We ease into the weekend. For some reason I’ve shifted my natural waking time to be more of a morning person than I recall being in a while. I’ve been taking great pleasure in waking up and reading with my coffee in the morning. Bertram rousing himself for just enough time in the morning to re-arrange himself draped over my leg on the couch as I read.
My morning was spent reading – starting a new YA book that I’m unsure of, but making headway, getting distracted by another non-fiction title that I just wanted to re-read a few sections of. Forcing myself to stick to attention with one book rather than toggling between… several… is a challenge.
I had my monthly gathering with a group of women who are in my executive leadership group; we worked on catching up, and a presentation by Tisha, a member of our group on DEI focused on values. Some of the key takeaways: never doubt your significance, and the way authenticity can impact others.
- Questions to ponder:
- What are your top three values?
- Why are those values significant to you?
- How do your values impact your choices and actions?
Some other key points from the talk: nobody deserves to be mined as a resource. Also: the value of seeking out relationships that challenge you. I’m so grateful to Tisha for bringing her work into our group and sharing with us as she leads in her own communities.
Another member of our group, Rebeqa, led us in a guided session: “My ideal day 3 years from now”. The value of this exercise: if you know what your vision is, you can make it happen now. The process was a free write, with the goal of focusing on both the external details: Who is there? Where are you? What are you doing with your day? What are you looking forward to? And the internal details: using your 5 senses to describe what you are experiencing that day.
To wrap things up, we took turns identifying our super powers; including grappling with the term “super powers” and what that actually means. One member of our group reframed it: superpower: “I’m at my best when…”
Generally, I’m so deeply appreciative of the kind humans who show up to do this work together.
Other good things, today:
- Food: Gnocchi alla sorrentina with chopped fennel for dinner. For a late brunch, a Joseph’s Lavash wrap with cream cheese, chicken, Trader Joe’s green goddess dip. Snacky things. I started buying Trader Joe’s snack packs of almonds, which are very handy to have on hand if you are getting hangry. I also got myself some Candy Cane Joe-Joe ice cream, but my ability to make a decision on which dessert I want is completely shot at this time of night.
- Movement: long dog walk, short (freezing) run, 30 minute cycling, and a decompress and rest yoga class! I really enjoy the opportunity to do a variety of different forms of movement to break up my day, and re-charge in the moment.
- Relaxation: I took the time to watch the newest episode of the Mandalorian. I don’t watch very much television these days, but try to savor the time that I do!
Tomorrow I’m looking forward to: writing up this week’s CRAW recap (we’re in Colombia!), some batch cooking, a weekly retro with my “sprint” buddy, and a curated exhibit zoom of Monet at the MFA!
What’s good in your weekend so far?
xo, Sam
