Tell me about any moment—no matter how fleeting—that comes to mind. Was it the time you stood up to someone, beat your run time or dominated a work presentation? That week you finally made an appointment to see a therapist, and didn’t cancel? A recent morning you found the strength to get out of bed, despite the funk? Or how about that time you bravely admitted to yourself that you might need a little help to go on? Tell me.
I'll mention a moment of mine: I sat down and talked to my grandparents about what's happening in India. I've been avoiding the conversation, because I'm afraid their opinions might rub me the wrong way (and vice versa). But it was a really thoughtful chat. I learned a lot—and they went upstairs with print-outs of some news articles I recommended.
This is huge! It's not easy to fit leisure reading into our crazy lives, especially if it's been a while since you've read for pleasure. Kudos to you! <3
I have a tendency to personalize events and recently when a moment came up, instead of thinking "What did I do?" I thought, "This isn't about me. I hope that everything is okay with that person."
I led sloganeering at a recent peaceful protest in San Francisco that was held in solidarity with protests across India against a new legislation by the country's ruling party that buries between the lines a longstanding anti-Muslim, Hindu-nationalist agenda that relentlessly divisive politics is pushing in the country. In the run-up to this moment, I felt overwhelming anxiety to watch violence in my homeland from afar and felt related guilt for not being able to do more than just be there in spirit. I also moved to the U.S. only 3 years back to pursue international journalism after almost 6 years of being a full-time journalist in India, reporting from the midst of India's democracy through its calm and chaos. All this to say, that the guilt exacerbates an identity-crisis that will feel like a crisis till the time acculturation takes it due course. Thank you for the opportunity to share here!
Aditi, thanks SO much for sharing this. I can't express just how much I can relate to that feeling of anxiety and helplessness, but can't imagine how much harder this must be for you. I'd love to talk to you more about trying to find calm amid chaos from afar. Will reach out in the new year, if that's OK? Thank you again for sharing <3
I felt that a acquaintance that wanted to meet up with me while she was in town was consistently pushing my boundaries, so I told her that it wasn’t a good idea. And I wished her well. I’m so proud of myself because in the past I would have just met up with that person. Listening to my gut it’s a true win for my self-worth.
Yesssssss! Good on you for holding the people around you accountable (and helping them grow!) while taking care of yourself. I’m a big believer in only spending leisure time with people who I know are genuinely kind, but like you, that’s something I only learned to embrace as I got older. Proud of you, Nisha 👊🏽
OMG OMG OMG. It's a big commitment to make, and you should be very proud of yourself for taking that first step. Fostering is a smart thing to do, especially if you're new to being a pet parent. Are you thinking of adopting a dog in the long run, Alex?
I'll mention a moment of mine: I sat down and talked to my grandparents about what's happening in India. I've been avoiding the conversation, because I'm afraid their opinions might rub me the wrong way (and vice versa). But it was a really thoughtful chat. I learned a lot—and they went upstairs with print-outs of some news articles I recommended.
Just found out yesterday that I’m the recipient of the 2020 Deans Excellence Award. Beyond proud of myself.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 so proud!!
I read 21 books this yr (for fun)and am really proud of that.
This is huge! It's not easy to fit leisure reading into our crazy lives, especially if it's been a while since you've read for pleasure. Kudos to you! <3
ty!!! Joining this newsletter has been rly good for me too. Thank u :)
Happy to have you, Laura!
read 15!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I have a tendency to personalize events and recently when a moment came up, instead of thinking "What did I do?" I thought, "This isn't about me. I hope that everything is okay with that person."
Farhin, that is a major sign of growth and confidence and you should be immensely proud of yourself. It also feels less heavy to carry around, right?
Thank you!! Yes, for sure :)
I officially completed my masters degree and now I’m taking time to focus on improving my mental and physical health!
Naziya, I'm right there w/ you!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Major win. Here's to better mental and physical health <3
I’ve been honest about my feelings — to my therapist, my friends, and to myself.
And that's not as easy as it might seem from the outside looking in. Good for you, Shabna. (Shabna, right?)
I led sloganeering at a recent peaceful protest in San Francisco that was held in solidarity with protests across India against a new legislation by the country's ruling party that buries between the lines a longstanding anti-Muslim, Hindu-nationalist agenda that relentlessly divisive politics is pushing in the country. In the run-up to this moment, I felt overwhelming anxiety to watch violence in my homeland from afar and felt related guilt for not being able to do more than just be there in spirit. I also moved to the U.S. only 3 years back to pursue international journalism after almost 6 years of being a full-time journalist in India, reporting from the midst of India's democracy through its calm and chaos. All this to say, that the guilt exacerbates an identity-crisis that will feel like a crisis till the time acculturation takes it due course. Thank you for the opportunity to share here!
Aditi, thanks SO much for sharing this. I can't express just how much I can relate to that feeling of anxiety and helplessness, but can't imagine how much harder this must be for you. I'd love to talk to you more about trying to find calm amid chaos from afar. Will reach out in the new year, if that's OK? Thank you again for sharing <3
I felt that a acquaintance that wanted to meet up with me while she was in town was consistently pushing my boundaries, so I told her that it wasn’t a good idea. And I wished her well. I’m so proud of myself because in the past I would have just met up with that person. Listening to my gut it’s a true win for my self-worth.
Yesssssss! Good on you for holding the people around you accountable (and helping them grow!) while taking care of yourself. I’m a big believer in only spending leisure time with people who I know are genuinely kind, but like you, that’s something I only learned to embrace as I got older. Proud of you, Nisha 👊🏽
I have not done yet but finallysigned up to foster a dog in 2020
OMG OMG OMG. It's a big commitment to make, and you should be very proud of yourself for taking that first step. Fostering is a smart thing to do, especially if you're new to being a pet parent. Are you thinking of adopting a dog in the long run, Alex?
🤞