What Fascinated Me This Week
Things that Got Me Thinking
How would you answer this question?
“What is something you miss, but if offered, you don’t actually want back?”
This is a compelling prompt offered from The Moon Lists Substack. Each month, The Moon List offers a set of questions to get you thinking. You could use it as a writing prompt, a journaling prompt or just questions to halt your day and consider.
My favorite, from the February list: “UNSUBSCRIBE: Whose voice or influence do you need to dial down right now?”
Usually, the voice I need to dial down at any given time is my own. It’s the negative rumination from which I need to unsubscribe. And this week offered me the perfect opportunity to do this. Two of my regular yoga instructors were out of town, so I practiced with substitutes. Their styles and flows and encouragement were quite different from what I’ve grown used to. My body and mind were challenged in new ways. I had to get out of my own head, abandon expectation and simply listen. The surrender was a reminder to flow with the current of life, not against it. This tiny and simple change gave me a refreshing burst of energy and now I’m going to change things up every week!
And while on the subject of changes in perspective, this graphic essay was exactly what I needed to see to help me think differently about my relationship to my roles as wife, mother, woman, writer, artist and worker. My children are in their late-teenage years and my husband and I are facing dynamic changes in our responsibilities as parents and as partners. I have become increasingly self-centered (don’t judge; I’ve spent the last twenty years making sacrifices for others). But I sometimes forget that I am not an island; I am not the only one who needs caring. I should be asking more questions, rather than solely seeking answers.
But one of my goals in the next chapter of life is to become a consummate explorer. I love to travel and I want so many experiences. This organization offers intentional travel opportunities for teenagers and adults. They don’t offer luxury travel and guided tours, but education, so one can learn the history and culture and language of a place. I seriously want to do ALL their trips…
Last, and simply because we could all use a bit of lighthearted humor, The New York Times Cooking team has compiled a list of the “best” user comments left on their recipes. I laughed so hard…
Next week, I’ll be at the San Miguel Writer’s Conference. I’m taking craft workshops across several genres to widen my writing skills. I’ll post an update when I return. In the meantime, I hope changes you confront will offer you refreshing introspection. I’d love to hear the ways your perspective changed because of a simple question or a tiny change in your routine.
Be well. Keep exploring.