GM! Here’s what you’ll find in today’s email:
You dropped this: 👑
Put them in courage
How to give a compliment
A kind face
Unhooking from praise and criticism
1. You dropped this: 👑
Positive self-talk is so important, but I confess—it isn’t always my reality.
2. Put them in courage
I recently worked through a YouTube drawing lesson with Lynda Barry,1 and it turned out to be a masterclass in confidence. It is such a gift to encourage another person to go, be, and do. To put them so solidly “in courage.” Thanks, teach.
3. How to give a compliment
Whether it’s meant for you or for someone else, a good compliment is genuine and meaningful. No BS, please. Keep it true—to the people involved and to the context. Also, try to reflect the recipient’s values. That means getting real about what actually matters to them, not reinforcing outside expectations. Even (especially?) if that person is you.
4. A kind face
On my first day of unsupervised visits as a chaplain, I stood before the nurse manager. I was sweating in my brand new, embarrassingly stiff lab coat and looking, I’m sure, like a terrified bunny. She sized me up in all my insecurity and offered a lifeline...
5. Unhooking from praise and criticism
Tara Mohr describes a process of unhooking from praise and criticism that, she says, is necessary on a path to fulfilling work. I utilize her approach frequently in my coaching, and I like this imagery:
Thank you for reading
This newsletter is a labor of love. 💌 If you would like to show your support, you can forward it to a friend, venmo me a coffee, or engage my services. If you’re seeing it for the first time, you can access the archive or subscribe here.
C’ville opportunity - walk and talk
On Wednesday, 6/16 I will hold a walk and talk day in Charlottesville. This is a great opportunity for inexpensive coaching. Each 45-minute session will take place while walking. Think JLP support with the added benefits of ditching your devices and getting some movement. Bring me a work problem, a life problem, a spiritual question, or anything else that needs a sounding board. We will depart from Ix Art Park, and you will set the pace. We can stroll, stretch, strut, or stride. Whatever you need.
Treasure chest
I bet you find a gem ➔ my heart aches for Israeli and Palestinian parents as they buffer their children’s trauma | “The Diameter of the Bomb” (poem)2 | book recs on Israel and Palestine | the problem with ambiguous grammar | 8 things we should ditch post-pandemic | copying is how we learn | brain research confirms the stupidity of back-to-back meetings | the trouble with adulting👇🏼
Have a great weekend! I’ll see you again soon.
Jenny
Via Austin Kleon.
Via Leah Solomon.