What a heartbreaking week it’s been for our nation. In the days following a tragedy, it can be hard to know how to respond. We mourn the loss of life and the brokenness of our world, we grapple with anxieties over our own safety and wellbeing, and that of our loved ones. . . and then we move on with our lives, often with a sense of guilt because we know that many others do not have this privilege. I’m sure you’ve all read plenty of Vegas-inspired pieces in the last few days, so I won’t be sharing any here today—with one exception: Emily Freeman addresses the topic of tragedy eloquently and poignantly in this week’s episode of her podcast (you can also read the full transcript here).
Moving on from current events, I’ve come across so much fantastic content in the last month, and I’m excited to share a portion of that with you here today. This month’s links offer encouragement for the insecure, refreshment for the frazzled, and inspiration for those looking to become their best selves.
The Art of Paying Attention // Brooke McAlary
“When I’ve spent my time noticing, I’ve been rewarded. Not in riches or Instagrammable displays of success, but in depth and joy and beauty. Noticing costs time, absolutely, but it also gives us time.”
It’s Okay to “Forget” What You Read // Charles Chu
“What we get from books is not just a collection of names, dates and events stored in our minds like files in a computer. Books also change, via our mental models, the very reality that we perceive.”
The Worthiness of Imitation // Laura Lundgren
“Perhaps there is such a thing as imitation that is not rooted in insecurity and fear, but in admiration and curiosity. If so, could this most primitive skill make us disciples to a craft rather than cheap knock-offs?”
When Buying In Bulk is a Terrible Thing // Kendra Adachi
“There’s nothing wrong with having plenty (my pantry currently has no less than 20 boxes of pasta), but when I get caught up in the ‘more is better’ cyclone, I mindlessly buy, don’t use what I have, and my budget and emotional health pay the price.”
This is What it Means to Belong // Melissa Camara Wilkins
“Belonging comes from being yourself and being seen, and that can happen anywhere, even with people who are totally different from you, even with people who want different things and believe different things.”
Can I Tell You One Thing? // Anne Bogel
“And we need people in our lives who will actually say It’s not fine. Who will help us think through what we could be doing better, even if that situation isn’t as comfortable as I’m sure it’s fine. Who will tell us what we could do differently—better—if they have some idea of what that might be.”
Learning to Love My Wrinkles in an Anti-Aging World // Maryann Jacobsen
“Feeling better about aging may mean people are less likely to let it stand in their way. In other words, they are not moping around fretting about their wrinkles, they are busy living.”
I’d love to hear which of these posts resonated with you, and what you thought. As always, feel free to leave a comment with a link to a post you’ve read or written this month that you’d like to share with me!