Keep Learning and Go Play

I’m savoring a slow Sunday morning and have made a commitment to spending time reading and being still (after these important messages). Before I go read (or go to breakfast with a friend), I wanted to share what’s seasoning my mind lately. The following books and interactions are helping me set a course on an uncertain (but hopeful) path forward.

Autumn Beauty small and hiding

My reading-in-progress:

• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

• Influencer: The Power to Change Anything by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler

Additionally, I spent some time learning with real-life humans recently:

• Attended an in-person conference on Narrative Medicine

• Participated in a webinar about End of Life Doulas, hosted by Gabby Jimenez from The Hospice Heart

• Went to the Sustain DuPage One Seed, One Community seed share meet-up and added my garden’s Amish sugar snap peas and Cherokee Trail of Tears black beans to the seed cache

Seasons and Phases of Bees and Sunflowers: Becoming Dormant; Falling Asleep; Waking

Each of these inputs have felt like medicine for my mind and spirit. The Four Agreements (which I’m gobbling up) and Influencer were recommended to me a few years ago. I had started both, but got sidetracked and never finished. They were suggested to me by people for whom I have a lot of respect. I’m looking forward to learning more.

The Narrative Medicine conference was a lovely day spent learning about the importance and impact of stories, as it pertains to clinical settings and professions (Healthcare workers and the patients we serve). Good gravy. What a day. What a community!

A Work-In-Progress: The Four… Five… The Unfinished Agreements and Eventual Manifesto

I feel called toward death work of some sort. I don’t know if that’ll involve becoming a hospice nurse, an end-of-life doula, or some other version of wayfinding assistant as it pertains to comfort and dignity as we near the end of our lives. Part of that exploration has included attending hospice classes at work, reading books and posts by other deathworkers, and attending informative sessions like the webinar yesterday. Maybe I’ll be a Healthcare/Palliative Care Sherpa — somewhere in between a birthing doula and and end-of-life/death doula, who’s just here to help you navigate Care for yourself or another human.

See, that’s the fun of learning! I keep feeding my brain and spirit content that feels nourishing. And my brain and spirit keep letting me show up for work, my family, my community.

(Untitled) by Gwen Pennington (For me, it’s a language).

What are you doing to sustain yourself these days? How are you taking good care of yourself? What would you do differently if you could? Are you playing enough?

Take good care!

Love,

Jessie