I realized I skipped Open Thread #6 so this week youāre getting another #14 because thatās how my brain is working these days.
Hey all, happy Friday.
I keep thinking about this weekās post, about how what we consider ānormalā can be oppressive. Itās a conversation thatās been floating around on a macro level in Pandemia since COVIDās onset: a pushing back on the narrative of going back to ānormal,ā since, for most of us, ānormalā actually kind of sucked at best, or was literally, you know, murdering us at worst.
Iāve been thinking about how this plays out on a micro, individual level, too. How, so often, what weāve come to accept or tolerate as ānormalā for ourselves and our lives and the way we live is holding us back. I shared how in sobriety, Iāve had to consciously push back on my own ingrained tendencies, and actively choose new coping strategies when I find myself swirling in the loop of my own making.
My question for us this week:
How do you snap yourself out of your bullshit?
When I get caught up in the misery of my own mind, Iāve learned that it helps to take Tater on a walk; phone a friend; or do something as simple as stepping away from the screen and looking out the window (or someone elseās window). What I forgot to mention: MUSIC. The right song at a low moment can shift everything, especially if I let myself dance or move along with it.
These actions might seem small, but our ability to snap out of our stories and loops is what creates change - real, lasting change. We start with ourselves, we radiate out, we change the world.
I would love to get your tips and tricks in the comments below šš½. I will collect them and share next week. Letās make a map of bullshit zapping strategies, yeah?
I love you. Keep going ā„ļøĀ
xxoo dani
ā All the links that moved my soul this week:
š¼ Dolly Parton was a guest on the Stephen Colbert show and when she spontaneously broke out into song he couldnāt help but cry (as if there were any other option) (thank you to Queen LGB, dear friend and newsletter community member, for aware-ing me of this one <3)
š The 52 Stages of Insomnia. If just reading that gave you anxiety (as it did this chronically underslept human when she first saw it) I promise it will make you giggle instead.
š¦ Yāall know I am obsessed with Rebecca Solnit. Hereās her latest on Lit Hub:
"The tricky thing about hope is to not confuse it with optimism. Optimism is confidence that you know the future and it requires nothing of you. Itās a mirror image of pessimism, which likewise assumes it knows the future, only pessimismās future is dismal and not up to us either. Hope is a sense of possibility within the uncertainty of a future that does not yet exist, but that we are making by our actions (and yeah, those we loathe and oppose are making by theirs: case study, the ramming through of Amy Coney Barrettās supreme court nomination and all that voter suppression).ā
š I just. Yeah. Iām not sure how to make sense of this artist (these artists?). I was deeply moved.
š¤ So this one is long. And hard. And so so necessary. Every last story is necessary.
šÆ And finally, some horn tooting: My latest piece in The Temper. Itās about how raging out on the barbell helped me in early recovery. Would love to hear what you think.
Thank you so much for being a part of this community. If you like this newsletter, please consider sending it to a friend or subscribing. And donāt forget to drop your tips and tricks in the comments below <3
Dani! I love your article and think that must be what I'm missing in my life right now. I still feel that rage and no brisk walk or yoga session seems to cut it. How are you working out now that you're at home? Is there a plan you follow? I think I need something like weightlifting back in my life!!
And, the way I snap out of the bullshit is to go outside. Sometimes, placing myself in nature is the only way I remember my soul.
oh mujer. I so hear you. Ugh. Honestly, it's been tough in that regard. I attend two outdoor workouts/week that my gym hosts, where we incorporate bodyweight and dumbbell movements, and then otherwise I've started <gasp> running....but yeah. It's not the same.
And thanks for the reminder about getting outside. I'm looking for a dog friendly hike this weekend...wish I could go on a hike with you <3
Dani! I love your article and think that must be what I'm missing in my life right now. I still feel that rage and no brisk walk or yoga session seems to cut it. How are you working out now that you're at home? Is there a plan you follow? I think I need something like weightlifting back in my life!!
And, the way I snap out of the bullshit is to go outside. Sometimes, placing myself in nature is the only way I remember my soul.
oh mujer. I so hear you. Ugh. Honestly, it's been tough in that regard. I attend two outdoor workouts/week that my gym hosts, where we incorporate bodyweight and dumbbell movements, and then otherwise I've started <gasp> running....but yeah. It's not the same.
And thanks for the reminder about getting outside. I'm looking for a dog friendly hike this weekend...wish I could go on a hike with you <3