lqb2weekly #193 (21 feb 2024)
hey,
another lqb2weekly? but didn’t one just happen last week?!
for those of you don’t know (which might be many of you), this newsletter did actually used to be weekly. part of the reason it was weekly was because it was tied to my inbox zero process. i would zero out my inbox and in the process, fill up the newsletter with content from there, and then work on getting it sent out (with leo’s epic support, of course).
so today, even though i can imagine receiving this activating some overwhelm, don’t be overwhelmed! in fact, i’d love if you celebrated this with me as a tiny victory: this is the first time in MONTHS (dare i say years??) where lqb2weekly has actually been weekly. 😲🥳
as i have started to check my email less and less (because email is just so broken now), the impetus to publish the newsletter weekly slipped. and with that, the size of each newsletter installment ballooned! it just got way bigger when i was including everything i engaged with for a month.
but i actually like this newsletter more when the amount of content is more closely correlated with the amount of stuff that comes through my inbox (and mind/eyes) in a week. so what you are about to experience, at least as far as the sections below this intro are concerned, is the actual amount of stuff i consume in a week. lmk how it feels!
ok so some things to highlight:
one big thing: sharing thoughts about the 2nd episode of we are what we practice: my interview with gibrán rivera. some highlights from this episode for me are gibrán:
talking about his process of releasing his stance of striving
exploring the difference between building a platform/scaling and mastering a craft
discussing how healing slows down the momentum of our conditioned/traumatized reactions (that’s a good thing!)
and i talking about how we relate to wokeness
enjoy!
next up, a few quicker highlights from friends:
my friend, danielle, is running infinite growth again soon. i swear that i owe a huge part of where i am in my life today because of this program. it helped me build a compass for my life when i didn’t even know i didn’t have one!
Infinite Growth : Holistic Vision
Mondays from 8-9:30 PM ET on April 15, 29 May 13, 27another friend, jen willsea, is hosting a program at highlander: Reckoning with White Femininity and Anti-Blackness. looks rad. april 14-18.
my cutie is selling plants through his new nursery business! check it out if you’re into plants or know other people into plants.
my friend, sterling, is looking for work. read a bit more about them over here and definitely share if you’ve got anything that looks juicy.
some folks i work with over at grist recently produced some epic and excellent journalism on how over a dozen land-grant universities are on (and continue to benefit from) stolen land.
relevant thought: palestine is not just happening in palestine. if you live in the us, the land you’re on was almost definitely stolen in the same (or a similar) way land in palestine is being stolen right now.
my friend, nisha, is expanding her coaching work and looking for new coach partners! here’s a little more detail:
nisha purushotham is a certified leadership and life coach trained by Coaching for Healing, Justice, and Liberation (CHJL), a coaching school led by and for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color movement leaders. She works primarily but not exclusively with Women, Queer, and Trans Leaders of Color, specializing in support for leaders moving through transitions and transformations. nisha uses many modalities including: powerful questions that help you connect with your core needs and values, Parts Work, somatic experiencing, and attunement to the guidance of Spirit and/or ancestors. Coach partners choose which paths they want to explore in the service of nourishing their growth and aligning with their purpose. nisha offers different coach packages to meet your needs and goals as you define them. To learn more, check out this description and nisha's website.
finally, my beloved, nadav, is co-hosting a virtual fundraiser for cori bush next week. spread the word and attend if you’re free and desiring to support some good electoral work!
ok, on to the things!
(!!) pick of the pack
writing
some things i’ve written since the last newsletter:
Feb 20, 2024 | black history/futures: ending the oil addiction
Feb 18, 2024 | black history/futures: allying with air
Feb 7, 2024 | black history/futures: allying with fire
Feb 6, 2024 | black history/futures: allying with water
Feb 3, 2024 | black history/futures: the prick
quotes
there is nothing new under the sun. also, full transparency, many of these quotes come from james clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter (which i love).
Our great mistake is to try to exact from each person virtues which he does not possess, and to neglect the cultivation of those which he has. — Marguerite Yourcenar
I think about decisions in three ways: hats, haircuts, and tattoos.
Most decisions are like hats. Try one and if you don’t like it, put it back and try another. The cost of a mistake is low, so move quickly and try a bunch of hats.
Some decisions are like haircuts. You can fix a bad one, but it won’t be quick and you might feel foolish for awhile. That said, don’t be scared of a bad haircut. Trying something new is usually a risk worth taking. If it doesn’t work out, by this time next year you will have moved on and so will everyone else.
A few decisions are like tattoos. Once you make them, you have to live with them. Some mistakes are irreversible. Maybe you’ll move on for a moment, but then you’ll glance in the mirror and be reminded of that choice all over again. Even years later, the decision leaves a mark. When you’re dealing with an irreversible choice, move slowly and think carefully. — James Clear
Reality denied comes back to haunt. — Philip K. Dick
No darkness lasts forever. — Ursula K. Le Guin
Always ask, but never expect.
Always ask for what you want. Many people are happy to help—if the request is direct and specific. In a surprising number of cases, something remarkable is possible if you have the courage to ask.
Never expect people to say yes. Everyone is busy and balancing multiple priorities. Your request is not their responsibility. When you’re told no, move on lightly and freely. The world is full of opportunity. — James Clear
Nothing you love is lost. Not really. Things, people—they always go away, sooner or later. You can’t hold them, any more than you can hold moonlight. But if they’ve touched you, if they’re inside you, then they’re still yours. The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart. — Bruce Coville
poetry
wild blessings — lucille clifton
reads
some things i’ve read since the last newsletter:
How long could I be contagious before a positive virus test? | AP News
Is There Really Any Benefit to Multivitamins? | John Hopkins Medicine
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) - Uses, Side Effects, and More | WebMD
Let Us Be Dissatisfied: On Dr. King’s Vision for Economic Justice | @kendra.lara (!!)
listens
some audio and/or podcasts i’ve listened to since the last newsletter:
How to Make Better Decisions by Leaving Emotions Behind | The ReWire (opposition research lol)
watches
some videos i watched since the last newsletter:
tiny desk concert — tank 😲😵💫 (not me passing out from 3:36-4:10)😮💨🥴
jams
some things i’ve been (aurally) enjoying since the last newsletter:
la’chaz holloway on IG
puns
jobs
co-hosted by my dear friend, nadav david!
upcoming events
(SAVE THE DATE) The Massachusetts Commercial Urban Farming Symposium | March 8, 2024 | UMass Lowell
Mindful Masculinity Spring Session | April 4th, 2024 | Online
Reckoning with White Femininity and Anti-Blackness | 14-18 april | new market, TN
newsletters
bad environmentalist: are you there god?
emet ezell: bird bath & kari edwards
building belonging: Electoral politics and the promise of democracy
solstice newsletter: newsletter: you x culture building x power
gibrán’s newsletter: From Self-Denial to Joy
right now i’m learning…
how to read wave forecasts via surfline, windy, and more!
mood
happy pisces season! in my inner circles of friendship/community, there are 9 10 (last night found out there’s another one! hi kalia) pisces birthdays (8 of them are men) between feb 22 and mar 2. pray for me.
a pleasure to see another newsletter so soon! (i do genuinely look forward to reading these!)