SOME GOOD WORDS: Conversations We're Not Having, Millennial Remixes That Slap, + More
This month's roundup of articles, books, and more to help you move forward fearlessly in your own life by being proactive, not reactive.
Happy weekend, WANT fam!
We’re back with SOME GOOD WORDS: our monthly column dedicated specifically to things I love and think you’ll love too.
Before we get to the goods!
Wanted to let you know that I’m closing out the year of WANT YOUR SELF book tour with one final Book Launch Cabaret. I’m referring to it as CHAPTER TWO: TURNING THE PAGE…because, just like Semisonic told us in 1998, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. Come join me (and some special guests!) in NYC this Wednesday at The Green Room 42 at 7pm. TICKETS HERE.
And if you can’t join IRL, I would love for you to attend via the Livestream! You can view the stream up to one week after the show, so if you’re busy that evening but would still like to tune in, we’ve got you covered. LIVESTREAM TICKETS HERE
SOME GOOD WORDS
Alright, let’s get to it!
Here are three things to read, two things to listen to (that both contain multitudes...you’ll see what I mean :)), and one thing to do…
3 THIINGS TO READ:
1) THE CONVERSATIONS WE’RE NOT HAVING by Lily Diamond
Did I mention a
post last month? You bet I did. Am I mentioning one again? You bet I am! Once again, Lily gives words to something I personally feel like I stuggle with every week if not every day: the nature of Big Conversations online vs off.In real life, we warm up to each other, sniff each other out, compliment each other’s outfits, sometimes even engage in small talk as a form of intimacy-building. We don’t climb right up on our soap box and commence shouting at our friends the way we’re wont to do in the virtual town square.
Which means that sometimes, the heavier subjects—the ones we’re debating about with ourselves and each other online—don’t make the cut in person, with the people closest to us. Which begs the question: As it becomes easier and easier to mouth off online, is it becoming more and more difficult to have a real discussion IRL?
Today, Big Conversations about politics and identity are happening everywhere from Instagram to public restrooms to phone-banking Zoom sessions. But are they happening in real-time conversation with the people most important to us? Or is it just too uncomfortable, too vulnerable, to communicate in this way, without the protection of a screen?
And of course, subscribe to
! You’ll be meeting her here soon, too ;)2) THE GODDESS OF WARSAW by Lisa Barr
Growing up, historical fiction was MY GENRE. The Dear America series! The American Girl books! Unsurprisingly, it was the young women’s stories that captivated me the most: as cliché as it sounds, getting to peek into the mind of a fictional someone-like-me brougt the past to life more than any textbook ever could. That’s the power of storytelling — it connects you to things, people, places, and events in a way a list of facts rarely can.
It’s been an embarrasing amount of time since I’ve read historical fiction, though. Just life, lifeing. So when I was given the opportunity to moderate a conversation this weekend with author Lisa Barr around her latest book THE GODDESS OF WARSAW, I took it as an opportunity to get the genre back into my life. And I am SO GLAD I DID. I read this book in two sittings. It’s gripping, empowering, heartbreaking, fascinating. Lisa has an extensive background in journalism, and it shows — I deeply appreciated the nuance and care with which she brought a harrowing time in history to life, one that is all too relevant today.
3) SPECIFIC TALKING POINTS TO HELP YOU TALK TO UNDECIDED VOTERS by Emily Amick
This one comes to us via
’s newsletter today — thank you, Jessica! —where she said:…I also loved this piece from Emily Amick, if you need a script when you talk to undecided voters in your life. She breaks down every issue at stake and suggests presenting the facts vs bashing a candidate (which is way more effective).
This piece, in true
style, is extremely pragmatic/tactical. Facts, not fluff. What is proven to help vs. what just feels good or righteous.A tangent: What’s really interesting to me is that so much of “how to talk to undecided voters in your life” advice mirrors common advice about how to talk to loved ones when they’re in an unhealthy relationship, or a toxic work environment, or in a place of general life dissatisfaction. RARELY does bashing a person, place, or circumstance help people ACTUALLY move forward and make choices that feel empowering to them. And rarely does it convince them of anything. What does? Listening, validating very real fears/frustrations, sharing relevant facts and observations, and allowing the person to make choices for themselves. I feel like this might be worth mentioning, because it was a lightbulb moment for me: if talking to someone in your life who is an undecided voter feels scary or uncomfortable, it might not be entirely because politics feels scary or uncomfortable. It might be, to Lily’s point, that you’re out of practice when it comes to Big Conversations. This, to me, actually feels somewhat encouraging. If I’m out of practice, the only way I can become proficient is to practice. It becomes less about ME and my own personal strengths/weaknesses (cue the negative-self talk of “I'm too scared, I’m not helpful, etc”), and more about simply lack of repetition and habit. It reframes it from “something I’m bad at” to “something I’m working on.” So maybe we can work on it together. And what better time than now?
2 THINGS TO LISTEN TO:
This one is all about the PLAYLISTS!
1) MILLENNIAL REMIXES THAT SLAP on Spotify
This playlist is truly the gift that keeps on giving. And the name? Could be the subtitle for my weekly indoor cycling classes. Speaking of which…
2) MY SPIN CLASSES ON SPOTIFY!
Did you know that I post almost every single one of my IRL spin class playlists on my Spotify page? Now you do! If we see each other each week in class, relive the magic — if we don’t, enjoy and imagine you’re joining us virtually. Because you are!
1 THING TO DO:
Vote!
You probably could’ve predicted I’d say that :)
We have 9 days until Election Day here in the States, but early voting has already started — VOTE411 is a great resource to make sure you know what to do, where to go, and when to make it all happen in your state. BallotPedia also has a great sample ballot lookup tool, so you can make informed decisions up and down the ballot based on what is on the ballot in your specific area (remember, to make change happen, we need our local governments to reflect that desire for change!). Propositions in particular can be worded in ways that feel confusing or out of touch — but looking into what they mean in simple terms can help you feel empowered in a situation that can otherwise feel overwhelming. Combine that knowledge with the self-knowlege of who you are and what you value (and if you’re reading this, I am pretty sure you know yourself and what you value — or at the very least are on the journey of finding out!), and boom, you get a ballot that is uniquely yours. A privilege, honor, and BIG difference disguised in a small package (or envelope, rather). Let’s do this!
Move forward fearlessly, spread the good word, and be the you you know you’re meant to be. I believe in you — I hope you believe in you, too.
Thank you, Katie! Really excited to check out those tips for talking with undecided voters, and I appreciate your weave of it all into something actionable.
I didn’t know you were Livestreaming this!