I love reading people's favorite thing lists: books, restaurants, skin care, music etc. because they give me ideas I've never thought of.
So here's a list of five things I'm into right now that you might like too.
1. Memoirs. I've read four in the last month and I'm not sure why. Here they are by favorite.
-
- Mother Mary Comes to Me - Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy who wrote The Ministry of Utmost Happiness and The God of Small Things. If you're a fan of the Indian Subcontinent and complicated mothers, this is a strong pick.
- All the Way to the River - Liz Gilbert of Eat Pray Love fame wrote probably the most candid memoir I've ever read about the flammable mix of love and addiction. Her gentle, soothing voice on Audible taught me much about the 12-step process, which was, for her, neither gentle nor soothing. Captivating and masterful as always.
- Between Two Kingdoms - Suleika Jaouad, whose second book on the creative process I haven't read yet, but I will because this memoir about her cancer diagnosis and subequent journey at age 22 is a stunner. Lucid. Bright. Deep water for sure.
- Awake - Jen Hatmaker chronicles the collapse of her marriage and her role as an evangelical superstar, while deconstructing her Baptist childhood in Texas. I wanted to love it, but I didn't. While I admire the courage it took to write it with such candor and perspective, especially after her brutal cancellation, the vignettes felt choppy to me. I guess it's a compliment that I wanted a couple thousand more words for each one. Not so much a criticism, I think, more a preference. It's timely though, and worth the read.
2. Data Driven Menopause Advice. Like this post from Dr. Mary Clare Haver about supplements that really help menopause-related sleep disruption. Not sleeping is more than just annoying, it has big implications, like increased cardiovascular risk. Heart disease is still the #1 killer of women. Spoiler Alert: Magnesium Bisglycinate is her #1 pick for sleep help.
3. This Substack by someone called The Shadowed Archive. When I stumbled across this post about friendship, I almost didn't read it because it was pages long, but some commenter said, "This is the best thing I've ever read - no hyperbole." Another said, "It's writing like this that makes me wonder why I even bother." I honestly felt the same way. Here's a tiny sip to make you want to swallow the whole thing. Sweet Jesus, I read it twice.
4. Rivers and Mother Nature. Three days ago, for our 20th wedding anniversary, Sam and I rolled up to Pagosa Springs to check out the greens, golds and oranges of a Colorado fall. They did not disappoint. We ended up car-camping along the beautiful San Juan River in a supremely underprepared, but not atypical way. Meaning, one blanket in rainy cold temps, two dogs, some cheese, no flashlight and that's about it.
Early the next morning, cold and giggling about how silly we are, we grabbed some gas station coffee and split, but evidently, that light drizzle didn't.
The San Juan River, little more than a late season creek when we camped on it, rose up and flooded the whole town - dropping tons of silt and debris in our beloved hot springs. My friend Margaret posted this pic below.
Obviously, I don't love this, it's super destructive for a town that chokes during shoulder season anyway. So while they clean it up, if you can, maybe road trip up to Pagosa to see the leaves and spend some money downtown - help the businesses out a bit.
5. My New Training. This week I'm hosting a live training on three different nights called: Managing Midlife in a World Gone Wild. The premise is this: Midlife is a painful but necessary deconstructive period that most people try to avoid - especially when the world is chaotic.
But the world will continue being chaotic, and what's needed is for people with skills, wisdom and experience to step into their callings and make what they can, better. Come what may.
This is also known as purpose.
You may have a sense of stuckness at midlife, like "what am I doing with my life?" Or a rumbling inside that says "I know what I want, but do I have the courage to do it?"
Bring both questions to one of the trainings this week - Oct 15, 16, 19th at 7CST. You can grab your seat here.
We're going to take apart perfectionism, people-pleasing, imposter, and give you a whole new grid for thinking about midlife, plus some nervous system regulation to boot.
I love teaching and I'd love to see you there. Here's the link to register.
Have a great week.
Responses