Hey...
I'm writing today from my bedroom, surrounded by laundry that I was supposed to fold three days ago, wearing sweaty gym clothes and yesterday's eye liner that I forgot to wash off.
Sometimes writing a newsletter means that other things get temporarily de-prioritized... and that's just real life, yo.
Today's email contains a couple things. First off, some "story prompts" to help you come up with interesting things to write about. Then, a reminder that you cannot be replaced, and some musings
on compassion and how we all need to be less jerk-y to each other. And lastly, a video surprise that will hopefully bring a smile to your face. Enjoy!
. . .
"BUT WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT?" - STORY PROMPTS
I've met a lot of people who feel like "My life is boring!" and "I don't have anything interesting to write about." But that's not true. To quote my friend Sarah, "Everyone and everything is interesting."
It's
true. Every single day, all kinds of things happen that you can write about. Challenges. Realizations. Conversations. Mistakes. Little victories. Great material is everywhere. And stories about "ordinary experiences" can still be very touching, moving, and wonderful.
To stir up some new writing ideas, here are a couple of story prompts. Choose one. Set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes.
Start writing. See what comes out. You might remember some interesting details about your life that you’d kinda forgotten!
STORY PROMPT #1. MY FAVORITE THING.
We all know that “experiences” and “memories” are more important than physical possessions. However… some possessions can
represent big, important things.
What’s one of your most treasured possessions? A scarf that your grandma gave to you? A purse you bought to celebrate your first year of self-employment? A pair of running shoes? A wallet you’ve had since you were 15 years old?
Write about your most treasured
possession. Describe how it came into your life. Describe what it represents for you. If this possession could “talk,” what’s the advice / lesson / reminder / message it would give to you—and to other people, too?
STORY PROMPT #2. FEELING BULLIED AND SCARED.
Can you remember
a time when you felt bullied, teased, or shamed as a kid? Maybe someone told you that you were stupid, or your science project was dumb, or the “cool kids” wouldn’t let you hang out with them, or someone made fun of your body, skin color, hair, or clothes.
What happened? What did you feel in that moment?
Imagine a kid—or a grown-up—who’s going through a similar experience right now. Feeling bullied. Feeling teased. Feeling scared. Feeling worthless.
If you were sitting down with that person over a cup of tea, what would you like to say to them? What words of advice, comfort, or encouragement would you give to them? What do you want them to
know?
. . .
WANT MORE PROMPTS?
. . .
YOU CANNOT BE REPLACED
On a serious note, I got some very upsetting news this week that compels me to say... if you're dealing with severe
depression, or thinking about harming yourself, please know that you are beautiful, there is only one of you in the entire world, and you cannot be replaced.
You can contact this organization for help. Anytime. Confidential. No cost. Volunteers are standing by 24/7 and they can talk to you on the phone, or text, whatever you prefer.
As someone who has struggled with depression in the past, I want to say... no matter how hopeless you feel right now, things can get better. Things can get SO
MUCH better. One or two years from now, you might reflect back to this moment, and you might feel like a completely different person. There's so much happiness waiting ahead of you. Please stick around long enough to experience it.
. . .
DON'T BE A
JERK
Also, on a similarly serious note, HEY! Let's not be jerks to each other! We can all treat each other with a little more patience and compassion. We can all do better.
Before posting that nasty 1-star Yelp review, or leaving a snarky blog comment, or gossiping about
someone's weight, marriage, or career behind their back, maybe just... pause for a second. Maybe just... don't.
I think we all forget, sometimes, that when we type words into an Internet form and click "SUBMIT" or "POST," eventually, those words are going to reach an actual living human being.
That comment, that tweet, that email, that review... that's going to reach a human being with human feelings. A human being like you. Like your daughter. Like your best friend.
Let's all communicate with a little more thoughtfulness and respect. Cool? Cool.
. . .
IN CONCLUSION
Here is a video of me
dancing like a maniac to my new favorite boy band, CNCO—because sometimes you've just got to stomp, shake, laugh, and be completely ridiculous to get through this rollercoaster ride called life!
I hope that goofy video makes you crack a smile. Feel free to stand up and dance along
with me.
Happy Sunday! Into the new week, away we go! We're gonna make it!
-Alex
PS. So,
about CNCO... Yep. I'm obsessed. I mean, c'mon. My #1 life goal is to attend one of their concerts. I'll be the 32-year-old woman surrounded by screaming 15-year-old girls. Annnnnd I'll be screaming the loudest.
PPS. You're so smart and you have a wonderful, generous heart! Text, call, email, or write a letter to someone right now and tell them how much you appreciate their presence in your life. Don't overthink it. Just do it.
