Thank you for reading And Also, a weekly newsletter featuring personal stories and lesson plans to help you navigate life ✨!
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Hi hello from Portland, Oregon, where we have finally thawed out after a week-long snow — and ice! — storm.
And welcome to the first edition of And Also! Extras, a monthly newsletter full of personal updates, books I recommend, and things that have grabbed my attention or made me think lately — all resources that I hope will be as interesting to you as they are to me!
Let’s get into it.
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She’s (Almost) an Author
I finished the first draft of my novel!
(!!!)
I technically finished writing the first draft four days before my birthday in December, but I hand-wrote the last three quarters of the book, and it took me awhile to transcribe everything. But I finally finished and had it printed right before the snow started to fall a little over a week ago!
I still kind of can’t believe it and I’m trying to let myself soak in the significance of this moment for awhile, instead of immediately moving onto what I need to do next (which is: make A LOT of edits, share with people I trust for feedback, edit some more, and so on).
Of course, I’ve thought about all of these next steps I want and need to take with the next draft — not in a “I need to do this” sort of way, but in a way that feels really exciting and fresh. I am so proud and so happy that I have this “mound of clay” to work with and I can’t wait to make this book better and better!
Until then though, I’m reveling in the fact that I finally did this thing. I finally wrote an entire book! And I’m quite certain it won’t be my last.
In My Educator Era
From the time I was very, very little, I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up (and a “book writer”, natch). I even got my Masters in Education, but for various reasons, I never ended up back in the classroom. Not until recently anyway!
Last October, I got to lead the first of three seminars on Inclusive Leadership for the University of Oregon’s MBA students, and I’m preparing to lead the second session in early February!
I am also completely refreshing my Writing Your Way Through course — with a focus on addressing the underlying roots behind writer’s block and other creative conflicts — and I’m really excited to relaunch that in the Spring! (P.S. If that sounds interesting to you, please reply to this and let me know. I can answer any questions you might have, and reach out to you directly when it’s live!)
Interestingly but unsurprisingly, teaching is a new area where self-sabotage has been showing up for me lately — it’s where I want to procrastinate the most and where I tend to undermine my own knowledge and experience. It’s almost like once I figured out the ways to move through that fear and doubt while writing my book (which is something I’ll walk students through in Writing Your Way Through 2.0!), my fears and doubts found a new place to go.
Like I said, not altogether surprising — teaching in this way is a stretch for me, not because I’m incapable, but because it’s challenging me to show up in different and bigger ways. But knowing what I do about self-sabotage and my own patterns of impostor syndrome and self-doubt, I also know that I don’t have to be slowed down by it; I can just witness what’s happening, be gentle with myself, remind myself that I do actually know what I’m doing (and I can fix or figure out what I don’t), and keep on going.
On that note, I’m also thinking of hosting short, one-off workshops for paid subscribers of this newsletter! I’m thinking sessions on how to use self-discovery tools like Human Design and astrology (and my new fave, which I share more about below!), using storytelling to process your past — things like that. What would you like to learn more about from me?
A New Mystical Obsession
If you know me well, you know I love systems that help people have a better understanding of who they are and how they’re designed to operate with the most ease in the world. In recent years, Human Design and astrology have been — and continue to be — my favorite resources for that sort of guidance.
Yes, they’re more esoteric; yes, they may or may not be “real”, but my feeling is that things have the meaning we give them, and even if these systems are entirely made up, if they connect to a part of you that says, “Yes, that’s me!”; if they affirm who you know yourself to be and remind you what you’re capable of; if they encourage you to be thoughtful about the unique individuality inherent in all of us and help you to see every other human as different from you in a way that’s beautifully interconnected — then who the hell cares whether or not they’re “real”?!
I digress. I have a new obsession under this particular umbrella and it’s called the Matrix of Destiny. I learned about it last year and have recently attended some workshops taught by Michelle Pellizzon Lipsitz — who runs the North Node community in Holisticism — to learn more about it. Michelle also has an incredible creative inquiry newsletter called SPACIES, which I highly recommend!
Anyway, I’m very into Matrix of Destiny, and if you think you might be too, please just ask me about it so I can tell you more than you ever actually wanted to know, okay? Okay.
In the Spirit of Self-Sabotage
“You are going to have to decide that you love yourself too much to stop settling for less than what you really deserve.” - Brianna Wiest
Or rather, in the spirit of not self-sabotaging — which is our theme of the month (see below) — here are a few of my favorite reads on the topic:
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks: In seminal self-help book, Gay talks about two concepts that have stuck with me long after my first read — our individual “upper limit” (or the maximum amount of love, money, success, etc. we feel comfortable having before we start to “turn the temperature” down to a level we feel more familiar with) and our Zone of Genius (naturally, this is the zone we want to be operating from most often!). The book is a quick read and I think it’s a perfect primer to help you really become aware of where you might get in your own way and why — and how to stop!
The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest: Brianna is a beautiful writer and has a way of breaking down seemingly complex topics in a really accessible way. She also has a very straightforward, almost tough love sort of voice, that serves to inspire without being unrealistic or out of touch. (Psst: If you’re a fan of Brianna’s work, you won’t want to miss next week’s newsletter!)
More on self-sabotage ⬇️
Suggestions for Your Next Snow Day
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I read both of these incredible books during Portland’s snow and ice shenanigans last week, and I really enjoyed them! Without giving too much away:
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride: This novel tells the story of Black and Jewish residents living in a small Pennsylvania town in the 1920s and ‘30s. I really enjoy character-driven books, and I particularly loved this cast of characters and the way McBride so seamlessly connected them all together. He’s a beautiful writer, and the characters’ lives and humanity are so vividly realized on the page, I found myself holding my breath as I read what was happening in their lives and town at the end.
Wellness by Nathan Hill: This one is long, and I read it in just a few days. I say that not to brag, but to highlight how compulsively readable this book was (and how icy it was outside — I wasn’t going anywhere!). I am blown away by the amount of research and character development and backstory and connecting of different threads that Hill attempts (and, I believe, succeeds at!) here. I love the way he wrote about relationships and how real his characters seemed, even in sometimes implausible-seeming situations. Truly could not put this one down!
Self-Help That Doesn’t Suck
Dr. Mariel Buqué’s book is one I’ve been so excited to get my hands on after listening to her on the To Be Magnetic podcast.
Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma by Dr. Mariel Buqué: I’ve only just started this book, and I have a feeling it’s one I’ll want to move through slowly. In it, Dr. Mariel explains how trauma is inherited from one generation to the next, and walks readers through how to heal these emotions and break the cycle of hurt and unhealthy dynamics. There are exercises and reflection questions throughout, and Dr. Mariel seems to be a not only wise, but kind guide through this process. This year, I’m writing a collection of essays about the ancestral connection between my maternal grandma, my aunt, my mom, and me — and I think this book will be a helpful companion along the way.
“The power of cycle breakers is the power to build intergenerational legacies. Your ancestors have been waiting with anticipation for you to find yourself here, breaking cycles that honor both you and them.” - Dr. Mariel Buqué
“Why Being Uncomfortable is Important” - NPR Life Kit
But we knew that, right? ⬇️A tour of Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad’s Brooklyn-based home. I absolutely love the two of them, and now I want to live with them too!
Your 2024 Numerology Forecast: A Universal 8 Year of Money & Power. I’m in a Personal Year 2 in numerology, but I loved reading more about the collective year energy of our Universal Year 8!
So huge about your first draft! This is the moment 💖
ADORED Wellness by Nathan Hill.