. Being more aware on the road always translates to being more aware once I get home, too which is a pretty great bonus.
We have a new Poet Laureate!: "Smith says she's been thinking, lately, about how people turn to poetry in fraught times. 'It's often those large moments where big things happen, where loss occurs — or in moments of isolation, where a voice on a page that's saying, 'I have lived, I have felt, I have questions, and I have wishes,' where that's consoling.'"
With all the craziness in our country right now, I am incredibly thankful that this position still exists.
Speaking of people I'm thankful for, David Sedaris has a new essay that dives into his childhood, his mother's addictions, and the idiosyncrasies of his relationship with his partner. Sedaris paints detailed stories that I devour too quickly; they leave me a little melancholy most of the time and sometimes, on rainy days like we've had this week, that's just perfect.
Finally, another helper: Rachel Maddow's interview with Rolling Stone shows she knows what she wants, she knows how to stay motivated, she knows what is important to her and what she's not going to waste time with, and she's not going to apologize for any of it.
That's all for now friends! I'm putting on a Workshop in Portland, OR next weekend so between road trips and digging in the dirt, I'll be gearing up for this! If you're in town on the 24th, I'd love to see you there!
Until next week: Have fun, be safe, and love on each other
Alix