[The Encouraging Times] Like & Tell

The following is a submission for The Encouraging Times, a collection of encouraging happenings around us.

A friend of mine from college, Timothy Fehling, recently started a project called Like & Tell.

The premise is simple, powerful, and uplifting: He finds things that he likes on the internet, and then emails the creator to tell them what he likes about their creation.

On his site, Timothy shares both the artwork/creation he admires and the email that he sent. It makes my heart fuzzy to think about how that email probably made someone’s day, propelling them further, forever changing their path.

I especially appreciate that Timothy is taking the time to let humans know about their work’s impact in a space that so often lacks this aspect: online.

Thank you, Tim, for bringing this project to life and for sharing it with me!

I warmly invite you to share a story/moment/sighting from your life that made you feel encouraged/hopeful. I will share it here on the blog, such that its light can spread exponentially.

Behind the Scenes: Creating My 2019 Holiday Letter

I spent last Friday making my 2019 holiday letter with pen and paper, like in 2018. The idea had been swirling around in my mind for a few weeks—to send out an unexpected letter mid-year, since I hadn’t sent anything out last December.

Like most creations, it began as some scribbles on scrap paper. I like to collect scrap paper (ie grab from recycling bins) for this exact purpose. It feels more accessible and easier to jump in with crap when the paper itself has already lived its first life, so I use this technique and keep scrap paper handy. Read more

[The Encouraging Times] Free Conversations

The following is a submission for The Encouraging Times, handwritten and mailed to me from Eva in Spain.

It reads:

FREE CONVERSATIONS

Movement born in Barcelona
@freeconversations

I heard on the radio an interview with the activist from Barcelona Audà Ballester (@adriaballester). He has started the Free Conversations Movement: it consists in… talk. He just puts a chair on the street, another chair in front of him, a sign that says “Free Conversations” and… listens to the people.

I loved reading about this story, Eva, and being introduced to someone new-to-me. Whether we know about these people or not, they’re in the world every day, bringing new ideas to light and expressing kindness in their daily actions.

I warmly invite you to share a story/moment/sighting from your life that made you feel encouraged/hopeful. I will share it here on the blog, such that its light can spread exponentially.

Reflecting: Q2 of 2020

The start of July marked the halfway point of 2020, the end of quarter 2 and beginning of quarter 3. Like any human-made unit—week, month, quarter, etc.—this is an arbitrary unit, but I like to use the occasion as a chance to stop turning pages and instead plop in a bookmark. A pause. Some deep breaths. A look back.

After our 2-hr video call Q2 reflection with my retreat group last weekend, I used Nicole Antoinette’s mid-year reflection workbook “Now What?” this weekend to guide a deeper reflection sit-down. Read more