Weekly Jetsam 8.13.23
rocks, charisma, intuition and RON SWANSON.
The past 48 hours were quintessential summer days.
My deep gratitude is strengthened by the reality that so many are not having picturesque August days–in fact, their worlds are in utter turmoil because of Mother Nature (and some actions of mankind). As Kate Bowler put it:
Life is so beautiful. Life is so hard.
On a personal note, my heart needed this week. As the month started, my being felt heavy and low (in fact I shared about this)–a feeling not unfamiliar, but certainly not frequent anymore. My logical brain knew it wouldn’t linger, but my fearful animal brain was very uncomfortable.
The more I reflect, I’ve discovered August has always carried a strange energy for me. It is a wonderful “practice what you preach” opportunity. That’s looked like finding ways to meet each moment for what it is, and not rush mentally into September or the increasing dark of December.
So in that spirit, here are the things that provided some grounding or inspiration for me lately. What’s on your list?
PS: Wednesday night is my “Sustain Your Spark” workshop for educators. Share it with an educator you love. There are a few spots left!
Rocks:
On a recent library haul, I picked up The Rock Balancer’s Guide and it’s been a quick, insightful read that
explains how to breathe properly, how to approach the rocks with self-belief, and how to face fear and go beyond what you had previously thought to be your limits.
So naturally, I’ve logged lots of time on the beach playing with rocks. Is this something you’ve tried?
Intuition:
I just finished Letting Magic In by Maia Toll (who is also on Substack:
). I appreciated hearing the true story of someone who followed their intuition even when it went against every norm. It was a great compliment to the intuition course I’m taking with the fabulous Gabriella Alziari.
Charisma:
This Mel Robbin’s with Vanessa Van Edwards was super interesting (The “It” Factor: How to Hack Charisma & Use Body Language to Boost Your Influence, Income, and Impact) . I never considered myself a charismatic person, but the more I listened, the more I thought I just might be. So I went ahead and took the Charisma Diagnostic they mentioned and….. drumroll…..it turns out I have charisma! I did have a friend take it as me to increase the sample size slightly and I’m still happy with the results.
Laughs:
As I’ve settled back into my old neighborhood, I’ve met the new faces that moved in during the few years I was gone. One of those is my friend, Jaimee, who is also a former teacher and now a full-time artist. It’s been great fun having someone around the corner who also left a very traditional career path to live a life that some can’t wrap their heads around. I’ve also had a fantastic time having someone around that will dare to wander into imagination with me.
We might’ve mapped out a whole project based loosely on Parks and Recreation sitting on the beach, so naturally, I started rewatching the whole series and forgot what a DELIGHT it is. All of this is just to say, if you haven’t watched Parks and Recreation, please go do so and be prepared to laugh.
Sending you off with something I’ve had on repeat this week:
Hey Maggie! So glad LMI was able to be supportive in these August doldrums.💓