"There are two ways of spreading light. To be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it." ~Edith Wharton
This week has been fast & furious! We kicked off our fourth cohort of WiSTEM this week!! Yay!!
I also moderated my second panel ever (!!) at the Midwest Women in Tech Conference. Imagine about 350 women (and some men) descending on Google for a day. To say the energy was incredible would be a huge understatement. The stories shared were real and vulnerable and so uplifting. Such an amazing event. And with that and WiSTEM this week, it just reminds me that I'm in the middle of an amazing, incredible, inspiring group of badass women.
Compared to some of the lows I was feeling last week and a bit of this week, I feel renewed and blessed. I've been spending too much time comparing and worrying about other people. I need to remember that the only person I can control is me. And I sometimes forget that even though I may not feel that way all the time, I do make an impact by being here, by writing #jesspicks, by blogging, by running a program, by doing what I do.
Sometimes even if it may not seem like it, there are girls and boys watching you and seeing new possibilities, there are men and women looking to you as an example, for guidance or inspiration. You never know who you may be impacting.
This weekend, I raise my pear martini to you - because even though you may not believe it or feel it, you are making an impact. Cheers!
On to the picks for the week!
P.S. Keep on singing your song... xoxo
These Amazing Websites Will Teach You a Great New Skill (Even If You're Busy) — www.pickthebrain.com
This list is awesome - if you want to learn how to code, practice a new language, grow a business, or help your brain out there's a website for that.
33 Ways to Monetize Your Blog [Infographic] — michelleshaeffer.com
This infographic lays out 33 ways to make money with your blog - I think it's cool that affiliate marketing, the one I'm really going all in for this year, is #1. :)
Healthy Tips: 8 Ways to Stay Healthyish on the Go — greatist.com
I love these tips for those of us on the go - I especially like #2 - "no phone calls sitting down". Any tips in here you can add to your daily life?
Now you can easily save web articles to your Kindle on iOS — www.theverge.com
I normally use Pocket to save articles to read later and my Kindle to read books but I will have to try this option too!
#tooloftheweek
This is a new section I have been thinking of including for awhile - where I can highlight a tool every week for you. Hope it's helpful! :)
I think I stumbled on Goodreads 2 years ago and it's like a social networking site for book lovers. I set a goal of reading 24 books this year and I'm currently at 4 so I have some reading to do. You can put books on your to-do lists, find out what your friends are reading and leave reviews. It's fun! :)