New Year's Gifts For You

We had the happiest holiday break....after such an intense, punishing fall, it was pretty much all E. and I could do to pull Christmas off and then spend very much time in our jammies.  It took me the first week of break just to stop panicking. I didn't even know I was, to be honest, but then I would find myself standing up in the middle of hanging out with the kids or watching TV and feel like I'm supposed to be doing something only I can't remember what it is.  Then I would sit back down, bewildered, and nervously check the apps on my phone.  It was only last week that I really settled down into a slower rhythm--which, delicious!--and marveled at how little it can really take to fill a day if you let....time....slow....down.

Of course, when I asked the kids last night at dinner what they thought of break they both said they were bored and I said good, you are having a typical human-child experience in the United States of America and that boredom will lead you to greatness because you will want to flee my boring house and build your own daring and beautiful life on your own, as I did, and as all the generations before ours have.  At which statement they rolled their eyes, picked their nose, and cleared the table.

Cretins.

Anyway, one of my tasks today was to reflect on how I might transition back into work tomorrow with some semblance of grace.  We are going up to Idaho City to soak at The Springs this afternoon--one last little bit of sumptuous luxury before the great hamster wheel of work and school starts back up tomorrow--but before we go, and at the risk of adding to the millions of New Year's listicles out there, I wanted to give you some little gifts that won't require much of your time or money but which might help you ease back into your own post-holiday routine with a little sparkle and joy.

Here we go, in No Particular Order.

1.  We watched a lot of the last season of The Voice (on Hulu) over the break.  Which reminded me of how much I love Pharrell Williams, who is the moral compass of that show and is an ARTIST.  You might be annoyed by having to hear "Happy" on the radio all the time, but check out N*E*R*D if you haven't already. So amazing.  Anyway, I looked him up on the inter webs again and I've been watching this video pretty much every day.  It takes my breath away.  It is my anthem for 2016.

Plus, he wears jeans with an Adidas logo on his butt.  Awesome.

2.  Do yourself a favor and sign up for this.  It's free, and it changed my life this year, could change yours.

3.  You probably already read All The Light We Cannot See, I was late to it, but it is taking my breath away right this very moment.  Go to your public library and check it out, get on the waitlist, borrow a friend's copy.  Just read it.

4.   Speaking of self love, if you're on Facebook and aren't signed up already, why not ask to be admitted to the Boise Rad Fat Collective?  Even if you aren't fat?  Or even if you are fat but are afraid and ashamed that you are?  Or if you'd just like to stop being at war with your body, regardless of what it looks like?  Or if you want to stand in solidarity with your sisters and brothers who struggle with body shaming?  Or if you want to learn more about thin privilege?  Or if you want to understand what it really means to "love yourself," a phrase which has always mystified me but that now no longer rings empty?  

If you need a little taste of what body positivity (and bravery and feminism) look and feel like, you can always check this out:

In fact, if you haven't seen it yet, take two minutes, get your kids and loved ones, and watch it or the longer version together.

And as someone who has for most of her life given herself lots of dietary rules to live by and for many years hasn't been able to sense what her body is feeling until recently, and who had lots of negative self-talk always going on in the background, often without even realizing it, I also give you 100% permission to not diet, to not count calories, and to seek out things that feel good instead of things that make you feel guilty or ashamed.  I got a Fitbit for Christmas and I love it because I love data and metrics and movement.  But the first thing I did was disable the pounds tracker and calorie counter.  Because fuck that noise.

5.  If you happen to have a little cash, and you're like me and love habits, rituals, daily practices, and badass female mysticism, you could consider dropping some dollars on one of Danielle LaPorte's daily planners (and while you're at it you could sign up for her free periodic emails, which I also love).  I used to be like planners, what?  That's what Google calendar is for!  But then I read up on them and I love this so hard.  A great way to start your day.  

6.  Podcasts.  Podcasts, podcasts, podcasts.  If you're into podcasts yet, can I recommend them heartily?  They are great for listening to when you're out walking or hiking, and I especially love how they have transformed how I feel about doing chores.  There are podcasts for every dang thing, but the ones I love are

Serial (duh)

Reply All

Start Up

Mystery Show

Surprisingly Awesome

This American Life

NPR Politics Podcast

The Beautiful Writer's Podcast

Big Magic

Dear Sugars

But there are thousands more that you could try out, almost always for free, provided you have a way to stream on your phone or laptop.

7.  This is kind of a small, dorky thing, but two little self-care practices that I love when I'm feeling stressed out are to a) put a pot of boiling water in the stove with some essential oils (I like Rosemary) and stick your face over it for a few minutes.  Super soothing.  Unless you're claustrophobic.  Then maybe not.  Or, again, if you have cash to drop, b) order a tuning fork in Ohm.  Bang it against your hand and then hold it to your ear.  I'm someone who is super-rocked by sensory stimulation all the time, and I find these two things really grounding.

8.  Even if you don't like to draw or think you can't draw, check out Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals from the library and mess around with it.  Nolie and I went out and took pictures of funny ice shapes and piles of rotting leaves and then drew animals based on them.  Super fun, and it will remind you that you can create something and not just always consume what other people have made.

9.  And then there's this.  This won't take just two minutes, unfortunately.  This might take some time.  It might elude you for a while.  But I think it's the most important thing to think about if you want something in your life to shift.

It's this:  Find some way to develop a sense of reverence in your life.  For me, it's been going to St. Michael's Episcopalian church every Sunday, even though I'm not Episcopalian (or haven't been, anyway), I hate getting up in the mornings, and I have generally had a healthy distrust of Christian religions.  But you know what?  It is awesome.  That place is filled with love.  They have a serious heart for social justice there.  I crave the rituals and responses like the earth craves water.  For whatever reason, spending that hour there on Sunday mornings has made every other part of my life better.

But there's lots of ways to get at reverence--religion or spirituality is just a more direct path, in my view.  You can ask:  what inspires awe for you?  What kinds of rituals do you have?  When do you connect with something larger than yourself?  When do you find yourself at one with other humans?  When do you feel at peace, and how can you make that happen more?  Do you need to do something new, or recommit to something that's always been in front of you?  

I have a sneaking suspicion that reverence is the key to happiness, so this is worth thinking about.

10.  And finally.  If you're still with me.  Sign up to get these little nuggets of inspiration delivered to your inbox every day.  I read them every morning.  Some I like, some I love, some are transformative, like this poem:

Beannacht:  A Blessing for the New Year
John O'Donohue

For Josie

On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.

And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets in to you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green,
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.

Isn't that a great blessing?  I wish it for you.  I hope you wish it for yourself.  Happy New Year.