Friday, January 27, 2017

It's OK Not To Get Used To This

"A world in flux is assumed; it is the only constant in life." -Narrye Caldwell

These words resonated directly to my heart this morning. I was reading about the Year of the Rooster and author was talking about how Chinese traditions of wisdom are "systems of pattern identification that guide us in adapting gracefully to change." Adapting gracefully to change.

I'm frustrated right now. I want to fight. I want to rest. I want to give my all to my students, my biological children, my friends, my husband. I want to process ALL THIS INCOMING INFORMATION. I want to go to every rally, and read every book, and be a part of every get together. It's not all fitting. And I'm beating myself up over it.

I keep thinking "If I can just get a better routine. If I can just get a LITTLE more organized. If I can just get THE GROUND UNDER MY FEET. Then it will click. Then everything will fit. Then everything will stop changing." But that's just not the truth. It's not all going to fit into every day. And I have to let go of that (impossible, foolish, selfish) dream.

So, if you're like me (bless you, I know what it's like to have THAT mind) and everything feels uprooted right now, take a breather. The only constant is change. It's okay to take it one day at a time, to have shifting priorities. Some days, you will need to call every Senator. Some days, you will not survive without yoga. Some days, a doctor's appointment with your four-year-old is ALL YOU CAN TAKE. Some days, keep to yourself. Some days, make the effort to get out and see people. Do what you can.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

The Return of Be Your Own Book Club! January 2017

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Be Your Own Book Club is a book club for ladies who want timely book recs and optional conversation with zero commitment. Each month I'll share one fiction and one nonfiction title. Feel free to read either or both. Throughout the month I'll share favorite quotes, ask questions, and foster conversations in comments on the Be Your Own Lady Facebook page, and on Twitter/Instagram using the hashtag #BeYourOwnBookClub. 

I am so grateful to each of you who took the time to answer the survey questions (if you missed the survey, it's still available here, please take it!) and have used the info to try and get a feel for who is following along and what our interests are. I'm going to keep the survey open through the end of the month and will report out the findings in February. For now...It's a new year and we are the same lovely people so let's read some books together.


Big Little Lies
Fiction
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Description from GoodreadsBig Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads. 

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?) 

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay. 

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.  

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive. 

I picked this book because people were looking for strong moms and escapism. I absolutely loved What Alice Forgot, also but Moriarty, so I'm looking forward to diving in! 


Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
Nonfiction

Description from Goodreads: The mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away With Murder chronicles how saying YES for one year changed her life―and how it can change yours, too. 

With three hit shows on television and three children at home, the uber-talented Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say NO when an unexpected invitation arrived. Hollywood party? No. Speaking engagement? No. Media appearances? No. And there was the side-benefit of saying No for an introvert like Shonda: nothing new to fear.

Then Shonda’s sister laid down a challenge: just for one year, try to say YES to the unexpected invitations that come your way. Shonda reluctantly agreed―and the result was nothing short of transformative. In Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes chronicles the powerful impact saying yes had on every aspect of her life―and how we can all change our lives with one little word. Yes.

This description doesn't really do the book justice. Neither does anything that people recommending it can say- I heard people raving about Year of Yes for months before I picked it up, but it wasn't until I started listening that I really understood the power of this book. I suggest audio- hearing Shonda Rhimes read about her own self makes it more genuine, and every speech that she references is copied into the audiobook. I loved the speeches. January is the perfect time to take a peek at ourselves. Nothing in this book is a resolution. It's self examination. I can get behind that. 

So that's us getting started! I'm so excited to talk about both of these books. Please let me know if you are planning to follow along! Use the hashtag to show off your bookish pics or let us know what you think about the books! Let's read more in 2017.

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