Where the rubber meets the road
Finding the steady ground beneath you (+ calls are on this week!)
Announcements:
My second annual Year in Review + Intentional Goal Setting Workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18th. Sliding scale. Let’s be together and share our visions for the future.
Calls are on this week!
Tuesday, 11/12 (tonight!) at 6pm PST: Register here
Wednesday, 11/13 at 9am PST: Register here
Good morning, everyone.
It’s been six weeks since I was last in your inbox, which is the longest break I’ve taken since I first launched this newsletter back in April 2020.
Obviously I had no idea what the outcome of the US election would be when I sent my most recent essay back on October 1st.
So this morning I find myself—a person who runs a creative business online—walking the finest line of wanting to show up in an appropriate way in your inbox without adding to the noise. Let’s see how this goes.
Today’s inspiration:
"What is to give light must endure burning.”
Here’s what I know: In order to keep going, we have to take care of ourselves.
This morning, my only encouragement is that you rest. Float on your back, swim parallel to shore, step away from the screens, do whatever it takes to find ground. We can’t keep enduring if everyone is exhausted.
Reconnect to what’s out here in reality: Your animal body. Your people. The dirt, the sky. The simple power of inhale, exhale.
In case you need it: I give you permission. Rest. If you feel rested, take something off someone you love’s plate so they can rest.
Once you feel the ground back underneath you (it’s helpful that she’s always there), then you mobilize.
I know my role in the resistance and I suggest you discover yours if you haven’t already. There are many ways to be an activist.
Here’s a helpful frame:
You have more power than you know. Do not cede it so easily. We will never go “back” to how things were before, regardless of what maniacs in power would lead us to believe.
I was reading recently that under authoritarian regimes, people often give up their rights prematurely because they believe that since they’re going to be stripped of them anyway, why not get ahead of it? We won’t capitulate so easily, though, will we? We must disrupt and disobey, especially those of us who have the capacity/status/power/privilege/access/resources/means, which, let’s be honest, is probably most of you reading this newsletter.
Develop steadiness within you so you can create steadiness without.
What’s been grounding me:
This article: “10 ways to be prepared and grounded now that Trump has won.” This is admittedly a tough read but in order to have a say over reality we must look at reality with eyes open.
This discussion between US historian Heather Cox Richardson and Jon Stewart
100% abstaining from social media for the foreseeable future
Not looking at mass media—not once—since election night, and shoring up my independent media sources
Checking in via text with friends and family every day.
Attending to skin, muscles, bones, and getting plenty of rest.
Not thinking past January 2025 (more on this at some point but I believe that in order for us to continue to function with our broken-ass, exhausted hearts, we’ll need to bring horizons waaaaay in. Projecting too far in the future is a recipe for paralysis).
Finding joy with friends over dinners, on long phone calls, exchanging art and ideas.
Reminding myself of the following:
I have more capacity than I’ve ever had to be of service and to keep my heart open, even and especially toward people who hold opposing views to mine.
My world view means that I trust there is a reason I am on the planet at this moment in time, and that I have everything I need within me to participate in a creating a future that works for all of us
It also means that I know—not believe, I know—that this amount of darkness is an indication that light is on its way.
The difficult part about this one for my human brain is that in order to have full trust I must also 100% release attachment to the timeline I want.
Which means: I might not live to see the arrival of the light. That timeline is none of my business. My business is dismantling all the harmful systems and structures that live in my body, in my DNA, and thus perpetuate themselves out in reality, so that I can contribute to a consciousness that is evolving at an extraordinary rate, despite so much evidence to the contrary.
Spending time with the little creature with whom I cohabitate and whose goofball presence brings me back to the present
Continuing to cultivate as much physical strength as possible which blessedly also translates to cultivating more mental strength
Other updates:
For the foreseeable future, I am reducing my essay output from four essays/month to one essay/month. Essay will probably drop at month end, who can say. I might be moved to write more, and I’m not committing to more than one/month.
Weekly call schedule is now 2x/month. Calls are happening this week!
Tuesday, 11/12 (tonight!) at 6pm PST: Register here
Wednesday, 11/13 at 9am PST: Register here
Paid subscriptions are paused indefinitely. If/when I choose to turn them back on, current paid subscribers will be notified.
My second annual Year in Review + Intentional Goal Setting Workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18th. Sliding scale! Suggested donation is $25 but you can donate more or less. If you’re squeezed for funds you can also email me and I’ll just give you the Zoom link.
Together, we will reflect on the highs—and lows(!)—of the year. Out of this reflection, you’ll create/discover your word for 2025. Think of this as a North Star you can refer to all year long.
This will be the sixth year I am practicing this and it’s always a helpful exercise (though, if you pick a word like adventure, like I may or may not have done in 2023, BE PREPARED).
That’s it for today. How are you all hanging in?
Remember, you are always invited to book time with me if you need support or want to talk about any of this. I’m here <3
Life is still beautiful.
Being alive is a miracle.
Despite everything, I am still in love with the world.
SELF MADE empowers you to liberate yourself from societal programming and step boldly into a life of your design. Posts are written by me, Dani Cirignano, writer, Integral Coach, and recovery guide based in San Francisco, CA.
Click here to learn about working with me 1:1. Check out the “About” page for more information about our online community and click any of the “Subscribe Now” buttons to become a subscriber.
You can also support this work by pressing the little heart button on these posts, sharing this newsletter with others, and letting me know how this newsletter helps you.
Thank you.
Thanks Dani. I liked the resistance chart. I'm Build Alternatives. ❤️