As we head into the weekend, I know that life looks a little different for all of us depending on where we are in the country and our personal comfort levels with reentering society. Wherever you are, however you are feeling, I hope that these uplifting and informative reads provide the boost you need to have a peaceful and joy-filled weekend.
See The Glass Half Full Or Empty? Is complaining your new normal?, by Courtney Zieky
“I’ve just decided not to vocalize my negative thoughts. Giving them more power then the five seconds they occupy my mind. Words are so powerful, and negative feeds negative!! When I feel negative energy stir, I’ve focused on shifting my complaining to gratitude and zeroing in on the things I’m thankful for. A warm cup of tea, movement, teaching my son multiplication, art lessons with my daughter or a zoom chat with a friend.”
Safe at Home? 42 Easy Challenges to Help You Spend the Time Productively—and Lift Your Spirits, by Gretchen Rubin
“By creating an atmosphere of growth (even very slight growth), we can give ourselves a quick jolt of energy and cheer—and that strengthens us for greater challenges, and the challenges to come. How do you cultivate an atmosphere of growth? Here are some ideas—and these are quick, easy, whimsical ideas, in case you’re in the mood for a quick fix.”
The 2020 Summer Reading Guide is here!, by Anne Bogel
“This summer is shaping up to be one of the best publishing seasons I can remember. We might not be able to read on a sandy beach, but there are hundreds of great books to transport us to a different time and place.”
Kendra Note: I look forward to the release of this guide every year, and this year’s might be the best yet. I even became a Patreon supporter to get the expanded edition—highly recommend!
What Phone Calls Have Given Me That Video Chat Can’t, by Jessica Gross
“As with listening to the radio (or reading a book), as compared with watching a movie, there is also, in these phone conversations, an invitation to co-create. I can’t see what the person on the other end of the line is doing or where they are, so my mind spontaneously invents a visual: a way of projecting myself into their world.”
Babies and Gardens and Marriage and Garden Zones, by Lore Ferguson Wilbert
“God has given this life to you. This life. Right now. The one you’re living. It’s the only life you’ll get and God intended it in grace, goodness, sovereignty, and love for you. He stewarded it to you. Only you get to live your life. Just as only I get to live in this house with this yard with these perennials in this climate for this April of 2020. I have to care for what’s right in front of me. “
How to Flourish During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Research from the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard, by Tyler Vanderweele
“We can respond to suffering by trying to understand the situation and by acknowledging the loss; by turning to others in our communities for support and comfort; by re-evaluating our values, desires, and purposes; by trying to find new meaning and opportunities for growth amidst suffering; by eventually trying to adjust to the circumstances, regain the good that was lost, or find new ways forward.”
The Reason Zoom Calls Drain Your Energy, by Manyu Jiang
“Being on a video call requires more focus than a face-to-face chat, says Petriglieri. Video chats mean we need to work harder to process non-verbal cues like facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, and body language; paying more attention to these consumes a lot of energy.”
Alphabet Adoration, by Cara Eileen
“My favorite thing though has been devoting about half of my prayer hour to adoring God. A long time ago, someone taught me a prayer exercise using the alphabet. The way it works is that you go through every letter of the alphabet and list one of God’s attributes. It has been a really intentional way to thank God for who he is.”
“I’ve struggled just as much as the next person in the adjustment to our new normal. Okay, maybe not just as much—everyone check on your extroverted friends who live alone, please—but the days have been long and relentless in that their only variation is which bad news they bear. . . Frankly, I’ve never been so scared. But I’ve also never been so glad to be home.”
If you have read or written anything lately that our audience would appreciate, I’d be honored if you would drop a link in the Comments!