Hey,
I’m ready to wind this year down. What a doozy. One of the bright spots in it has been this newsletter. Thanks for sticking around.
Jenny
No Lessons Learned Here
Not that long ago, a version of me would have written a wrap-up of lessons learned from this year. There’s nothing I could be less interested in anymore, and maybe weirdly, that’s the lesson learned. Things change very slowly and all at once - sometimes simultaneously.
But this isn’t a year I want to forget. I took some big leaps—I left a job after nearly a decade, chose to take several months off work to see what my life looked like outside of work, learned to ride a road bike confidently, and then proceeded to ride it across an entire state, and braved a lot of loss—both death and changes.
Something that has been consistent throughout all this is small practices that I became devoted to. Someone once told me the phrase “resilience recipe” — a list of things that bring you a little joy and peace of mind.
This year, I got very acquainted with the concept. I made an actual list and tried to make sure most days I did a few of those things.
The list will change as I change, but the commitment to making time for this is what’s important. Because life is so daily, it’s nice if the things that ground you, energize you, delight you can fit in your day.
If it’s helpful for you to think of what your resilience recipe will be, go for it. Prioritizing these things for yourself each week will go a long way.
Recommendation Corner:
Salted cashew brittle recipe is a banger
Doechii’s Tiny Desk concert
Listen to the audiobook of The Creative Act. You can listen to an essay in just 3-4 minutes and it’s really helpful.
Jon Batiste is a divinely-touched music savant and good person who released a new album mixing classical music with his New Orleans heritage - Beethoven Blues. Listen to him talking about finding the muse in the mundane.
If you need a good movie this break, check out To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar Well worth the Amazon rental fee.
Spending a weekend in Savannah, GA. I underestimated it. It was gorgeous.
This photo by Pia Paulina Guilmoth:
“𝒾 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘪 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥” by pia paulina guilmoth
Ending on a Good Note
I’m ending this year on a better note. I started a new role that fits really well into my life. This newsletter has been a bright spot in my year, and I’m thankful for those who have followed along and shared it. I look forward to more of this.
Celebrate your friends. Make a big deal about them. Play the walk-up music when they enter the room. Cheer for their wins. Take photos of the ordinary moments together. Split desserts. This is what makes life nice to live.