“What the world needs is people who have come alive.” 🤩~Howard Thurman
what makes "you" you (#366)
Last week was rough. But I have started feeling a little bit better this week, so I’m taking the win. 🏆
A few weeks ago, as part of my speaking homework, one of the assignments was to create a collage that captured my essence.
My initial thoughts were:
What the heck is an essence?
What could that even look like?
How will I find pictures for this?
Do I even have enough to make a collage?
Who is Jessica? What makes me, me.
And then I started going through my phone with the assignment in mind and pictures started jumping out at me. I started grabbing photos of me:
Being on stage
Dancing
Going to fun events and shows
Doing things solo, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not
Hanging out with friends and family
Embracing my weird, quirky self
Helping people
Being outside, soaking up the sun
Trying new things
And came up with:
What is my essence then?
Me prioritizing my care and joy.
Me eating cake.
Me doing things that make me feel alive.
Me having a similar pose in a lot of my photos.
Me finding moments of joy amidst the chaos.
And more that I am still figuring out. But I love this as a start.
What’s your essence?
What makes “you” you?
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Let’s Chat!
Use these prompts however you like. You can reply here or write about them in your journal. You can noodle on them as you go about your day. You can skip them entirely. It’s up to you. 😉
Write down something that inspired you today.
What makes “you” you?
On to the picks!
Note: This email may contain affiliate links. If you click through my link and make a purchase, I may receive “thank you money” at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love.
#loves 😍
🎧. Listening: What to Do with Random Pockets of Time. Kendra has a few suggestions: you can choose to rest or play or read, batch something, or do something that’ll move your work, business, or life goals forward. Take a listen to start noodling on ways to use random pockets of time. Also, if you want to hear other helpful podcast episodes for jugglers, I have a playlist!
🗒️. Tool: Readwise. One of my favorite tools - I get daily emails that resurface book/article quotes I have highlighted over the years. I found this one helpful to read this week. This is from The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo:
New managers sometimes ask me, “A decade into the job, what’s something you’re still continuing to learn?” My answer is, “How to be the best leader I can while staying true to who I am.”
#reads
Why creators are in less of a rush to quit their day jobs
“For them, the day job is a feature, not a bug, and they don’t have dreams of working in coffee shops and trapezing around the globe. They’re perfectly fulfilled creating their content on nights and weekends, and any revenue they generate from that content is just an added bonus.”
Simon highlights the benefits of a side hustle: diversifying income, daily structure, and collaborating with others. Some of us love our day jobs but also want something of our own. The #sidehustlelife lets us have the best of both worlds.
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If you need help deciding whether or not to do something, ask yourself, “Would I do it tomorrow?”
“That’s it—those five words. Not: Would I do it on some theoretical day in the future? This is the crucial question: Would I upend whatever I am doing tomorrow so that I can go there and do that?”
#icymi
😍. Last issue’s top pick: My Resources Page
🎤. ASK: My goal is to book 3 paid speaking gigs this year. If you know of one, I’d love an intro. I talk about side hustles, newsletters, and childhood hobbies as adults. Learn more about my speaking offerings here.
🔍. Curious about my process for producing this newsletter every week? This one-hour training will take you behind the scenes.
#classifieds 🗞
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#lifevibes
supporters ☕️
Thank you, Tawanna, Gia, Lori, Ayana, Krista, Jessica, Annetta, Constance, Tunde, Jen, Michelle, Emile, Bex, Kim, Angela G., Lauren B., Chelsea, Amy, Ricky, Kirsten, Vin, Julie, Nicole, Hmza, Greg, Kristin, Kirstyn, Jess, Cheryl, Krysta, Adrena, Vidya, Kristyn, Danielle, Keryn, Terry, Vanessa, Meredith, Lauren, Meg, Maria J., Chivon, Kim, Luciano, Colie, Chasity, Laurie, Latienda, Collette, Anne, Kristen, Liz, Katherine, Monale, Betsy, Melissa, Lindsay, Jennifer, Kayla, Madison, Rae, Stephanie, Christine R., Christine M., Frances, Hannah, Chris, Brandy, Mea, Kristian, Maria K., Avery, Adam, Barbara, Shenee, Desiree, Lisa, Kandice, L’Oreal, and LaVerne for being #jesspicks supporters!! ❤️
Found this content helpful?
I love the question of what is essence, I wonder how I would paint it, and what mine would look like! I do love the intangibility of it though, something sacred about a thing that can’t be pinned down. Love your collage!