I write this from the shallow swamp where the black dog hunts, otherwise known as a bout of the blues. I wrote about NOT being ashamed of being depressed here, and it’s been one of my popular posts ever. Turns out many of us suffer from feeling depressed. AND while it’s how I feel right now – oh so friggin blah – it doesn’t sum up August, just the last half.
The first half was sweetness itself – finishing the second Taos writing retreat (such deep wonder in teaching writing to such amazing women, just makes me so damn happy), then a vacation with the Bobster in amazing Tofino, where being in an intact ecosystem together, surrounded by old growth forest, eating oysters from the cold water, kayaking and hiking, left us both humming with grateful love.
Writing about what was good in August reminds me – yet again – of the all important truth: moods change. This too shall move along. There will be sweetness and creativity and shimmering contentment again. It’s all okay.
When I look at my other recent popular post written in July, when I was feeling great, that also shows me how life swings and jitterbugs.
And so it is. Thanks for being in my world.
Love,
Jen
JOIN ME
I’m hosting a life navigation shindig this month. The party includes:
- Brilliant guest posts contributed by accomplished women about how they choose their lives. Jump in with:
Life Navigation with Sarah Selecky
Life Navigation with Susan Hyatt
Life Navigation with Laura Roeder
Coming up: Tara Mohr, Natalie Lussier, Justine Musk, Karen Walrond, Kate Northrup, Christina Rasmussen, and Ann Handley. I am savoring every one of these, and taking notes!
- Inspiring gifts and a “Life Navigation Primer” call with me and you (I hope) on September 17th at 4pm Pacific. The call will be recorded and a link emailed if you can’t attend live. But you need to sign up here. I’m very proud of this course and the results women who have taken it have experienced. Hope you will join me for the sampler.
WHAT I’M READING
The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman
This is what I wrote on GoodReads:
“Lev Grossman has created a morally rich and true fantasy masterpiece. I imagine he wanted to answer THE question: How do we live in the face of evil, depression, meaninglessness & not getting our way? And he did. He took the moral imperative of the Narnia chronicles and modernized them. He took his own story (I imagine!?) of being a very smart, gifted guy who grew up to find being super-duper smart didn’t matter if you weren’t also willing to be kind, to love, and to fight for what matters. This book – and the whole trilogy – is a masterpiece. I do not use the word flippantly. I will study these books for years to come when I finally set out to write my fantasy novel. Thank you Lev for writing something so true.”
The Endless Practice by Mark Nepo
Brand new. Savoring a few pages a day. “If we hold what has suffered, we will share in what is free.”
The Gravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman
Liked parts of this so much but in the end questioned how complicated the plot became. A good airplane read.
Lexicon by Max Barry
I’m not a thriller reader nor do I read much dystopian fiction. I picked this up on a whim and devoured it. Not uplifting yet not depressing because it’s just so clever – the play on language, the insights into technology and capitalism, and the tiny bit of magic. GREAT airplane read.
WHAT I’M WATCHING
I’m in a dry spell. Everything I try is too dark – I really can’t watch murder shows. Also NetFlix doesn’t get new series for so darn long. We need a better movie and TV delivery system.
Did watch the LEGO movie and loved it. Super sly. Everything is awesome!
LAST WORDS
“Unflinching self-kindness” is what one reader said helps her when she’s blue. I wish that for me and you.
Love,
Jen
