Tag Archives: Mabel Magazine

Something Good

5 Replies
Peach bread, etc.

Peach bread, etc.

1. Brave Girl University. This is going to be seriously awesome, y’all. I’m talking epic.

2. Unfurl – Chapter One. Meghan Genge is sharing audio recordings of her new book, one chapter per week. I long for the comfort of curling up and being read to, so this is such a gift.

3. Hard Conversations: An Introduction to Racism, Unconscious Racism, and Silent Racism. This started yesterday, but you can still sign up. Patti is putting this together and offering it for FREE, but if you think it is important, even if you can’t take part any other way, you can help fund this good work.

4. Master working for yourself without crushing your soul by Paul Jarvis.

5. Good stuff from Seth Godin: What is your art? and Yes!, please and thank you.

6. Good stuff from Zen Habits: Worried About What You’re Not Doing and A Brief Guide to Quitting a Bad Habit.

7. Defining What Works by Rachel Cole.

8. Good stuff from Chookooloonks this was a good week list: the importance of plating.

9. July, in the kitchen from SouleMama. This post makes me hungry.

10. 13 Things I Learned in 13 Years of Teaching My Taos Writing Retreat from Jen Louden.

11. Wisdom from Brave Girls Club, “The people who really matter in your life don’t care what you wear, what you drive or where you live…..they love that beautiful heart of yours.”

12. The Good Questionnaire on A Design So Vast.

13. When you’re done fighting for it. The upside of finally giving up from Danielle LaPorte.

14. Fear Is Fucking Us All Up from Terrible Minds.

15. Good stuff on Rita’s Notebook: Are you already doing the thing you’re meant to do? and Antidote to the August blues.

16. Wisdom from Jessica Patterson:

A spiritual practice ought to be something that can sustain you until your last breath. THAT is why I make time, every damn day, to sit humbly at the feet of trees (or the sea or mountains or the desert, wherever I am) under whatever sky we are given, and just be held. Stilled. I get a lot of “must be nice to have free time” messages from people who miss the subtle but vital distinction: ALL my time is free–mine, and mine to inhabit. That I choose to bow daily at the feet of something beautiful does not mean my schedule is easy or open. I could lament and bitch and do my best to keep up with the Jonesing neuroses of our world and post about that. But I try to carry that practice and beauty into the busyness of my days and remember that I am, in fact, free. My opinions, tastes, abilities, worries, desires, obligations, and interests may shift with time and circumstance. But I think I am always going to want to be held by something bigger than me. And so I practice that daily. No matter what. And you know what? I have not regretted that practice. Not once.

17. Boy Who Couldn’t Afford Books Asks Mailman For Junk Mail To Read; Mailman Responds Spectacularly.

18. Support Isabel in Interfaith Education and Service. Isabel blogs at Lists and Letters, and just started writing an advice column, Dear Bare Heart.

19. 30+ Resources to Help White Americans Learn About Race and Racism.

20. Of Lions and Men: Mourning Samuel DuBose and Cecil the Lion.

21. Day #18: 7/28/2015: WYSIWYG Ten Lessons from Project Awake 365.

22. Find out how I respond to “Are you a saver or a spender?” in this post on Mabel Magazine’s blog.

23. Burg Story from Amy McCracken. The best and worst story e v e r.

24. Jane Goodall Speaks Out About Slain Lion.

25. 6 Reasons People Claim Waving the Confederate Flag Isn’t Racist – Squashed.

26. How White People Sound When They “Disagree” With PoC About Racism.

27. 13 Graphs That Will Speak To You If You Suffer From Anxiety.

28. Wisdom from Erica Cook, “I’m not interesting in competing with anyone, I hope we all make it.”

29. Tig Notaro Boyish Girl Interrupted – Tease (HBO). Can’t wait to see this.

30. Social Media and Ambient Intimacy from Jason Silva.

31. Wisdom from Christina Rosalie on Instagram,

Love is why we are here, of course.
this life, begging us
to notice it’s wildness,
its unpredictable, yet
certain briefness and wonder.

32. The obesity era.

32. May You Know the Fearlessness of an Open Heart by Sharon Salzberg.

Three Truths and One Wish

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It's a tiny harvest so far, but I'll take it

It’s a tiny harvest so far, but I’ll take it

The theme for Issue #4 of Mabel Magazine is “what’s next.” Initial pitch and synopsis submissions are due June 19th. Some of the suggested prompts are:

  • Are you beginning a new chapter in the current adventures of your life or work?
  • Are you working on plans for a grand new endeavor that will take your work or your life in a new direction?
  • Do you have a story about how you’re working through and handling a major shift in your work or life?

I’m submitting something, so as I was writing in my journal this morning I was brainstorming what I might write about. Looking back on the life rehab I’ve been undergoing for the past three+ years, I was considering what kind of advice I have for anyone hoping to do the same. Here’s just three things I know to be true when you are making a change.

1. Truth: Know what you want. When I first started to change my life, I knew in general what I wanted, but to get more specific I took all kinds of personality and “what’s your perfect job” sorts of quizzes, assessments, and tests. I spent a lot of time journaling about what I would do if money, time, other people’s feelings, etc. weren’t an issue. I wrote out what my perfect day would look like, made lists of my core values. I took ecourses and read lots of books. I had long conversations with people who understood and sometimes knew better. I wrote a mission statement for my life. I got really clear about what I wanted.

2. Truth: Show up and do the work. This is key. It’s great to spend time dreaming, planning, imagining, talking about the change, your new life, but at some point you have to stop staring at your toes and move. Don’t misunderstand me, though — this doesn’t mean a grand gesture, a big showy shift. It means taking one tiny step, doing one small thing that moves you towards your dream. For me, one way this happened was by writing and/or publishing something every day, starting this blog. Other times it was taking my camera with me and going for a long walk with the dogs. It was completing yoga teacher training. Sometimes it simply meant doing a load of laundry and feeding myself. Whatever it was, it was about not waiting for something to happen, and happening.

3. Truth: Don’t give up. This can take a really long time. It can be frustrating, disappointing, confusing. Your life won’t stop happening, be easy just so you can focus on this one thing. There will be obstacles — and if you are like me, the biggest one will be yourself. There might be layers and layers of stuff you need to work through to get yourself to your true center, to find your true north. You might need special training or certification, or just lots of practice. There might be things you need to heal or let go, and that can be hard, take time. Don’t give up.

One wish: May we know what we want, accept that we are allowed to want it. May we show up with open hearts and the wisdom to do what is necessary. May we keep the faith, hold our truth tenderly, move with courage and love, and never ever ever give up.