Hi Friends-
One of the essential lessons of 2020 — at least for me — has been that the old ways don't work anymore.
The old ways of proceeding through our days in a frenzy of busy-ness that inevitably leads to burnout. The old ways of letting technology and algorithms dictate what we do with our day, what ideas we consume, and even what theories of the world we believe. The old ways of organizing our society for the benefit of the few to the detriment of the many.
If we didn't know it before — and I recognize that many of you saw this broken-ness long ago — it's obvious now that we have to reinvent ourselves, our world, everything. Simply going back to "normal" will not do.
But we're still figuring out what the new path is. What will the "new normal" look like? What do we want it to look like? How can we work in new ways? Relate to each other in new ways? Create equity in new ways?
To even start to answer any of these questions, we must begin from a place that is centered, clear-eyed, and conscious. Which means that finding reliable routines for nurturing ourselves, listening to our bodies, and getting grounded is of paramount importance.
Giving ourselves space for rest and renewal is an essential part of finding the way forward.
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In this spirit, I'll be holding a live Q&A next Tuesday, November 17th from 5-6pm EDT to discuss how we can build rest and renewal into our daily routines. How we might begin to embrace what I call "tender discipline" as we move through our days.
I would love for you to bring any and all questions you may have for me about how to invite rest into your workday, adopt a more "tender" attitude toward productivity, create space to reconnect with your body, and anything else you can think of.
My hope is that this gathering can also be a platform for you to share what's working for you — how are you building rejuvenating practices into your day? What tools are you using to calm your anxiety? How are you reframing your inner dialog to be a bit more gentle?
I'll be recording the Zoom call for a live Hurry Slowly episode to be released Thanksgiving week — an offering from me and you, the community, about how we can renew our energy reserves and stay centered as we begin to plant the seeds of a new normal.
RSVP to join the live Q&A on Nov 17 →
| | LINK ABOUT IT
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Small ways to prepare for winter. I've spent the better part of the past two months thinking about what would help make winter more endurable, knowing it's probably going to be a rough one. Living in a cold environment, I've been focusing on home improvements and clothing that will keep me warmer, which in my world is a direct analog to being happier. This Vice article has some solid ideas on little ways you can prepare for the challenging season ahead.
What really makes us resilient. A fascinating study of COVID-19 and resilience: "We discover our resilience only when we are forced to meet unavoidable suffering full in the face. It's when we face that reality, and see ourselves and how we respond to it, that we find the basis for resilience. The real is almost always less scary than the imagined, and the reality of the disease helps you with knowing what you're capable of, which is strengthening."
Black talk, Black feeling. A beautiful conversation between Black writers about taking time to rest, being okay with imperfection, Octavia Butler, and more: "I've been reconsidering a lot of ideas around productivity for a long time. Last year I put out two books, one at the top of the year and one near the end of the year, and I spent most of the year on the road for those books. I did like 74 readings, and that felt untenable to me. Come November, I was asking myself questions like, "Who benefits from this mode of productivity that I'm operating in? Because I don't think it's me and I don't think it's any writers that are looking to me for guidance or anything."
The art of "Cool as Ice." A great story about making the best of any creative project: "In the fall of 1991, I saw Cool As Ice in a movie theater. I don't know why. I wasn't a Vanilla Ice fan. But my friends wanted to see it, so I went along. It was terrible. It has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 6%. It earned just $1.2 million at the box office, and cost $6 million to make. But it was gorgeous to look at. As we left the theater, I said to my friends, 'That movie should be nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography. But it was so awful that I'm sure it won't even be considered.' The Cinematographer was Janusz Kamiński. Two years after this movie, he won his first Oscar for filming Schindler's List."
Lullabies for calm. I've been listening to a few lullaby-based albums to find peace lately. I really adore this one for adults and kids from Essie Jain — the song "O, I Love You" in particular is a balm. I'm also enjoying cooking to these jazz lullabies from Dave Brubeck. I recommend starting with the "Koto Song."
+ Oda, a nifty, COVID-ready speaker system that brings live performances into your home.
+ 12 early, mid, and late career lessons.
+ Brian Eno's music for anxious times.
+ 15 signs your boundaries need work.
+ The tyranny of merit.
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Hi, I'm Jocelyn, the human behind this newsletter. I created the online course RESET, a cosmic tune-up for your workday, and I host Hurry Slowly — a podcast about how you can be more productive, creative, and resilient by slowing down. | | | | |
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