My Sunday List
June 7, 2026 || The 23rd weekend of 2026 || High 85, Low 73 overcast and with some sweet little showers || The moon is in its Half Quarter phase || The energetic theme is crisis in consciousness
Words
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed it ourselves.” —Abraham Lincoln
Music
“Dove” by Bill Laurance. Chill yet peppy and cool.
Inventory of Wonder (credit to Wendell Berry, Sabbaths, 1979)
A regenerating well. As in, one that doesn’t run dry. The world itself is inspiring—I’ve had too many ideas rather than a lack of them. I’m astonished by and grateful for that.
Enduring friendships. It’s true—there’s nothing more valuable.
Catalog of Gratitudes
In a season of curveballs, I’m grateful for groundedness. In the past few years, I’ve been on the way back to myself—the self that I feel like is the essence of me. The me that is almost childlike in her bluntness— reminiscent of a self I was before I learned that saying what I saw as the truth would be a liability.
The way you do anything is the way you do everything.
What’s Happening
This week, the quiet power of the everyday: Building trust with new people, finding new depths of faith because the truth is, most people are good.
What I’m writing
My writing is all about work projects these days. I’m happy about that. Sometimes I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to get to do something I love for a living yet again. That must put me in a rare club.
Or maybe I’d find a way to love whatever I had to do, or had the opportunity to do. That’s a nice thought. As in, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” —Victor Frankl
If my why is to have a good life, the how provides it.
What I’m Reading
I’m not. I keep trying to watch the new Thomas Jefferson documentary on Netflix but I keep falling asleep! I like what I’ve been able to stay awake for, however. I’m not sure there are any new ideas in it, but we’ll see.
Prayer
Let me be good. Let me remember to talk to you and hear what you have to say to me. Let me value your divine knowing over anything and everything else, over anyone and everyone’s opinion. Let me be choosy about the counsel I seek. Let me be loyal, kind, and compassionate to my friends and family. Let me use good judgment and strength of character in every moment. Let me never forget that each breath is a gift from you, from this universe, from the miracle that is this moment of perfect combustion. Let me be strong in my faith. Let me receive inspiration. Most of all, let me love and be loved.
Intention for the week to come
May I be the best version of myself.
May I be patient.
May I be kind.
May I have self-awareness.
May I keep it simple.
May I welcome change.
May I love unconditionally.
May I travel, and tread, lightly.
May I slow down my emotions and keep them at arms length. They are clues—not answers, not truth.
Something I’m thinking about
Limitations. Should we be conscious of them and accept them or try to overcome them? Improving is hard. But what choice do we have?
Does it ever become okay to rest in who we are: the good, the bad, the ugly, the unmentionable, the glorious, the hilarious? Maybe if we have a sense of humor about it all, it does.
Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. — Buddha
Talent: hitting a target no one else can hit.
Genius: hitting a target no one else can see.
Wishes
That we all receive the love we deserve.
That we all find comfort and peace.
That we all find time for the things that soothe us.
That you will forward this to one person you think might like it.
May we all find “the better angels of our nature” (Abraham Lincoln).
Have a wonderful, peaceful, joyous week. And thank you for supporting my work here at The Autotelic.
Peace. Love.
Allison
My Favorite Cause
Evergrow Farm. Evergrow Farm is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to creating a purposeful community where individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities can learn, work, and belong. Evergrow Farm is a vibrant, nature-based environment—complete with gardens, greenhouses, and an in-the-works “Gather Barn”—the farm provides life-skills training, therapeutic services, and meaningful employment opportunities for all ages. Built on the foundational belief that everyone is capable of lifelong growth, Evergrow Farm serves as a vital bridge to independence, fostering a sense of dignity and connection through hands-on agricultural and vocational experiences. Our adult day program is already up and running.
There are first edition copies of I Dream He Talks to Me and Blood in the shop. I will sign each copy that is ordered. If you would like it personalized, please send an email with your order number and the name you would like on the signature page to allisonmoorercontact@gmail.com.
Paid subscriber benefits:
Access to the chat feature on the Substack app.
Paid subscriber only Saturday posts.
A discount code to use in the shop for 24 hours when I list paintings.
Surprises from time to time — free merch, access to things in the shop before free subscribers.
Limitations may be on a sliding scale. As we get older perhaps we should accept our limitations to a greater extent than those who are younger. We should still try to overcome them but we ought to appreciate that there are increasing physical and mental barriers as we age.
Perhaps we do have a choice. Hopefully our diminishing ability to overcome limitations is complemented by a growing wisdom about our circumstances.
I like your prayers/wishes. ‘May I be the best version of myself” ❤️🙏🏽