lqb2weekly #159 (30 sept 2021)
hey,
it’s fall yall. the overwhelm is real. last year i started setting myself an annual reminder that says “be prepared for overwhelm from labor day until the winter solstice.” lol. i am thankfully spending lots of time outside in the woods and on land (see “cheerful nature wizard” photos from last week - thx ben golder for the title and malcolm chu for the photos) but the counterbalance to that spaciousness is intense overwhelm (work + climate + immigration + natl political shenanigans + etc). thankfully nothing lasts forever… anywho…
mercury is retrograde til oct 17/18. if that doesn’t mean anything to you, jump to the next paragraph. if it does (or you want it to), here are some tips for how to take something most people freak out about and turn it into something supportive.
my friend caroline howe and i recorded a podcast mini-series (6 episodes) on enough and i am looking for a volunteer or two to listen through the episodes and let me know if there are any errors or mistakes before we hit publish. it’s about 7 hours of audio total. if you’re up for it, reply here and i’ll send you a link and a little more detail about what to listen for.
my beloved kendra hicks is 4 weeks away from her city council election day and things are looking good! i’m committed to supporting her all the way through and right now, we’re still looking for folks to help out with meals. will you send her a meal on her meal train?
my friend and teacher, djalòki has two offerings that i want to share with yall because they’re both dope. #1: he is expanding his awareness expansion coaching practice. even if you’re not interested, a read of this will likely spark something. also his sliding scale criteria is 🔥. #2. he shared his perspective the immigration crisis at del rio and it feels like an important read. he’s also got a shamanic perspective on capitalism and that’s good stuff, too.
also, queer full moon circles for men are back on for this fall! if you’re in the boston area and identify as queer and (at least sometimes) as a man, check it out and rsvp asap.
ok last thing. omg i met my newest nibbling, shola mae, this week and it’s been everythingggggg. there is nothing like the magic of falling asleep with an infant sleeping on your chest. nothing. after that happened, i asked my dad about how many times he did that with me and he sent the sweetest response: “more times than i can count… i wouldn’t trade it for bars of gold.” 😭🖤👨👦
on to the things!
ps -
(!!) pick of the pack
writing
some things i’ve written since the last newsletter:
Sep 29, 2021 | knowledge paradigm versus wisdom paradigm
Sep 28, 2021 | toxic patriarchy
Sep 24, 2021 | fall 2021 full moon circles for queer men
quotes
there is nothing new under the sun…
The bad news is you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang on to, no parachute. The good news is, there’s no ground. — Chögyam Trungpa
it’s not about how many times you say you’ll change; it’s about accumulating the benefits of practicing changes in your system. — adrienne maree brown, holding change
We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one. — Confucius
Some people think that as soon as you plant a tree, it must bear fruit. We must allow it to grow a bit. — Tunku Abdul Rahman
Friendship happens on the way to something else.
If you “try to meet new people” it feels weird and forced. The more you aim for friendship, the more it eludes you.
But if you aim to learn or achieve something with others, friendship happens naturally during the shared pursuit. — James Clear
If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive. — Dorothee Sölle
Life is easier when you know what you want—but most people don’t take the time to figure out what they want.
It’s not that we are completely lost, but our efforts are often slightly misdirected. People will work for years and ultimately achieve a lifestyle that isn’t quite what they were hoping for—often, simply, because they never clearly defined what they wanted.
An hour of thinking can save you a decade of work. — James Clear
For me, success is not a public thing. It’s a private thing. It’s when you have fewer and fewer regrets. — Toni Morrison
poetry
on joy and sorrow by khalil gibran
reads
some things i’ve read since the last newsletter:
Bond between Sts. Benedict and Francis shows holiness is contagious | CRUX
It Has Become Easier To Imagine A Collapse Than Reform | UNTITLED
When a White-majority neighborhood wants to divorce its Black city | CNN
Understanding the Window of Tolerance and How it Affects You | Mind My Peelings
Thinking Through Perpetrator Accountability | Transform Harm
Network Building AS Strategy | Interaction Institute for Social Change
listens
some audio and/or podcasts i’ve listened to since the last newsletter (so many good listens this round):
Harm, Punishment, and Abolition with Mariame Kaba | Finding Our Way (!)
Finding Intimacy at the Heart of Conflict (with Kim Loh) | The Wonder Dome
Culture and Masculinity with Phil Agnew | Finding Our Way (!!)
When Four Paths Converge (with Cyrus Shahrad, Lee Chambers, and Francis Briers) | The Wonder Dome (!)
Healing, Psychedelics and the Emergence of a New We | Gibrán Rivera
watches
some videos i watched since the last newsletter:
jams
some things i’ve been (aurally) enjoying since the last newsletter:
scoop — lil nas x
sun goes down — lil nas x
too late — jayxander
jobs
Shared Leadership Researcher and Facilitator | Real Food Generation | $3-6k
Racial Justice Organizer | Essex County Community Organization | $40-55k
Director of Membership and Communications | Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy | $115-125k
Director of Advancement | Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy | $115-125k
Chief of Staff | Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy | $100-125k
Managing Weaver of Strategy and Operations | The Partnership for Democracy and Education | $120-150k
Solidarity Donor Relations Coordinator | Grassroots International | $60-71k
Director of Development | The African American Policy Forum | $85-95k salary
note - any recipient of this newsletter is welcome to send me job postings to share in future editions. however, i only share job descriptions with listed salary ranges.
upcoming events
n/a
$$ (fun-raising)
n/a
other opportunities
newsletters
Solstice newsletter: newsletter #3
emet ezell: the circling vulture of absurdity
building belonging: We need to talk about scale
astroradicals: THE MOOD: Relationship is a Resource
right now i’m learning…
about how to unplug from and replug back into work. am i great at it? unclear. but i’m learning! and the more i learn, the more i think this is a particular skillset we need to collectively (as individuals) strengthen.
mood
