"We learn from our greatness and our darkness." 🌓 ~Leslie Odom Jr.
Shout out to Christine Rosander and Stephanie Pollock for buying me coffees! Christine is an incredible musician that gives me all the bluesy soul vibes. Stephanie is a leadership coach and writer and I've been loving her weekly Leadership Letters for three years now. Thank you both so much. ☕️
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This week has been great in so many ways. I'm starting to feel like I'm getting back into a groove with work. And my energy is slowly starting to come back. And that's resulting in some awesome wins on that front. I did a mini side hustle training this week and that went well and was very validating about this work that I'm putting out into the world.
On the ankle front, I am now officially walking with one crutch which has been incredibly liberating. I can carry things now - which is just very exciting. And it's weird, but I feel like I'm learning to walk all over again. The journey is still long, but I am feeling so good about the progress that I'm making. All of this is helping me feel just more confident in myself and all that I am.
You know sometimes, I struggle a lot with comparison and not being as good as Person X or Person Y at something. And then that manifests itself as self-doubt, impostor syndrome and just an overall stuckness (is that a word?) in everything. And that's not to say that I will never feel that way again, because I'm human. And some days are better than others. But in this moment, I'm feeling like I'm stepping into more of me. Me, in all of my wacky idea, good at curation, bad at design, tequila + coffee loving, but picky eating glory.
That's me. Those are parts of who I am. And I'm learning to love all of those parts: the good ones and the not so good ones. Because all of those weird, quirky things make me who I am. All of those weird, quirky things make you who you are. And that's what makes us special. That is the thing that people will seek out. Those are the points of connection.
So if you find yourself struggling with self-doubt or the impostor monsters. Or comparing yourself to that person who seems to have it all together. Take a pause. And remind yourself about all the amazing ways that you, yourself are remarkable. Remind yourself about your qualities and your experiences and your stories. Because those are the things that people need to hear. They are parts of you that people love, trust and are inspired by.
On to the picks!
P.S. There are still tix available for the I Can't: Side Hustle class next Thursday! And two scholarships available for Black participants. Hit reply if you want one of those.
Note: This email may contain affiliate links. If you click through my link and make a purchase that means I may receive "thank you money" at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love.
#loves 😍
📺 Watching: Obsession Thrillogy on Lifetime. It's a three-night thriller movie event. Boy and girl become roommates, then lovers, then there is obsession, danger and deceit. Oh my! 😱 So excited for my friend of a friend Melissa Cassera who wrote all three scripts.
🎧 Listening: Hamilton Act 1 but it's Muppets. Just listen. Trust me. It's good for your soul.
📚 Reading: Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning. Loved this book by Leslie Odom Jr. (probably better known as 'Aaron Burr' in these parts!) I may have highlighted over 60 things in this book, it was so great. Thinking about writing a blog post about it soon too. Highly recommend.
☕️ Tool: Buy Me a Coffee. If you are looking for a way to get financial support for your creations, this tool is lovely. I have had 15 supporters since setting up my page in October. ☕️
#sponsor: BIPOC Business Directory
The Colours of Excellence- BIPOC Business Directory — www.thepersuasionrevolution.com
Bushra Azhar has created an amazing directory highlighting business excellence from people of colour, especially black people. Her words:
"The truth is this:
The business world needs more colour, more shades, more hues…because color is representation, colour is opportunity and colour is possibility.
This directory is the first step in making that happen. To highlight business excellence from people of color, especially black people.
These are creatives and coaches and mentors and experts and artists and speakers….all in one place to show you what the color of excellence looks like and my hope is that when you see these names, you not only take a moment to absorb the sheer talent behind these names but also choose to work with them, to spread the word about them and to give them a seat at your table."
#reads
How To Be A More Consistent Creator — joshspector.com
I am a huge fan of consistency. I am able to do this newsletter every week but always looking to build that consistency into other things: like blogging.
Josh recommends:
starting with the smallest possible habit (I could start by writing a sentence a day)
basing goals on output versus outcome (I could also commit to writing 1 blog post a month)
committing to releasing your creations at a set time (I could commit to releasing my post on the last Thursday of the month every month)
batching work and using technology (I could write 3 posts at one time and then schedule them out to post monthly)
71 Passive Income Ideas To Stop Trading Time for Money — www.sidehustlenation.com
As someone side hustling, while managing two day jobs and caregiving, I'm all for passive income ideas. Nick shares the best post on passive income ideas I've seen along with his own experiences with some of them. Definitely have this post on my to-read list.
Why Reflecting On Your Past Self-Care Is So Important — advice.shinetext.com
"What do you look like when you’re at your most cared for?" 🤔
This is a great question that I need to spend some time with myself. Tracking what your most cared for self looks like helps you establish a baseline of happiness and health on your own terms.
#icymi
😍 Last issue’s top pick was: How to start your own newsletter in 15 minutes
#lifevibes
#supporters ☕️
Thank you Stephanie, Christine R., Christine M., Frances, Hannah, Chris, Brandy, Mea, Kristian, Maria, Avery, Adam, Monale, Barbara, Shenee, Desiree, Lisa, Kandice, L'Oreal, and LaVerne for being #jesspicks supporters!! ❤️ Want to help support this newsletter? Buy me a coffee.
