Not all that glitters is gold ✨

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#WednesdayWisdom

"A woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and only herself." — Maya Angelou

Morning Musings

Strength. Trust. More. Bold. These are just some of the words you all chose to ground and guide your year. Much love and many thanks to all of you who shared your with me. I appreciate and admire your courageous vulnerability.

In fact, vulnerability is what I want to talk about with y'all today. As you may remember, in my last newsletter of 2018 I shared that I was looking forward to speaking at Alt Summit in March. But over the holidays, I decided to decline.

On paper, the summit seemed like a no-brainer (I mean, Palm Springs, HELLO!). But after I stopped to think about how much attending the conference would cost with not only airfare and accommodations, as well as taking PTO for an entire week, I started to have second thoughts.

Was this what I really wanted? Would taking a week of work to facilitate two roundtables that people may attend really bring me joy? And while I knew the answer to both of those questions was "no," I still hesitated because I worried about what people would think.

More over, what would I say to you, my dear readers, who cheered me on and congratulated me when I first shared that I'd been accepted to speak at the conference (as it turns out me and about 100 other speakers)? I'd have to show up here with proverbial egg on my face.

But, if I can share with you a few lessons I learned in this process, perhaps it would all be worth it:

1) All the glitters isn't gold. Just because it's "what everyone's doing" or what you think you should be doing doesn't mean you need to do it. Just because it'll look good on your resume/portfolio/LinkedIn doesn't mean it's right for you.

2) Stop and think before you commit. If I'd taken more than five minutes to think this through in the first place, it's safe to say I would have saved myself a lot of heartache.

When you're faced with a big decision, it can be helpful to not only run a gut check, but to check in with your trusted board of advisors. Don't have one?

Think of the people you typically consult before making a decision -- it could be your spouse, your friends, a mentor, etc. These people (usually) have your best interests at heart and can help you see beyond the rose-colored glasses.

3) Do what you need to do. Even if it's not the popular choice. Even if "a million girls would kill for that job" (Devil Wears Prada, anyone?). You are responsible for your own happiness. You can't count on someone (or a conference) to do that for you.

I hope 

ICYMI

Even though I took a hiatus from the newsletter over the holidays, I carved out some time to do some writing. Here are a few posts that recently went live:

1. Why It's Okay to Choose Hibernating Over Hustling

2. 5 Ways to Flip Your Stress Mindset

3. The Pain of Loving Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" While Looking Nothing Like the White Pop Princesses of the '90s 

Links I Love

1. What Your 'No' Can Teach You About Trust and Boundaries

2. Serena Williams: The Power of Unapologetic Greatness

3. How Young, Black Girls Where Hypersexualized in America -- And How That Enables Predators

My Latest Obsession

I never thought I'd be the kind of person who owns an Apple Watch, but here we are. After breaking five Fitbits (and talking to my friend Stephanie about her Apple Watch), I finally decided to make the switch. And, thanks to Best Buy's after-Christmas sale, I only paid slightly more for it than I did my previous Fitbit.

About two weeks in and I'm obsessed. Granted, I primarily use my watch as a fitness tracker, so if you're looking for a review on other aspects, I'm not the person to ask. But what I like about the Apple Watch vs. the Fitbit is that the former seems to have a more holistic approach to fitness by focusing on active calories burned, minutes of exercise and hours where you moved for at least a minute rather than just focusing on the number of steps.

This provides me more of a bird's eye view of my fitness goals. Plus, I'll admit I'm addicted to closing all three of the rings in my Activity app on any given day (and beating my friends). What can I say? I'm competitive by nature...

Now Hiring

1. Social Media Editor, Digital News for NPR

2. Content Marketing Coordinator for Career Contessa

3. Writer for Built In

4. Director, Web Content & Creative for Alzheimer's Association

5. Head of Creative Content for WeWork

6. Digital Marketing Manager for Chalkbeat

7. Politics Editor for Medium

8. Branded Content Writer for Sinclair Broadcasting Group

9. Senior Public Relations Officer for UCLA

10. Coordinator of External Affairs for OneGoal (come work with me!)

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Well, that's all folks. I hope you enjoyed this edition of LT in the City Weekly! Be sure to follow me on the Interwebs using the buttons below or simply click "reply" to tell me what you think. Thanks a bunches!