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countering perfectionism

Career Discernment for Academics: An Interview with Self-Compassionate Professor

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Everyday Feminism, Higher Education By Beth Godbee July 14, 2020 Leave a Comment

This screenshot shares the Self-Compassionate Professor podcast page with a grey and brown color scheme. In addition to sharing the podcast’s name, creator, and theme—“helping academics and former academics find wellness, meaning, purpose, and freedom”—it shares episode 19: “Career discernment with Dr. Beth Godbee,” along with a photo of Beth wearing black and pressing against a grey rock formation.

I’m grateful to Danielle De La Mare of the Self-Compassionate Professor for inviting me to do an interview that’s become “Episode 19: Career Discernment with Dr. Beth Godbee.” This interview relates both my career discernment story and how I understand career discernment as a lifelong, ongoing process of finding and following the “strong yes.” Here’s what Danielle says about the interview: “Former professor, Dr. Beth Godbee, joins me for the first episode of Season 2! ... Read more ...

Unraveling Whiteness: A Call for More Courage

Filed Under: Emotional Literacies, Everyday Feminism, Racial Justice By Beth Godbee May 28, 2020 2 Comments

This image shares the quote: “It’s lifelong work to unlearn whiteness … And as lifelong work, this is everyday work: work in the moment and work over time”—in black font against a light orange textbox and white border.

I’m thinking about whiteness—the structure, ideology, and everyday enactments—as I try to process (yet again) how white people weaponize whiteness. My heart is hurting with rage and grief from recent events, explained in these articles from The Root: “‘There’s an African-American Man Threatening My Life’: Karen Calls Police on Black Man for Asking Her to Leash Her Dog” “Outrage in Minneapolis after Black Man Dies in Custody Following Brutal Police Arrest: ‘I Cannot ... Read more ...

Wailing with the Wind: On Disrupting Work During the Pandemic

Filed Under: Emotional Literacies, Higher Education By Beth Godbee April 10, 2020 1 Comment

This photo shows scattered papers (page proofs) across a wooden floor in a bedroom—with a colorful bedspread, pillows, blanket, sweater, plant, air purifier, bedside table, books, window, and white walls all part of the scene.

It’s windy today—the sort of wind that announces springtime. The sort of wind that lulls and gusts. The sort of wind that howls and rattles windows. The sort of wind that whips through rooms, scattering papers. As it has here: The wind has scattered page proofs that I’ve been pushing myself to review, responding to an email that came out of the blue, asking for proofs to be returned in under a week. On the one hand, these proofs represent good news: a chapter written ... Read more ...

Living in a Global Pandemic, Reaching toward Collective Responsibilities

Filed Under: Emotional Literacies, Everyday Feminism By Beth Godbee March 11, 2020 2 Comments

A word cloud appears against a light green background with the largest words emphasized. These are precarity, rights, response, together, and pandemic.

What’s demanded of us for living relationally and responsibly in the midst of a global pandemic? What’s demanded in this time of uncertainty, chaos, and crisis—a time that’s highlighting how precarious everyday life is, especially for people meant not to thrive within oppression? Sitting with these questions, here are three scenes. May weaving together story threads help with realizing—and perhaps reaching toward—collective responsibilities. Scene 1: Processing with ... Read more ...

Words Cast Spells: Spell-Casting for 2020 to Experience Grief, Temperance, and Abundance

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Everyday Feminism By Beth Godbee February 5, 2020 Leave a Comment

This image invokes the idea of spell-casting with smoke and light swirling upwards from an open book. “Words Cast Spells” is written above this image, which is framed with rows of candles and a black background.

Though the new year marks a time for review and renewal, it’s often a few weeks into the year before I’m ready to set new goals via the contemplative practice of spell-casting. It’s as though I have to get out of the turbulent holiday season and new year energy before I’m ready to engage the magic of habit formation. This year (like the past couple) I’m returning to the practice of writing spells (like mantras, poems, or intentions) that I’ve learned through adrienne ... Read more ...

Eating for Justice? Why Explore Relationships with Food

Filed Under: Everyday Feminism, Racial Justice, Why Vegan? By Beth Godbee January 23, 2020 Leave a Comment

This ad shares the webinar’s name “A Conversation about Our Relationship s with Food,” the date “Tuesday, January 28th at 8pm EST,” and the websiteaddress “Heart-Head-Hands.com.” Colorful foods are arranged along the bottom, and the background shows light gray wooden planks.

Relationships with food are tricky at all times of year, but this is especially the case in January. From the pressures of new year resolutions to weight-loss goals and fitness challenges, January highlights the swing from decadent December eating to body-shaming that’s associated with “getting in shape.” Or, in the words of a recent article by Zoe Fenson: “January is the month of body shaming. I’m tuning out.” In recent years, January has also been fashioned as ... Read more ...

When Speaking Up at the Holidays Means “Complaining” and Being the Killjoy

Filed Under: Emotional Literacies, Everyday Feminism, Racial Justice By Beth Godbee December 29, 2019 1 Comment

This image shows a stack of books with Thich Nhat Hanh’s How to Fight on the top, a blue bookmark sticking out—all against a blue background. These books teach about “complaining” and speaking up as a killjoy.

Last year, during the holidays, I blew up (yelling, cursing, and storming off), and the experience highlighted for me the need to embrace criticisms that I’m “too sensitive,” “too critical,” and “too complaining.” On the day I blew up, I was so overwhelmed, disconnected, and worn down by systemic oppression that my body couldn’t take it. I held myself together until I couldn’t hold it in anymore: then, I released a tidal wave of rage. I’m still processing, but I’m ... Read more ...

Q&A with Mel Meder: Why Support generative somatics

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Everyday Feminism, Interviews, Racial Justice By Beth Godbee December 3, 2019 Leave a Comment

Photo of three generative somatics students in jo practice. Used with permission of gs.

In this Q&A post, we learn from Mel Meder about the importance and possibilities of generative somatics—a deeply embodied practice and theory for creating transformative change. I met Mel several years ago through a mutual friend in Madison, Wisconsin, and I’ve since been learning from Mel about the work of fundraising for organizations that we deeply care about and want to support. generative somatics is one of those organizations, which is why we’re highlighting ... Read more ...

3 Reasons to Participate in the 40-Day Practice on Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility

Filed Under: Emotional Literacies, Racial Justice By Beth Godbee November 20, 2019 Leave a Comment

Referral from Mel (participant from Pennsylvania): “The experience taught me a lot about what it takes to actively practice anti-racism.”

Starting on November 22nd and running for the final 40 days of 2019, I’m offering the “40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility.” Every time I offer this practice (this will be my third and second online), I get a lot of questions, including what this work involves, why it asks for a commitment of 40 days, and why it focuses on emotions. Though I hope the course description answers many of these questions—and I’m happy to answer ... Read more ...

From Fear to Love: Working with Emotional Overload

Filed Under: Emotional Literacies By Beth Godbee October 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

Here Beth is holding the older phone and showing an intense sad emotion, near tears (fear or love?).

Emotional Overload Is Rooted in Fear Last week I said goodbye to the phone I’d had for more than 3 years, a phone I was attached to more than I’d like to admit. I entered a state of complete overwhelm, spiraling between questions and frustrations, between crying and raging: How could I possibly learn a new phone? Why aren’t there any small phones? How will one of the new—BIG—phones fit in my pocket? It’s not fair that all the phones are large, while women’s pants ... Read more ...

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Embodied knowledge matters. So do commitments. And especially acting on commitments as part of everyday life, BIG and small. This website—a mix of blog posts and research writing, along with courses, writing groups, coaching, and other offerings—shares ongoing efforts toward everyday living (feeling, thinking, and doing) for justice.

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courses, webinars, and writing groups

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bethgodbee

Yes! There are more writing retreats coming up. Co Yes! There are more writing retreats coming up. Consider joining tomorrow, Monday, or an upcoming date this spring: https://heart-head-hands.com/product/writing-retreats/

These writing retreats are for prioritizing writing, receiving support for current writing projects, and moving projects forward.
 
We meet via Zoom for 6 1/2 hours with built-in breaks and meditations to spend intentional time away from screens. The bulk of time is for writing-on-your-own (with others present across distance). Join to write in community.
 
[Image shows lined notebook paper; a yellow pencil; and pink, green, and yellow text that reads: “writing retreats upcoming dates: feb. 25 (tomorrow!), mar. 1 (monday), mar. 10, mar. 25, apr. 5. heart-head-hands.com.”]
 
#writer #writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #writing #WritingInspiration #WritingGroup #WritingRetreat #WritingRetreats #WritingResources #WritingSupport #WritingLife #WritingCenterLife #WritingLife #ReflectionsOnWriting #WritingMeditations #WritingTime #TimeToWrite
I’ve been writing this past week about grief and I’ve been writing this past week about grief and the ways that allowing ourselves to grieve can grow us. In the midst of this writing, I’m having so many moments of laughing at myself. This photo (of me half-smiling while trying to take a serious pic) reminds me of the importance of laughter in the midst of grief, of moments of "feeling myself" when feeling out of sorts.
 
And I’ll share that if you want to process grief or other emotions or experiences defining this time for you, I’m holding the “recharge and recommit” gathering space again tomorrow, Wed. 2/24 at 1pm EST. It’s free to drop into a session, and Patreon subscriptions make these groups possible: https://heart-head-hands.com/product/recharge-and-recommit/ … Link in bio, too.
 
[Image shows Beth: wearing a green shirt and black sweater, longer hair to the side, smiling with mouth closed, against a white wall.]

#commitments #LivingOutCommitments #DailyPractices #EverydayLiving #GatheringSpace #Gatherings #GatheringOnline #LifelongLearning #CommunityCare #HeartHeadHands #recharge #recommit #contemplative #grief #emotions #emotional #EmotionalLiteracies
Really looking forward to this! Friday!!! #Repost Really looking forward to this! Friday!!!

#Repost @charisbooksandmore with @make_repost
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Charis welcomes Briona Simone Jones (@brionasimone) for a launch of Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought with Spelman College's (@spelman_college) Holly Smith (@hollygail05) and Beverly Guy-Sheftall (@bevshef), and contributors Mecca Jamilah Sullivan (@meccajamilah), Bettina Love (@blovesoulpower), and Cheryl Clarke (@bdpoet). A groundbreaking collection tracing the history of intellectual thought by Black Lesbian writers, in the tradition of The New Press's (@thenewpress) perennial seller Words of Fire. This event is co-hosted by the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History (@aarl_atl).
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African American lesbian writers and theorists have made extraordinary contributions to feminist theory, activism, and writing. Mouths of Rain, the companion anthology to Beverly Guy-Sheftall's classic Words of Fire, traces the long history of intellectual thought produced by Black Lesbian writers, spanning the nineteenth century through the twenty-first century.

Using "Black Lesbian" as a capacious signifier, Mouths of Rain includes writing by Black women who have shared intimate and loving relationships with other women, as well as Black women who see bonding as mutual, Black women who have self-identified as lesbian, Black women who have written about Black Lesbians, and Black women who theorize about and see the word lesbian as a political descriptor that disrupts and critiques capitalism, heterosexism, and heteropatriarchy. Taking its title from a poem by Audre Lorde, Mouths of Rain addresses pervasive issues such as misogynoir and anti-blackness while also attending to love, romance, "coming out," and the erotic
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Friday, February 26th at 7:30 PM EST 
Register: Link in Bio
The next “recharge and recommit” gathering is The next “recharge and recommit” gathering is a week away: Wednesday 2/24 at 1pm ET.
 
Held on the last Wednesday of each month, the gathering space focuses on knowing and living out commitments to justice. Each month we follow the same format: introductions, guided meditation, freewriting, and then conversation for recommitment.
 
Because these groups are small, they feel like small-group coaching. And it’s free to join. Link in bio for details.
 
[This grid shows four colorful cacti (two above and two below) the event information (black font against white background): “Monthly Gathering Space: Recharge and Recommit. For details, see Heart-Head-Hands.com.”] 

#commitments #LivingOutCommitments #SocialJusticeEducation #DailyHabits #DailyPractices #EverydayLiving #GatheringSpace #Gatherings #GatheringOnline #LifelongLearning #CommunityCare #HeartHeadHands #recharge #recommit #contemplative #freewriting #intentionalliving #intentionsetting #conversation #connection #discernment
Oh, how this speaks to me today ... The truth as I Oh, how this speaks to me today ... The truth as I notice tough, tough spots. So grateful to @prentishemphill (again & again).

#Repost @prentishemphill with @make_repost
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What randomly came when I sat still. 

Morning Thoughts: Nuance is a gift of embodiment. Binaries are the limits of language. When I take apart the places where I’ve been ‘tough’ I find the places where I’ve been hurt.
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About Beth Godbee

I'm an educator and former college professor who believes our fully embodied selves matter in the world. We can’t just think our way out of the incredible injustices, dehumanization, violence, and wrongdoing that characterize everyday life. We must feel and act, too. [Pronouns: she/her.] Read more ...

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