We FINALLY had a snow day here in New York! I had a nice, long weekend with the family and got in some extra reading since we did not have to rush to practices and games. I tried a new crock pot recipe, warmed up the cinnamon rolls and found my new favorite chocolate bar: Salty Dark Chocolate from Hu. Yum. 

What I'm Reading:

Last week, I focused on middle grade fiction and this week, I added a non-fiction focus, too. I’ve got a non-fiction self-help text, a soon-to-be-released middle grade novel and a beautiful collection of poetry. 

The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner

This book was just what I needed to kick-start some new habits that I’ve been trying to build, but haven’t…. yet. Things like drinking more water, eating a better plant based diet, better connecting with family, starting each day with a joyful intention and resting more. But this book wasn’t a how-to book on how to change your life to live longer. No. Instead, it highlighted decades of research broken down into individual stories that brought it to life. And for me, I tend to create new habits and break old ones when I have a compelling reason to do so, voluntary or otherwise. And that’s what this book did. It gave me a solid rationale to make small changes that will have a lasting impact and quite possibly add up to a decade to my life. Sounds good, right?!

A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser

This book has my heart and truly embodies why I read: to be changed. Reading invites us to experience a world unlike our own so we can gain vicarious experience, see a new way of looking at things and most importantly, develop empathy for what we might have previously overlooked. This book does all of that. Readers learn from June, Jameel and the other families and staff at Huey House, a homeless shelter in the Bronx. As they learn to navigate their new realities and find hope wherever they can, the reader does, too. We see the families. We see their stories. We see their hopes. We see their challenges. And we also see the staff. We see their dedication. We see their kindness. We see their frustration. Because we also see the system. The system that doesn’t always have the best intentions. But June and Jameel show us that every action counts and those seemingly small acts of courage can lead to enormous wins. You’ll find inspiration inside these pages. 

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

I don’t read poetry as much as I would like to, so I was thrilled when I was given this book from a friend. I read through it cover to cover and now, am going back through each page to spend more time with the poems that truly spoke to me. This is a book to be savored. Gorman so beautifully captures the human spirit during this global pandemic, speaking directly to our hearts and minds and articulating concepts so very difficult to express. This is a book that will sit on my desk to come back to again and again. 

What I'm Writing:

I attended a workshop hosted by Jen Laffin, a life and writing coach. In anticipation of the workshop, she invited us to journal 50 things that bring us joy. 50. Not 5. Not 15. 50. I thought that was a pretty tall order, but I started creating my list. And here’s the magical thing that happened. Once I listed the big things that bring me joy, like my family, my work and my health, I had to think smaller, like the first sip of my coffee bright and early in the morning or a quiet walk in the middle of the day with my labradoodle. By the end of the list, I was noticeably happier and grateful for all the things I overlook each day. Now I know why she requested 50 items. =) 

I HIGHLY recommend Jen and her work. You can find her at Jen Laffin Coaching.

And guess what?

She is our guest speaker this month inside Get Lit(erate), my online community to cultivate a life we love by reading, writing and learning around a one word theme together.

Interested? Click this link to learn more!

What I'm Learning:

So, this is probably the greatest distinction in the history of the world: the difference between a goal and an intention from Holstee. Ponder this:

A goal describes what you want to do in the future. It focuses on external accomplishments and is something you can clearly check off a list, like running a marathon or learning to crochet. 

An intention describes how you want to feel. It focuses on internal ideas and the relationship with yourself, like feeling joyful or feeling productive. 

HERE’S THE REVELATION:

Unlike your goal, which will be accomplished sometime in the future, your intention is a state of being that can start the moment you decide to make it happen.

Let me write that again:

An intention is a state of being that can start the moment you decide to make it happen.

Sit with that today. I know I am. 

What I'm Loving:

Each year, Anne Bogel openly shares what’s saving her life right now and invites readers to do the same. So, what’s saving your life right now? For me, it’s books, family, Bulletproof coffee and my new favorite chocolate bar: Salty Dark Chocolate Hu. 

What’s in your personal survival kit? I loved this prompt from Suleika Jaouad this week. It goes deeper than you think. 

Do you meditate? I don’t. But I wish I did. That’s why I’m happy I found this new podcast: Meditation Minis. Maybe you need this, too?

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make space for more reading and writing in your own life. What are the highlights from your literate life this week?