Happy Soul Food Friday!
This week:
“Tears Do Not Fall in Space”:
Thoughts don’t come from “within”; neither do they come from “without.” They emerge “between.”
It’s the same with feelings. I like to think that the gentle dipping of a leaf under the weight of a dewdrop can set off a series of events that flow through us as (what we call) “depression”; and, that the molten formation of a rock, through the intra-activity of weather and technology and story, is experienced with “joy” in a specific moment.
I like to imagine that when a seed falls into the earth, it experiences grief, and its grief is met by the loamy femininity of the soil, and that is how trees sprout out with joy.
Perhaps those moments of unspeakable silence, when depths churn and sides groan, when words escape you, when a pill or a diagnosis doesn’t add up to much, when all you want to do is squeeze yourself into the tiniest place in the universe, it is because you – for all intents and purposes – are co-performing the disintegration of imaginal cells within a cocoon, and knowing the pain of becoming a moth.
-Bayo Akomolafe: “Tears Do Not Fall in Space” (from ‘These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home’)
Stay Resolved:
Resolutions are easy to make, even easier to break. But what if a story or idea can motivate us in a whole new way?
These TED speakers offer different perspectives on our most common resolutions.
My fav is the Fun is One Antidote for Stress but they are all excellent!
Catherine Price: Hey adults, fun is one antidote to stress. Try it more : NPR (6 minutes)
Start the Year Grounded With 7 Self-Care Practices Designed To Help You Feel More Present:
Reconnect with your mind, body, and soul.
7 Tips for How To Feel More Present, Mentally and Physically | Well+Good (wellandgood.com)
11 Spectacular Night Sky Events to See in 2023:
In the coming year, planetary alignments, perfectly timed meteor showers, and a pair of solar eclipses will delight stargazers around the world.
11 spectacular night sky events to see in 2023 (nationalgeographic.com)
Men Don’t Listen:
| Wanda’s dishwasher was broken, so she called in a repairman. Since she had to go to work the next day, she told the repairman, ‘I’ll leave the key under the mat. Fix the dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter, and I’ll mail you a check. Oh, by the way don’t worry about my dog Spike. He won’t bother you. But, whatever you do, do NOT, under ANY circumstances, talk to my parrot! I MUST STRESS TO YOU: DO NOT TALK TO MY PARROT!” When the repairman arrived at Wanda’s apartment, he discovered the biggest, meanest looking dog he has ever seen. But, just as she had said, the dog just lay there on the carpet watching the repairman go about his work. The parrot, however, drove him nuts the whole time with his incessant yelling, cursing and name calling. Finally, the repairman couldn’t contain himself any longer and yelled, ‘Shut up, you stupid, frickin ugly bird!’ To which the parrot replied, ‘Get him Spike!’ See – Men just don’t listen! |
Thanks this week go to Kurt C, Larry H, for the bookends.
Stay resolute and pay it forward this year! Love, Neville
Twitter: @NevilleB108
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria
- Persist no matter what
- Endure discomfort
- Request help
- Steadfastly hold on to your beliefs and values
- Envision triumph
- Very consistently keep at it
- Embrace adversity as your teacher
- Refuse to give up
- Enjoy and celebrate every tiny bit of progress!
— From the Best Way Out is Always Through by BJ Gallagher
Happy Soul Food Friday! 