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#WednesdayWisdom
"You have a purpose on this planet that only you can fulfill." — Jamila Reddy
Morning Musings
Yesterday I celebrated a major milestone (for me) — 365 days of meditating. You may recall that I to meditate every day last May in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.
Well, as it turns out, old habits die hard. And quite frankly, the perfectionist in me gets a real high out of streaks (I blame Peloton and their blue dots). I may or may not have contacted Insight Timer's customer service team after our family trip to North Carolina reset some of my meditation times (#TimeZoneProblems) and threatened to ruin said streak. Not the point of meditating, I know, and like I said — old habits die hard.
What have I learned from one year of meditating?
Meditation is messy. For starters, I needed to expand my idea of what meditation is. I discussed this with my colleagues, Merk Nguyen and Nyge Turner, hosts of YR Media's Adult ISH podcast during our inaugural mental health summit last week. Meditation can be a host of things — sitting quietly; listening to a guided meditation; taking a walk; yoga; prayer; simply breathing. What it most often is not: sitting on a meditation pillow in a totally zen corner and perfectly tuning out the world around you.
Meditation is cathartic. While I do love a good morning meditation sesh, I've often found it to be a helpful tool to reset on days that don't start off so good. In the Before Times, it wasn't uncommon for me to sneak off to our office's wellness room, curl up on the comfy chair, close my eyes and listen to a guided meditation.
Meditation is a life-changing. Last year, as I was contemplating quitting my full-time nonprofit communications job, I listened to meditations by my fave instructor Liza Colpa about manifesting and choosing abundance over fear on regular rotation. It's safe to say her meditations unlocked something in me and I've never been the same.
Have you tried meditation? What do you like/dislike? Hit "reply" and let me know!
Love,
L'Oreal
ICYMI
Earlier this year, I did a thing and applied to the Fifty Feminist States podcast fellowship. I'd met the host, Amelia Hruby, years ago at a networking event and we'd kept in touch ever since. When she announced the fellowship, I knew I had to be part of it: 1) I had the chance to learn firsthand from someone else who was DIYing podcasting; 2) it was a paid opp and 3) I am a perfectionist.
So I needed the hands-on learning approach and accountability to ensure I actually did the damn thing instead of just thinking about it or talking about. So, without further ado, here's my interview with Amelia (fun fact: I produced the interview segment). Check it out and let me know what you think.
Upcoming Events
June 9 at 6pm CT: Inaugural LT in the City Book Club featuring Set Boundaries, Find Peace. Register here.
Links I Love
1. Simone Biles Dials Up the Difficulty, 'Because I Can' (New York Times)
2. The Audacity of Nope (ZORA)
3. A Year After George Floyd’s Murder, Women Activists Reflect on What’s Changed (The Lily)
My Latest Obsession
Saturday morning I was chilling at home when Jeff (aka husbae) was out running errands and called me to ask if I wanted to go to Marshall's and HomeGoods. He'd barely finished the question before I shouted "YES!" and rushed to get ready. What can I say? I am my mother's daughter.
And I'm so glad we went because I found this brilliant artwork by Houston artist Ashley Pinklomein Price. Run, do not walk, to your nearest TJ Maxx, Marshall's and/or HomeGoods to add her art to your collection. I will for sure be adding more!
Now Hiring
Environmental Justice Strategist for Black Visions
Corporate Partnerships Manager for Boston While Black
Communications and Media Manager for The National Network of Abortion Funds
Social Media Manager for The Everygirl
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Executive Director for Bitch Media
Social & Editorial Manager for Clubhouse
Teaching Artist for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Thank You!
Thank you E.M. for buying last week's coffee!
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