This was a month that brought some magic. This month, I met one of my favorite writers and some pretty incredible women. I spent time in Manhattan, which I always love. I saw the homage to Matthew Perry at the Friend’s building. Speaking only for the city, we voted in the same criminals into public office. I got sooo back on track with my workout routine. I could have slept more, though.
We saw the coolest Jaeger-LeCoutre exhibit and ate the most beautiful pastries. We cooked up a delicious Thanksgiving dinner complete with these very cool mushroom burgers. I voted for my favorite dancers on DWTS (finale is next week). It got so cold. (SO cold, guys).
I didn’t read very much. I replaced my reading time with working out, so it was either read or sleep, but I am still making my way through three great books, little by little. With the bitter cold moving in on us, I know more quiet and warm evenings are in the future.
I wanted to flag that yours truly will be featured in the Hot Mess Free Virtual Summit. You can register and sign up here! If you are feeling the chaos, this season, or you just love being encouraged, make sure to support this beautiful project. I am honored to be a part of it.
And what can I say, the holidays also are a solemn reminder of the people we miss. Absence is always felt deeper. The world, each day, shows us it has gone mad. Yet, I know this adventure has a purpose. I recently heard the question, ‘Are we fit for the work ahead of us?‘ Whether we realize it or not, there is work laid out ahead of us. There is a role we are tasked with. Have we sat in the quiet to discern it and hear the guidance that will take us home?
Winter constantly reminds us that light shines brightest in the darkness. There is nothing to fear, because light shines out of darkness, and love, the greatest gift of all, will make us whole.
Wishing you, and yours, a beautiful festive season. Let nothing spoil the joy of knowing God came down to save us. Extravagant love changed the world and will change us, if we let it.
Post of the month: Reflecting on Courage and Rising
Quotes
“Thinking is my fighting.” Virginia Woolf
“Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.” Jean de la Bruyere
“I have a kind of courage you do not understand. I am far from blind, far from indifferent, but I will not indulge in impotent, passive despair. I will not add to the despair of the world. I am working on counterpoisons… I create a space in which people can breathe, restore their faith and strength to live.” Anais Nin (YESSSSS)
“Writing is not life, but I think that sometimes it can be a way back to life.” Stephen King
“God will not protect you from anything that will make you more like Jesus.” Elisabeth Elliot
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” William Shakespeare
C.S. Lewis addressing the fear of atomic bomb and the decay of the world: “This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”
“Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is the way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.” William Martin, Source: The Parent’s Tao Te Chin
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” Henry David Thoreau
“We have let far too much go unchallenged. Too many lies have spread in the face of inaction as a result of fear or politesse. No more. Do not bite your tongue. Do not tremble. Do not go along with little lies. Speak up. Break the wall of lies. Let nothing go unchallenged. Our enemies’ failure is not assured and there is no cavalry coming. We are the cavalry. We are the last line of defense. Our civilization depends on us.” Bari Weiss, You Are the Last Line of Defense
“Face everything, you will survive anything.” Matt Higgins
“When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.” G.K. Chesterton
“We can’t withstand China, Russia, and Iran if we can’t explain to our populations why it matters that we do. We can’t fight woke ideology if we can’t defend the civilization that it is determined to destroy. And we can’t counter Islamism with purely secular tools. To win the hearts and minds of Muslims here in the West, we have to offer them something more than videos on TikTok.” Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Why I am Now a Christian
“If you want to be rare in this world, never give up on hope. Hope is the singular power that can destroy apathy and give you the strength to endure the dark violence of the human story.” Erwin McManus
“My head is a hive of words that won’t settle.” Virginia Woolf
“There is no loss too small to grieve. If you feel the loss, acknolwedge it by grieving. Grief recognizes the void and invites God to fill it up with Himself.” Debra Fileta
“I wanted God to meet me in faith, but He met me in faithfulness.” Erwin McManus
“The healer also needs healing. The planner also needs surprises. The giver also needs to receive. The thoughtful also needs to be thought of. The considerate also needs to be considered.” The Good Quote
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy. Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.” Stephen King
Articles and Things
Career rules from the late Charlie Munger
Prepare + Enrich THE HIDDEN COMPLEXITIES OF HOUSEHOLD TASKS
Another favorite dance (my first favorite is here):
These precious critters.
Argentina elected a new president. Loved this coverage of it. Made me smile.
I listened to the art of energy management.
These Mind Shift Pods were gold:
I also re-watched Breakfast at Tiffany‘s and appreciated Holly just a bit more.
Then, back to energy management…
Played this on repeat!
People Who Intrigue Me
Jamie Kern Lima (Founder of IT Cosmetics and Author of Worthy)
Jim Kwik (Coach and Author of Limitless)
Already time for December.
GABRIELA YARELIZ 