'23 & Me

What's up! Here we go again! Another year, another January. This time of year does feel significant and full of hope. The holidays are behind us and we can embrace that 'clean slate' mentality and dream about who we want to be and what we want to do in this calendar year. Taking a moment to reflect on the past 12 months - the struggles, the triumphs - helps me feel deep gratitude for the journey and our ability to be resilient. 

At the beginning of last year, I knew a few people around my age that died by suicide. When this type of death occurs, we all want to understand 'why', often dissecting their personal/professional/romantic/financial situations... making sweeping statements like 'but they had it all!'. Many conversations with colleagues and friends focused on how perfect that someone's life appeared on the outside, not what was going on internally. Is it appropriate to share your mental health status at the office? Should we be vulnerable and open about aspects of our health with our managers? Thanks to HIPAA, it is illegal for your employer to inquire about your state of health. But, as humans before employees, it can be stressful to hide the truth and act like everything is okay, maintaining that and you are capable of 'operating and performing at the highest level' when something serious (for me, bipolar mania and depression) is consuming all of your brainpower. I've had a manager demand to know the details of my healthcare in a very aggressive and micomanag-y conversation - where I immediately emailed HR and left the company shortly thereafter. Adversity is something that befalls us all. Many people feel compelled to share their story in the hopes of inspiring others and giving them guidance on how to navigate a difficult life experience. Maybe you have experienced racism, sexism, illness or injury... how you process and progress through your trauma is 100% a personal choice. No one is obligated to bare their soul on social media or in the workplace. I think there is a lot of pressure on social media to 'BE REAL', which that intention gets twisted with divulging too many intimate details about your life. 'Did that celebrity get plastic surgery? Why won't they just be 'honest.' Privacy and honesty are not mutually exclusive. 

I strive to be conscious about the parts of my life that I am comfortable sharing. Sobriety, work, mental health are big topics that I enjoy thinking and writing about as I walk down my own path. Last year I learned that just because you go through something, doesn't mean it has to be your identity. Through meditation and prayer, I was able to get to the root of what my purpose is and what I want my life to look like and the kind of person I want to be until I reach the end. But... my purpose and dreams are two things I'm keeping inside and private for now. 

Reading Rundown 

Mental Health

Burn Rate by Andy Dunn

Night Falls Fast and An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison

Business

When Women Lead by Julia Boorstin

Sustainability/Global Warming

What We Owe the Future by William MacAskill

How to Avoid A Climate Disaster by Bill Gates

FUN IN THE SUN beach reads (romance/murders/affairs/drama)

The Club by Ellery Lloyd (a husband and wife writing duo)

Mary Jane: A Novel by Jessica Anya Blau 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Sober Curious

Sunshine Warm Sober by Catherine Gray

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy




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