1. Heavy Words, wisdom from Rachel Cole.

2. For Those of Us Who Don’t Have Our Sh*t Together, wisdom from John Pavlovitz.

3. Women making a real difference: Women like Anna Guest-Jelley, Amber Karnes and Dianne Bondy — (and their collaborative project Yoga for All) — Jessamyn Stanley, and Dana Falsetti, and Omega Johnson, and Valerie Sagun are doing such important work, for yoga and women.

4. The Meditation Hater’s Guide to Meditation.

5. Stand Against Suffering: An Unprecedented Call to Action by Buddhist Teachers. “Buddhism does not align itself with any party or ideology. But when great suffering is at stake, Buddhists must take a stand against it, with loving-kindness, wisdom, calm minds, and courage.” Which will come in handy considering what’s next on the list…

6. DT related information. Not so much “something good” as it is “stuff you should know,” and to be honest, hard to read. Would Trump supporters elect him again now? and 100 Days in Trump’s America and Transcript of AP interview with Trump.

7. For Our Black and Brown People Fighting for Survival in Toxic White Spaces.

8. Unique Ways White Women Enact Racism.

9. What it Really Means to Hold Space for Someone.

10. On Leveling Up, wisdom from Karen Waldrond on Chookooloonks.

11. How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker, Cheryl Strayed on the Tim Ferriss Show.

12. On treating your body like garbage & writing like you’re running out of time, wisdom from Esmé Wang.

13. The Very Best Writing Books, Ever from Jennifer Louden.

14. The Reason Your Feed Became An Echo Chamber — And What To Do About It. Just to be clear, I don’t actually think an echo chamber is always a problem. Sometimes you need to hear yourself, need to have yourself reflected back to you. Sure if that’s ALL you do, it could become neurotic, problematic, but to say that it’s inherently a problem doesn’t feel workable to me. And just because I’m in community or conversation with people who share the same basic values or beliefs doesn’t mean we have nothing to learn from each other. So, there’s no reason to abandon the echo chamber entirely. If you are using it as a way to remain willfully ignorant, sure; but if you are finding support and learning something, hang out if you want.

15. Writer with Tender Story Fears Return to Back-alley Abortions.

16. Nestlé’s water privatization push, a petition. Sign or don’t sign, but this is some pretty scary shit.

17. Meet The Woman Who Can Remember Every Day Of Her Life. There Are Only 80 People Like That Worldwide. Fascinating.

18. These NSFW pushups come with an important message: Love the body you have, from The Official Fan Page of Zach Anner.

19. SheaMoisture Is Cancelled: 38 Black-Owned Hair Care Brands You Can Support Instead.

20. The new status symbol: it’s not what you spend – it’s how hard you work. No, just no.

21. Systemic Racism: Australia’s great white silence | Jonathan Sri | TEDxQUT.

22. Weight Loss – The Credit Thief from Dances With Fat.

23. Wisdom from Melissa Toler, from her recent newsletter where she talked about opting out of diet culture:

On opting out of diet culture:

1. stop putting your money, time, and precious life energy into constant weight loss
2. eliminate any and all media (magazines, social media, etc) that idealizes and celebrates weight loss (believe me when I tell you there will be almost NOTHING left)
3. *do the internal work necessary to eliminate diet mentality…it’s an uncomfortable daily process*
4. don’t concern yourself with what other folks are eating and how they are (or are not) working out
5. don’t comment on the size and shape of someone else’s body

There are many more things you can do to opt out, but this list is a good start. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. The bottom line: diet culture denies us the right to exist peacefully in our bodies as they are. I can’t think of any good reasons to keep participating in it.

24. Wisdom from Diane Ackerman, “I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.”

25. Roaring Gold, “an evergrowing collection of essays, poetry, quotes, and media documenting and illustrating the lives and experiences of people of color within the social justice movements aimed at colonization, anti-blackness, and patriarchy. RG concentrates on the empowerment and celebration of marginalized communities by centering and appreciating their voices in tangible ways.”

26. Lonely 90-Year-Old Woman Asks Neighbor To Be Her Friend In Heartbreaking Note.

27. Richard and Jaco: Life with Autism. “‘I’m being led by the hand by my child, not the other way around.’ – Jaco has autism. His dad, Richard worries about how he’ll fit into the adult world.” In related news, 6-year-old with autism has weekly reading date at animal shelter. “Jacob Tumalan, who has autism, once seemed to lose his verbal skills. But thanks to a collection of books and dogs at his local shelter, he’s now thriving.”

28. After 17 years Birchbark Books continues to center Native stories, space amid society of erasure. I want to go to there.

29. Best of Smitten Kitchen. So many recipes I want to try! Also this one, P.F. Chang’S Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Copycat Recipe).

30. A Beloved Canadian Folk Artist’s Paintings Now Sell for $20,000. “Despite her deformities, Maud Lewis answered an ad seeking a housekeeper for a tiny one-room home in rural Canada. There she would become one of the country’s most beloved folk artists.”

31. Wisdom from Syed Hussan, (by way of Desiree Adaway), “Decolonization is a dramatic reimagining of relationships with land, people and the state. It requires study. It is a unlearning.”

32. The 16-year-old girl winning international acclaim. “Abandoned as a baby, meet 16-year-old Tjili who is deaf and has cerebral palsy – she is winning acclaim for her art.”

33. 15 Ways To Be A Literary Advocate.

34. 5 Coded Phrases People Post on Facebook to Excuse Their Racism. In related news, 10 Defensive Reactions to White Privilege That Make No Damn Sense – But Are Super Common.

35. Wisdom from Matthew Lecki (by way of Christian Fabien), “Overtly racist white people are the sword of white supremacy. Silent white people are the shield.”

36. The Heineken Ad Is Worse Than The Pepsi Ad, You’re Just Too Stupid To Know It. “This commercial is the worst type of propaganda. It tricks you into thinking social problems can be resolved if only people tolerate their oppression just a LITTLE while longer. It pushes the idea that bigotry, sexism, and transphobia are just differences of opinion that are up for debate, and deserving of civil discourse and equal consideration.”

37. Burg’s Place fundraiser. I know I already shared this last week, but it’s even more important now — Burg has been diagnosed with a very aggressive type of leukemia, given a prognosis of two weeks to three months. So many people’s hearts are breaking, including mine.

38. Reasons That Lady is Crying in Whole Foods. *teehee*

39. The Trailer for Maria Bamford’s Netflix Special ‘Old Baby’ Has Arrived.

40. Wisdom from Toni Morrison, “If you can only be tall because someone else is on their knees, then you have a serious problem.”

1. Connie to the Wonnie. Connie J. Sun, “NYC cartoonist who works in higher education and draws an illustrated status message a day. Single Girl, Asian Daughter. Cartoons daily, Mon-Fri.” I was trying to figure out what image to share with this post this morning, and I saw Connie’s for today on Facebook, and it’s so perfect, (the above image, just in case that’s not entirely clear). I shared a link to her work a few weeks ago on this list, but since then, I’ve been loving it so much that I felt like I needed to share again, as in “no really, this is so awesome, you should check her out.”

2. Your Time is Now from Karen Walrond on Chookooloonks. Amen!

I think now, more than ever, it’s important for all of us to use our creativity not just as a casual pastime, but as a more intentional form of true self-expression. Whatever your medium — an artist’s paint, a photographer’s camera and light, or even a scientist’s or mathematician’s formulas or equations — whatever your art, it’s becoming more important than ever to use it to express what you stand for. To create meaning. To use your art to shout your values, whatever they are, and decry injustice or discrimination, wherever you see it.

3. Write Good from Paul Jarvis. He makes some really good points about what’s really important when it comes to writing, like “You just write good, as often as possible, and share it. The more you share, the more likely you are to release something that leaves a mark.”

4. The Republic of the Body: May 2017, an offering from the brilliant Jena Schwartz. If I weren’t so stupid busy right now, I’d totally be there. “A brand new four-week writing group is for anyone who wants to discover or deepen their writing practice, with the use of prompts inspired by the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar as well as other traditional sources. We will freewrite without stopping, three days/week for 10 minutes at a time. As with all of my groups: You do not have to be good (or have any actual yoga experience). You just have to be willing to take your seat and see what happens.”

5. The Universe in Verse, “is brought to you by Brain Pickings and Pioneer Works as a protest against the defunding of science and the arts. We are donating all ticketing proceeds to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Academy of American Poets. The hosts and readers are all donating their time and talent, and this livestream is donated by Kickstarter Live.” In related news, an important distinction from Seth Godin, What does “science” mean?

6. I was the target of a neo-Nazi ‘troll storm.’

7. How to Tell a True Tale: Neil Gaiman on What Makes a Great Personal Story. “Honesty matters. Vulnerability matters. Being open about who you were at a moment in time when you were in a difficult or an impossible place matters more than anything.”

8. The Sanctity of Letting Things Percolate from Adreanna Limbach. I got this post in an email, and what was included there that isn’t in the blog post was this message, “It takes 14 months to birth a baby camel…16 months to birth a baby walrus…And nearly 2 years to birth a baby elephant. You’re doing great.”

9. 10+ Of The Happiest Animal Memes To Start The Week With A Smile.

10. In The 1920s, A Community Conspired To Kill Native Americans For Their Oil Money.

11. What I’ve Learned After 5 Years and 20 Books: 25 Lessons from Chuck Wendig.

12. The Alphabet of Right Now on A Design So Vast. What a great writing prompt.

13. Warm and Woodsy on SF Girl by Bay. I am swooning over this furniture.

14. Create What You Wish to See, more good stuff from Karen Waldrond on Chookooloonks. In related news, Ep. 8: The Highest of Thrives of the Hey, Sis! podcast, featuring…Karen Walrond.

15. 2017 Women of the World Poetry Slam – Ebony Stewart “Compassion Fatigue”.

Ebony Stewart is a touring performance artist and slam poet who has been active in the central Texas slam poetry scene and theater community for over a decade. Ebony Stewart was on the Austin Neo Soul Slam team in 2010 that finished fourth in the Nation. She coached the 2012 Austin Neo-Soul & 2015 Austin Poetry Slam teams, that finished first and fifth, respectively, at the National Poetry Slam as well and the 2015 They Speak Youth Slam that finished eighth in the world at the Brave New Voices competition. The only adult female three-time Slam Champion in Austin, Texas, voted Top Female Touring Poet. In 2015, she debuted her one-woman show, Hunger, for which she won Outstanding Lead Actress in a drama and received the David Mark Cohen New Play Award. Recently crowned, Co-Champion of the 2017 Women of the World Poetry Slam. Her work has been published in the Texas Observer, For Harriet, and Teen Vogue. Ebony Stewart aka The Gully Princess aka “She’ll eat your cupcake” – she, her, is the #storyoftheblackgirlwinning.

16. Stay-at-home mum’s self-portrait photo project.

17. The Heart of Whiteness: Ijeoma Oluo Interviews Rachel Dolezal, the White Woman Who Identifies as Black.

18. The Stubborn Gladness of a New Dog on The Cognitive Canine. P.S. Send the new little guy some love if you’ve got it to give. He’s been in the hospital sick the past few days. Feel better, little dude!

19. The IHop Years, “1983-1990: Life at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the International House of Pancakes” from David Sedaris.

20. Why I’m Absolutely an Angry Black Woman by Dominique Matti.

21. My Religion Is Kindness, “the core of all spiritual and humanistic paths” from Tara Brach.

22. Wisdom from the Dalai Lama’s Nobel acceptance speech (1989),

I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.

The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger, and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and compassion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion.

23. 5 Ways Not to Bite the Trump Hook from Susan Piver, in case you were needing the reminder. I know I sure am.

24. I’m a Tea Party conservative. Here’s how to win over Republicans on renewable energy. “This earth belongs to all of us.”

25. 70 years ago, six Philly women became the world’s first digital computer programmers. “Without any real training, they learned what it took to make ENIAC work – and made it a humming success. Their contributions were overlooked for decades.”

26. Why shopping should be a last resort. “Toronto illustrator Sarah Lazarovic’s Buyerarchy of Needs urges people to consider other options before hitting the mall.” A great set of graphics.

27. Letter: Living free from the pursuit of weight loss.

28. The Trouble with Tolerance by Omid Safi.

29. Glennon Doyle Melton’s Important Message for White Feminists. She’s not the first or only one to say this, but in case you didn’t or couldn’t hear it when someone else said it, let’s give this a try.

30. 8 Signs Your Yoga Practice Is Culturally Appropriated – And Why It Matters. I’ve read and shared this before, but it’s always worth revisiting.

31. Baby Winnie, the hippo. So cute!

32. Suck it Up: Some Advice to Straight White Men, From Straight White Men.

33. Clementine Ford: Committing sexual assault is never ‘out of character.’ “But rape isn’t something that otherwise good and decent people just stumble into. Someone who makes the choice to rape or sexually assault someone isn’t acting out of character – rather, they are expressing a central part of their character that all too many people seem willing to overlook in their desires to have these people continue to be ‘good’. The part of their character that believes they are entitled to use women’s bodies against their will, to dominate and hurt women for their own gratification.” Amen.

34. 16 Lies Fat People are Tired of Hearing. Word.

35. Criticism and Courage, a FREE online class with Susan Hyatt and Alexandra Franzen. “Can’t make it on May 11th? No problem. Go ahead and register anyway—and you’ll get a link to the recording after the live event concludes.”

36. Dear Sugar Radio. A great podcast, “radically empathic advice from Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond.” In related news, Best of 2016: Most Listened-To Podcast Episodes of On Being.

37. American Poets, Refusing to Go Gentle, Rage Against the Right.

38. Awake, A Dream From Standing Rock film by Oscar Nominees Josh Fox and James Spione and Native filmmaker Myron Dewey.

39. Help Save the Bees, a great list of tips.

40. When Was It Exactly That We Lost Our Humanity? from Renegade Mothering.

41. Fix Their Problems. “There is no creature in American politics more puzzled over by Democrats than the angry, forgotten Trump voter. How can we reach them? How should we speak to them? Here’s a wild idea: fix their problems.”

42. Women of color don’t owe you shit by Femme Feministe.

43. Burg’s Place. This is one of my favorite shelters, humans, dogs, an effort that lives at the very center of my heart.

44. 15 Indigenous Femenists To Know, Read, And Listen To. In related news, 21 Fierce Black Feminists To Follow On Instagram Right Now.

45. Can we talk about personal responsibility?

46. Erikan’s dream was to create a meeting place for young black people to meet, network and dream big.

47. Katherine Switzer was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. 50 years later, she’s running it again.

48. Different Branches on the Same Tree from Jena Schwartz.

49. Hateful People Are Exhausting by John Pavlovitz.

Like the vast majority of this country, I want it to be the place where equality, diversity, and decency find sanctuary, and though I am fully committed to the aspiration, I am feeling the cumulative weariness sustained from a small but fierce portion of the population (including far too much of its leadership) whose narrative about the world depends upon acrimony for so much of it. I know that I’m not alone in this emotional depletion and physical fatigue.

But it will not consume me and it will not change my heart toward the world. It will not derail my path or alter my convictions.

I will be a person of love here or I will die trying.

50. There’s A Japanese Word For People Who Buy More Books Than They Can Actually Read. Guilty.