Things of Beauty #11
Birthdays, blessings, & a new way to tell time
I published my very first post here on November 17, 2021. Which means The Healthier Hustle turned one last week!
It’s also Thanksgiving week here in the US which makes this a great time to say thank you to each and every one of you. Whether you’re brand new to my little squirrel-filled corner of the internet or have been here all year (or even longer, if you followed me here from previous endeavors)— please know that it means SO MUCH to me that you spend some of your precious moments reading what I write.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. YOU are a thing of beauty in my life.
Here are some other lovely things I’ve encountered lately:
🙏 I always enjoy Kate Bowler’s blessings and this one especially hit home:
Make me something less predictable than my to-do lists and daily calendar.
In this culture of more, more, more, make me less.
Less tidy and afraid, less polished and buttoned up, less prideful and judgmental.
Turn down the volume of my expectations, and let me hear the birds sing another lovely truth . . .
The part above is my favorite, but I highly recommend clicking through to read the whole thing.
⏰ Literature Clock: tells you the time of day by providing a quote from a book that references the specific time. It’s fascinating! Think of the sheer magnitude of words and stories written for this to be something that can exist. (h/t to reader, Tyson, for sending this one my way! He mentioned he finds it useful for checking the time while working on a writing project to avoid losing the creative flow.)
🍎 Pie. It’s Thanksgiving week here in the US— which means I’m making apple pie! My recipe is handed down from a dear friend, who was part of many of my Thanksgiving celebrations growing up. Making this every year isn’t so much about the pie (though it’s delicious) as it is about a sense of connection. I also love the simplicity of the filling (see caption).
🎥 I loved this interview with author Allison Winn Scotch. She talks a lot about how much is out of an author’s control when it comes to the business of publishing. She gives examples of how she has learned to control what she can and let go of that which she cannot. I also really appreciated hearing her talk about how she never has has an idea for the next book after finishing the current one but often eventually gets an “itch” to tell a story which keeps her going. She went on to plainly acknowledge that she may eventually stop feeling that and her career might go in a different direction. As someone who feels that I might be in the middle of a shift in my creative career, her frank, honest talk about this was so refreshing and encouraging to me. There’s a summary of the interview here, though I highly recommend the whole thing. Also very excited for her new release, The Rewind (nineties nostalgia and a time-slip plot construct— yes, please!)
🗓 If your thoughts are starting to turn to year-end reflection and planning/goal-setting for 2023, give this article a read. I really appreciated the author’s perspective on having a direction that you know you would like to head in, but not holding to that so tightly that you miss other opportunities that might emerge. It spoke to my goal reluctant heart.
While this holiday season can be one of joy, connection, and gratitude, it can also highlight the people and things that are missing or were never present. If this season doesn’t feel celebratory for you, please give yourself a huge helping of grace (here’s a list of resources that might be helpful in doing just that).
Again, a GIANT thank you for inviting the Healthier Hustle into your life over the course of this last year!
In deep gratitude and thanksgiving,
Mary Chris