How to hit a wall
Helping Friendly Newsletter, 03.05.21
This week: how to hit a wall, brave space, reading for fun, and more…
March has arrived, and with it the one-year anniversary of this pandemic. For me the milestone has entailed a mix of sadness and eagerness, no small amount of impatience, and a wave of fatigue.
That’s a nice way to say that I hit a wall.
One thing I have learned in recent years is how to recognize feelings of depletion and move through them. Human emotions can be difficult to understand, but the body is more direct. Mine speaks through headaches, sleep disruption, and salt cravings, all of which I hate but grudgingly accept as teachers. They instruct me to pause, take stock, and correct course.
It took me a little while to recognize what was happening, but on Monday I finally got the message, and on Tuesday I dragged myself out for a run. DRAGGED, because my brain was trying to convince me that I lacked energy. MYSELF because absolutely no one else can make me do self-care. OUTside because nature reminds me what is real. For a RUN because I trust the movement and I’m grateful my body can handle it right now.
The gambit worked. Running unlocked my stress, which freed me to linger in the woods, and that helped me find some peace with myself and a suffering world. I’ll need to keep showing up, but that’s just fine. With practice we become more confident and empowered to do exactly that.
Now, the point here is not that you should go running. Rather, when you hit a wall, as we all do sometimes, it helps to be self-aware of how your body manifests stress and what activities fill you back up. For me these days, that entails movement, intentional solitude, and time in nature. Your list may be entirely different.
Here’s a peep at my experience, offered as invitation into activities that you find meaningful and spaces that remind you what is real…
Field Notes
Last week I attended the Open Div Summit, a conference around “spirituality, connection, and meaning in a secular world.”
The opening session featured Micky ScottBey Jones, the Justice Doula. By way of her poem, “Invitation to Brave Space,” she taught us the difference between safe space and brave space. The latter, she says, is more conducive to change, growth, and justice. It is more honest to the fact that only some bodies have the privilege of safety, and it better holds space for conflict, discomfort, and difficulty—the gnarly stuff of progress.
I like her description of brave space, which in my view resonates with Martin Luther King Jr.’s Six Principles of Nonviolence. The idea strikes me as meaningful for both individuals and groups, from small teams to wide communities.
If this speaks to you, here’s a coaching prompt on the theme: What brave space(s) do you need to move into, and why is that important? What action, however small, could you take in the next few days to get started?
Book Notes
Circling back: I tried a book by Beverly Jenkins, whose NPR profile I shared two weeks ago. I chose Bring on the Blessings, one of her contemporary novels, and I may or may not have been disappointed that it wasn’t a romance. 🙃 BUT it was cozy and light, like a glass of sweet tea or a Hallmark movie (if Hallmark movies had murderous pigs). It was also a gentle reminder not to forget how to read for fun.
🎉Happy Anniversary to Me🎉
This month, JLP Strategy turns 5! I am still enjoying the ride, and I’m especially grateful to my clients. It has been an honor to support your very good work.
For the first time since founding, I’m increasing my 1-on-1 rates, to reflect the unique expertise, experience, and skills I have developed. The new rates go into effect on April 1, so now is a great time to rent my brain if you’ve been considering it. You will have six months to use any sessions you purchase.
Here are some nice things my clients have said recently:
“You are great at what you do.”
“I’m in a much better place.”
“I feel energized.”
“This is clarity.”
“Feels like a breakthrough!”
And my personal favorite:
“You’re a magician.”
Treasure Chest
I bet you find a gem! ➔ urban nature photography | an interview with renegade CEO Rose Marcario | remote work surveillance software is vile1 | a literary map of online proximity and influence2 | how reading rewires your brain | women poets for days | who should stop unethical AI? | why Amazon prefers memos to powerpoint | Sally Ride’s Geraldine Ferraro button | meet Shameika Stepney, the woman who, as a fourth grader, inspired Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters
If you haven’t noticed, this newsletter is full of badass women. Happy Women’s History Month!
Have a great weekend. I’ll see you again soon.
Jenny
Via Jason Fried.
Via Azeem Azhar.