Open Ears, Mind & Heart

It’s Sunday morning and I’m curled up in one of my happy spots, on the deck with coffee.

I don’t pretend ever to be an expert on anything other than my own life experience, and sometimes I’m not even an expert at that. I am embarrassed at how little I know about topics that I should be more informed about, including history, politics and world events. But I’m always open to learning, growing, having conversations and sharing my experiences with others. I sometimes don’t speak up because I feel I don’t have the knowledge to back up what I’m saying. I’m usually speaking from the heart without having the information to back up any facts. I’m working on this as well. We all have opportunities for growth.

Over the last few weeks I’ve done a lot of thinking, reading, listening and learning. While I’ve read so many great great things and listened to so many good and interesting interviews and conversations, I’ve also seen and heard so much hate and so much judgment out there and oddly, it always surprises me. I often have this perfect image in my head of what the world is like. Of what our country is like. I want to imagine a perfect world where we all love one another and we always have each others back, but I know that isn’t reality. I’m often blind to the hardships of so many and I want to change that. I want to have my eyes and ears open more often.

One thing that has really surprised me (and I must stop being so surprised) is how many people with social media platforms are willing to have open discussions and then be shot down by their readers wanting them to stick to what they know best, cooking, recipes, workouts, make-up, crafting or whatever their brand may represent.

For me, listening, learning and acting on what I absorb is a great part of my overall health. I want to live my best life, and opening up myself in all areas of life, will only help me to grow as a person.

This is my blog, my public journal, where I will continue to share what helps me live my best life.

Over the last few weeks I have done a lot of reading and I’m doing my best to open my ears, my mind and my heart more than I have before. I’m going to make mistakes and I will continue to grow from those mistakes and I will continue to educate myself so moving forward, I can do my part to try and make our country a better place of community and inclusiveness for everyone.

I’m following a variety of people now on social media, from the far left to the far right and several in the middle, seeking out articles I wouldn’t typically read and I’m learning a lot. Mike and I are having in depth conversations and he pointed out the positives of he and I having such different views on things because in having the conversations that we’ve had, we have both been able to listen to each other and open our minds in a way that I don’t think either of us had done in the past.

Here are just a few things I’m reading, watching and listening to. I would encourage anyone wanting to make a difference to seek out materials, have difficult conversations, be uncomfortable, listen and read with an open mind and ask questions. Be open to making mistakes and growing in the way that you listen, in the way that you think and the actions that you take.

Article

Black vs. African-American

An interesting and informative article discussing those identities, why people choose them, and how the terms have evolved since slavery.

Speech

President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965, Speech: The American Promise

After reading this, it could have been written yesterday, yet it was delivered over 50 years ago.

Commencement Address

You can read the full address by clicking on the link below.

“You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, “you are free to compete with all the others,” and still justly believe that you have been completely fair.”

Lyndon B. Johnson, Howard University Commencement Address, 1965

Movie

“Just Mercy” on Amazon Prime and free through the month of June.

We watched this last night. “Just Mercy” is based on the true story of a young Harvard Law graduate Bryan Stevenson (played by Michael B. Jordan), who moves to Alabama in the late 80’s seeking justice for death row inmates. The movie focuses on Walter McMillan, (played by Jamie Foxx) who is wrongly accused and convicted of murdering a white woman, Ronda Morrison, in 1986. Excellent Movie. Eye opening to the racial injustice of not only the inmates, but their family members and the lawyer fighting for them as well.

Documentary

I watched this last week.

“13th” on Netflix and currently free to non Netflix subscribers

The following are excerpts taken from a review by Odie Henderson of the documentary, “13th”

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” –Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

When the 13^th amendment was ratified in 1865, its drafters left themselves a large, very exploitable loophole in the guise of an easily missed clause in its definition. That clause, which converts slavery from a legal business model to an equally legal method of punishment for criminals, is the subject of the Netflix documentary “13th.” 

Between the lines, “13th” boldly asks the question if African-Americans were actually ever truly “free” in this country. We are freer, as this generation has it a lot easier than our ancestors who were enslaved, but the question of being as completely “free” as our White compatriots hangs in the air. If not, will the day come when all things will be equal? The final takeaway of “13th” is that change must come not from politicians, but from the hearts and minds of the American people.“

Odie Henderson

Books

I’ve seen several books recommended and not knowing where to start, I began with “How to be an Anti-racist” one of the books written by Ibram X. Kendi.

I’m only a few chapters in, but already appreciating the detailed explanation in a way I’ve never heard before about the difference between being not racist and anti-racist.

I’m listening to this book on Audio. I’m listening more intently, and as much as I thought I was the person that would speak up before, I will speak up more often and I will speak up louder moving forward.

I have not read the following, but they are on my list.

“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett

“Bennett’s gorgeously written second novel, an ambitious meditation on race and identity, considers the divergent fates of twin sisters, born in the Jim Crow South, after one decides to pass for white. Bennett balances the literary demands of dynamic characterization with the historical and social realities of her subject matter.” – The New York Times

Also recommended……

• 

• 

• 

• 

I’m open to any recommendations of books, articles, movies, documentaries or social media platforms to be following.

I’m simply here to encourage anyone listening to live their best life, in whatever way they need to do that.

After last weekends camping trip, all I’ve wanted to do is spend more time outside this week. I don’t love the heat, but I do love to be outside. Yesterday I loaded up the kayak and headed out to the lake that I visited a few weeks back. Lake Olathe is about a 25 minute drive from my house. I’d heard WW members mention it in workshops in the past, but I’d never checked it out. I knew after my visit, I would be visiting the next time with my kayak!

I packed a small cooler with drinks and lunch and enjoyed almost two hours on the lake.

On Friday, they opened up their beach area that includes a great little Aqua Park area in the lake with all sorts of fun things for the kids to jump and slide and play on.

• 

• 

The lake was filled with kayaks, paddle boards and fishing boats. There were several things you could rent at the marina. I’ll be going back here for sure to enjoy and afternoon on the lake.

I ended my time at the lake in a cozy camp chair sipping on a cold LaCroix in the shade and enjoying the view.

We ate healthy foods while camping but this week I’ve put very little thought into meals and didn’t track a dang thing. Today I’ll do some meal planning and see if I can get in a good variety of yummy things for us to eat this week.

Meal Planning was the technique for the week in our WW Workshops and I shared a hypothetical story where dinner time came around and the only thing that sounded good was the frozen pizza in the freezer because it had been a long stressful day and dinner hadn’t been planned. Last night we had frozen pizza. Ha! Planning ahead is going to be key for me this week in having healthy choices on hand.

Are you a meal planner? A snack planner?

Enjoy this day.

‘Til tomorrow!

“love the life you live, live the life you love”