Seasonal Slow Down
Life is Not a Race
It’s really easy to get caught up in rushing about during the last couple months of the year. I remember kicking into high gear like some kind of sprint as November made way for December, my mind racing about making holiday plans, shopping, finishing what I could of the never-ending “To Do” list. I remember thinking of this time of year as a push to finish or, while putting even more pressure on myself to end the year strong, a launch pad into the next year.
Over these past few years, probably beginning around 2018 when I started having some health problems, I realized that I didn’t want my life to be a race. I didn’t want to push myself at the end of the year, mostly because, let’s face it, by the end of the year, just like at the end of the day, I am tired. I want to rest. I want to slow down.
Now, I do have a To Do list. That thing don’t ever end. So why punish myself with a grueling end of the year schedule in an effort to finish something that is never finished? I had to change my mindset. Re-envision my relationship with my work, my goals, and my time.
Part of what helped me in this reimagining of effort, of work, of hustle, are the contributions of Dr. Tricia Hersey, The Nap Bishop.
I encourage you to explore her work and reimagine your work-life as your life-life, and consider what it means to do less compartmentalizing and more comprehensive assessment of how we value ourselves beyond the race, the push, the pressure to “finish” the unfinishable.
Obsidian Voices: Suppose Sorrow was a Time Machine
Join me for reading and conversation with Obsidian Literary Journal! I’ll be reading from my story, “Taiwo,” as published in Obsidian 47.1.
Conversation moderated by Sheree Renee Thomas and Nandi Comer.
REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/obsidianvoices-fall-2021-tickets-203359161727
Kickstart Your Novel: Story Studio Chicago
This class doesn’t start until January, but if you’re making plans to write with me this winter, this is a great place to start.
In this class, we begin with intellectual and creative inquiry, asking the tough questions of our characters, our stories, and ourselves. Through readings and interactive writing exercises, we’ll explore strategies for developing our ideas into stories and our stories into novels. We will discuss how crafting compelling characters, pacing dramatic tension, and engaging the reader with rich, resonant scenes create a foundation for structuring our novels and seeing them through from inception to completion.
Class starts January 11th and runs six weeks (Tuesdays, 6:30 - 9 p.m. CST)
