My Sunday List
January 14, 2024
Quote
…We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education. —Martin Luther King, Jr.
*note: I’ve been thinking about character and how it’s forged. As far as I know, it is not a thing that can be taught, only modeled.
Song
I don’t really have a song of the week today — the three days I had at home this week weren’t quite enough for me to get settled to listen to any records. But the last song I listened to on Spotify was Cómo Me Quieres by Khruangbin, who are super cool and vibey.
I watched
Not one thing that I recall. One of my goals for the week is to dig into the Master Class app I subscribed to a year ago. I think I’ll start with Martha Stewart’s — Think Like a Boss and Live Like a Legend. All I have to say to that idea is a resounding hell yes, sign me up, I definitely need some of whatever Martha is doing.
Book
I’m still on Seven Thousand Ways to Listen, by Mark Nepo, and think I will be for at least another week or two. I’m getting so much out of it — every time I read a passage I feel warmth and connection in my soul. Nepo has a real gift and I am grateful to be receiving it through this sweet volume, which I predict will earn a permanent place on the nightstand. I’m also going to have to get a bigger nightstand.
Thing
Graph paper for mapping out larger paintings. I’m drawn to everything about symmetry these days — even how it can never be exactly exact. Can it? Anyway — I’m being much more methodical than usual about how I execute what I see in my mind. It isn’t about perfection, but about two sides — about yes, and.
Yes. And.
What I’m wearing
Layers of black, grey, and taupe. Warm things. The sweater I affectionately call the accident (it was a splurge). At this moment I’m wearing Imogene + Willie lounge pants and a several-year-old chunky black cashmere v-neck from a Vince end-of-year sale (pretty sure it was 2018). This is a good example of how I score clothing that’s out of my price range, because I scope the sales and second-hand/vintage— I buy most of my clothes that way (obviously not the accident — some exceptions have to be made).
What I’m cooking
This morning, I made John Henry a version of one of my favorite breakfast dishes, Pasta Papa, which is on the Menu at Hugo’s in Los Angeles. I scrambled sausage, eggs, and mixed it with cooked rigatoni, then topped it with some cheese, cilantro, and a dash of salt. He gobbled it up and that’s always a good way to start a Sunday.
Favorite Photo I Took This Week
Where I went
Y’all know me and my life lately — I’m not where I was 3 days ago, which wasn’t where I was 3 days before that. I have a weekend at home coming up — only the 2nd one since Thanksgiving. I do hope 2024 is a much less peripatetic year.
What I did
Mostly ran myself ragged in the name of self-care, which is ironic, isn’t it?
What I made
Progress.
Drawings.
A 2nd verse to a song Kenny and I started last week and a verse and a chorus to an even newer one.
Something wonderful I noticed
That I’m developing a solid connection to myself.
What brought me joy
Being with my son. Moments of clarity in therapy. Packing light. Making music. Drawing and painting. Writing with a pencil.
Prayer
Thank you, Great Spirit, for giving me the strength to let go of everything I cannot control, which is everything outside of myself.
Intention for the week to come
May I be present before I am concerned with being anything else.
May I meet others with kindness and acceptance and still keep my boundaries.
May I feel confident enough in those boundaries to be flexible in my actions.
May I use my words for good.
May I be grateful for my blessings.
May I be open to the opportunities that show themselves to me.
Something I’m thinking about
The meaning of the word vocation in a spiritual sense.
How acting out is a sign of unvoiced pain.
Creating a self-focused life, not a self-centered life, as in I want to only reflect on my own behavior, since it is the only behavior I can control.
The power of presence.
Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. — Buddha
Habit
Focusing on keeping my nervous system regulated and not getting activated. Don’t forget your butterfly hugs.
Accepting advice instead of being hard-headed.
Checking in and feeling for boundaries and responding appropriately instead of making sudden moves or reacting.
These are developing, obviously.
Wishes
That I recognize every opportunity to feel joy, and that I take each one.
That my fellow creatures do that too.
That you all are content and well.
That you will forward this to one person you think might like it.
These pieces are available in the Autotelic Shop. I’m sorry to say I cannot offer international shipping.
Have a wonderful, peaceful, joyous week. And thank you for supporting my work here at The Autotelic.
Peace. Love.
Allison
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While you’re exploring the word vocation in a spiritual sense, I was struck by your comparison of self-focused vs. self-centered. It made me think more about centering oneself in an emotional and spiritual way. Centering is necessary for balance both physically and psychologically to achieve wellbeing. Of course, you know this from yoga regarding meditation. So, I’m focusing on that concept to start the week as a tool for self-care.
Oh I forgot to tell you... I found a stone shaped like a heart today! ❤️🎉