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 ...
storytelling
When Speaking Up at the Holidays Means “Complaining” and Being the 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 ...
From Fear to Love: Working with Emotional Overload
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 ...
Eating Vegan in Ireland
From curries and creamy risotto to mint chocolate and coconut ice cream, Ireland offers an array of vegan dishes, including comfort foods and sweet treats. This summer I traveled to Ireland with only a few weeks of planning—after realizing how much I needed a period of extended rest and reset. When I began telling friends and family about the trip, responses went something like this: You’re going to Ireland? That’s awesome! But what will you eat?” The short answer is ... Read more ...
Responding to White Supremacist Terror, This Time in El Paso
I woke this morning in Ireland to news of the El Paso shooting: the latest act of white supremacist terror in the United States. My body was already aching (today’s a rest day after some seriously long walks), but the news ramped up the ache and lodged itself in my chest. I recognized the familiar heartache that comes with shootings and acts of violence, particularly against Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)—in this case, against Latinx folks in Texas. Along ... Read more ...
Toward Public Outcry: Why I’ll Keep Repeating #AbolishICE and #CloseTheCamps
Outcry: a strong expression of public anger and disapproval This week I dreamed about being detained when traveling, taken aside in an airport and made to wait and wait and wait … It became clear that I was being monitored and considered dangerous and essentially arrested. What started in the airport turned into a full detention / internment / concentration camp experience. The dream’s details are sketchy, but I remember feeling powerless. I couldn’t call for help. I ... Read more ...
How Small and Sustained Actions Turn Resolutions into Habits
Typically, by mid-year (by the summer solstice for those of us in the northern hemisphere), new year’s resolutions are a thing of the past. Months after setting resolutions, it’s easy to have forgotten or moved through them—with seasons shifting our embodied needs, creating the conditions for new intentions to be named. The summer solstice, then, provides the occasion for setting new resolutions, for looking backward to previous ones and forward to daily practices that ... Read more ...
Turning 40 with the Gift of 40 Miles: Why I’m Taking Myself on Walks This Month
May is both my birth month and a time of transition (when the school year ends and summer begins). For as long as I can remember, I’ve looked forward to May and its potential for renewal. This year I’m celebrating my 40th birthday and wanting to mark the occasion with extended time on trails. Specifically, I’m setting a goal to hike 40 miles on my own this month: miles that I’ll walk toward understanding how to be independent within interdependence. Why This ... Read more ...
It’s More than End-of-the-Year Exhaustion: Semester Rhythms and Recurring Burnout
Today Inside Higher Ed published my article, “Semester Rhythms and Recurring Burnout,” reflecting on the exhaustion that many educators and academics face at the end of each school year. This article weaves together multiple threads of feeling, thinking, and doing (heart-head-hands) from my past few weeks, including: attention to my body’s fluctuating energy levels, seasonal changes, and continued recognition of semester rhythms; ongoing reflection on career ... Read more ...
Learning from and Healing Scars, Both Personal and Collective
Over the past year, my body has experienced a few physical injuries, including a concussion from falling last January and a cut from stepping on a broken bowl back in August. The fall left both knees badly scraped and bruised so that scars are still visible on the surface. The puncture in my foot has involved months of getting ceramic out—piece by piece—and an MRI now confirms that “only scar tissue remains.” That scar tissue isn’t visible like the scars on my knees, ... Read more ...
![I’ll be facilitating the next “40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility” this spring, May 13 — June 21, 2020 (leading up to the summer solstice). Pre-registration and self-practice options are available now. Link in bio.
.
For those seeking a Lenten practice, these 40 days can be transformative. Read about why via link in bio.
.
.
[Image description: Along with showing 4 emoticons representing different emotions, this flyer reads, “40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility. Self-Practice Available Now. Pre-Register for Next Community Practice: May 13 — June 21, 2020. Heart-Head-Hands.com.”]
.
.
#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracies #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #40DayPractice #ContemplativePractice #WhiteFragility #WhiteSupremacy #Antiraciam #Antioppression #RacialJustice #EBook #ECourse #endwhitesupremacy #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #OngoingEducation #SocialJusticeEducation #CommunityOfPractice #Commitments #lent #lentenpractice #40days #longhaul](http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/84742298_2657500734464953_7054565751959754262_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=101&_nc_ohc=Ijr8BPH_HWkAX_axJvB&oh=820f39726a60004a020d7b09d0de406d&oe=5E83577D "I’ll be facilitating the next “40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility” this spring, May 13 — June 21, 2020 (leading up to the summer solstice). Pre-registration and self-practice options are available now. Link in bio.
.
For those seeking a Lenten practice, these 40 days can be transformative. Read about why via link in bio.
.
.
[Image description: Along with showing 4 emoticons representing different emotions, this flyer reads, “40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility. Self-Practice Available Now. Pre-Register for Next Community Practice: May 13 — June 21, 2020. Heart-Head-Hands.com.”]
.
.
#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracies #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #40DayPractice #ContemplativePractice #WhiteFragility #WhiteSupremacy #Antiraciam #Antioppression #RacialJustice #EBook #ECourse #endwhitesupremacy #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #OngoingEducation #SocialJusticeEducation #CommunityOfPractice #Commitments #lent #lentenpractice #40days #longhaul")
![I send love today, as I sit with these words from bell hooks: “To truly love we must learn to mix ingredients—care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open communication” (All About Love, page 5).
.
2020 is sure to tough, and so I resolve to cultivate and create with these ingredients: ingredients for loving and striving toward justice.
.
[This image shares the words “LOVE YOUR CRAFT” written in colorful lines (yellow, blue, and purple) against a solid grey background. ]
.
.
#love #valentines #lovequotes #art #writing #speaking #create #craft #createeveryday #ingredients #actwithlove #writersofinstagram #writerscommunity #supportcreators #lovestory #striving #loveasaverb](http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c3.0.1433.1433a/s640x640/83695382_189763165767124_8251299683423986517_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=104&_nc_ohc=-3aE-m3p5K0AX_1YzEg&oh=a65ca9ad32ba3fda4e26b9bd24bdedc8&oe=5E846BB4 "I send love today, as I sit with these words from bell hooks: “To truly love we must learn to mix ingredients—care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open communication” (All About Love, page 5).
.
2020 is sure to tough, and so I resolve to cultivate and create with these ingredients: ingredients for loving and striving toward justice.
.
[This image shares the words “LOVE YOUR CRAFT” written in colorful lines (yellow, blue, and purple) against a solid grey background. ]
.
.
#love #valentines #lovequotes #art #writing #speaking #create #craft #createeveryday #ingredients #actwithlove #writersofinstagram #writerscommunity #supportcreators #lovestory #striving #loveasaverb")
![Acting on my spell for 2020 , I’m noticing signs of support in everyday life and found this handwritten sign “You are appreciated!” at a local take-out restaurant, Burrito Brothers.
.
Living in DC, I feel close to the abuses of power that reverberate throughout everyday life. And this week has been tough. 2020 is going to be tough.
.
So, it’s really good to have relational reminders to feel appreciation in the midst of it all. (And I do appreciate this local DC restaurant.)
.
[Pictured here: My partner Jonathan and I are making silly smiles as we take a selfie, and the handwritten words “You are appreciated” are mirrored on the phone’s camera. My hand looks large in the foreground, and we’re surrounded by hot sauce bottles, tea bags, and the restaurant’s ambiance. Our smiles communicate the delight at signs of support in everyday life.]
.
.
#everydaylife #saturdaymood #appreciationpost #appreciation #gratitude #smiles #keepfightingtoo #bothand #dc @burritobrotherscapitolhill #vegan #veganfood](http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/83519891_163638238421500_6217421955369338222_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=104&_nc_ohc=ThsZRDD7FAYAX-OQZeA&oh=bbce99d1f8241ae7553b290766a2d55b&oe=5E8803A9 "Acting on my spell for 2020 , I’m noticing signs of support in everyday life and found this handwritten sign “You are appreciated!” at a local take-out restaurant, Burrito Brothers.
.
Living in DC, I feel close to the abuses of power that reverberate throughout everyday life. And this week has been tough. 2020 is going to be tough.
.
So, it’s really good to have relational reminders to feel appreciation in the midst of it all. (And I do appreciate this local DC restaurant.)
.
[Pictured here: My partner Jonathan and I are making silly smiles as we take a selfie, and the handwritten words “You are appreciated” are mirrored on the phone’s camera. My hand looks large in the foreground, and we’re surrounded by hot sauce bottles, tea bags, and the restaurant’s ambiance. Our smiles communicate the delight at signs of support in everyday life.]
.
.
#everydaylife #saturdaymood #appreciationpost #appreciation #gratitude #smiles #keepfightingtoo #bothand #dc @burritobrotherscapitolhill #vegan #veganfood")
![It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned this e-course, and I want to share it again because I see the transformations that come out of the course and coaching conversations.
.
Just this week, coaching conversations have addressed:
-- How to prepare for an academic job talk and likely Q&A
-- How to work through emotions blocking a writing project
-- When and with whom to share a job announcement
-- How to learn more about and begin using grading contracts.
.
I sometimes talk with folks who think career discernment is only for grad students or only for folks struggling or only for folks making a career change. Yet, my experience tells me that it’s for us all and involves reflection on research, teaching, and much more.
.
Reach out if you’d like to learn more. Link in bio.
.
.
[Image description: This e-course announcement shows a yellow sunflower and blue sky. It includes a textbox with the following information: "E-COURSE AVAILABLE NOW! Career Discernment for Academics: Aligning Career with Commitments. Self-paced study, exercises, coaching, and more ..."]
.
.
#HigherEducation #HigherEd #Academia #Careers #CareerDiscernment #CareerAdvice #CareerCoaching #CareerAdvising #CareerChange #NextChapter #WhatsNext #AltAc #TenureTrack #Tenured #Professor #GradSchool #GradSchoolLife #Dissertation #Academic #AcademicWriting #JobSearch #Reflection #Commitments #WithaPhD @beyondtheprof @thedissertationcoach @mydissertationjourney @gradstudentselfcare @gradperspective @georgetowngradlife @versatile_phd @tenuretracktales](http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/83427984_2477567595826565_8321729727129589139_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=105&_nc_ohc=MbtQcqoNJhQAX_dgElp&oh=700037692c5c5a5b735451e0cb00a81f&oe=5E899CFC "It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned this e-course, and I want to share it again because I see the transformations that come out of the course and coaching conversations.
.
Just this week, coaching conversations have addressed:
-- How to prepare for an academic job talk and likely Q&A
-- How to work through emotions blocking a writing project
-- When and with whom to share a job announcement
-- How to learn more about and begin using grading contracts.
.
I sometimes talk with folks who think career discernment is only for grad students or only for folks struggling or only for folks making a career change. Yet, my experience tells me that it’s for us all and involves reflection on research, teaching, and much more.
.
Reach out if you’d like to learn more. Link in bio.
.
.
[Image description: This e-course announcement shows a yellow sunflower and blue sky. It includes a textbox with the following information: \"E-COURSE AVAILABLE NOW! Career Discernment for Academics: Aligning Career with Commitments. Self-paced study, exercises, coaching, and more ...\"]
.
.
#HigherEducation #HigherEd #Academia #Careers #CareerDiscernment #CareerAdvice #CareerCoaching #CareerAdvising #CareerChange #NextChapter #WhatsNext #AltAc #TenureTrack #Tenured #Professor #GradSchool #GradSchoolLife #Dissertation #Academic #AcademicWriting #JobSearch #Reflection #Commitments #WithaPhD @beyondtheprof @thedissertationcoach @mydissertationjourney @gradstudentselfcare @gradperspective @georgetowngradlife @versatile_phd @tenuretracktales")
