Tag Archives: books

Pink, purple, and blue flowers with green leaves.

6 Things I Learned in March and April 2019

Things I Learned, , , , ,

It’s finally feeling like spring here– in my body and out in the world.

So taking inspiration from Modern Mrs. Darcy, here’s a list of things I learned in the last two months.  

1. I have to kick FOMO to the curb. Yeah, JOMO has been part of the social vernacular for a while, but I’ve only truly started to work on becoming a fan of the Joy of Missing Out recently. I don’t have the spoons to do everything I need to do, let alone want to do, so why not pick a few things and celebrate those?

2. Knoxville has a welcoming LGBTQ+ community. That’s not to say it’s thriving like Toronto or NYC, but it’s doing just fine, thank you very much, — especially in certain parts of town; I wish I’d had more time to explore.

Be sure to check out Wild Love Bakehouse. The cafe miel is delicious, and the pastries are flakey, but the gay friendly atmosphere is what I love best about the place. My boyfriend and I went for breakfast and ended up staying for hours because we made new friends.

3. Old Bay tastes amazing on cheddar popcorn. And a lot of other things. According to this meme on their official Instagram, I’m very Maryland, especially for a Canadian. How about you?

4. We forget more of what we read, than we think we do [The Atlantic]. Keep of a book of books, or “Bob” to help you remember. Says Pamela Paul, “Bob offers immediate access to where I’ve been, psychologically and geographically, at any given moment in my life… Each entry conjures a memory that may have otherwise gotten lost or blurred with time.”

5. Always put verbs in to do lists to make your list more motivating and less overwhelming. I learned this from a podcast Sarah Von Bargen was on, and I wish I could remember which one it was. She also says to measure progress on your to do list, not just how fast tasks are completed.

6. If I’m having a rough self esteem day, it helps to listen to music that pumps me up and lifts my spirits. Drop-dead Knockout by Sinclair is my absolute favourite lately. They’re a queer artist from upstate New York who opened for Kacey Musgraves on select dates of her Oh What a World tour, and I had the pleasure of meeting Sinclair in Knoxville. One of the highlights of my trip, for sure!


Listen to Drop-Dead Knockout by Sinclair here.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by SINCLAIR (@igobysinclair) on

What have you learned this spring?

How To Do It All (Really!!)

Being a Digital Nomad, Being a Spoonie, Business, ,

You can do it all.

I know that sounds a little unrealistic: You have a business, a job, a social life, a family, some hobbies. Lots of responsibility. So little time. And, if you’re a regular at The Spoon In the Road, you probably have a disability. How are you supposed to juggle all this stuff? (I know my cane means literal juggling is out of the question for me!).

As a sufferer of ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), I have very few ‘good’ hours each day, before I have to rest. With so many things on my plate, how can I possibly get things done, and still have time for fun?

Enter How To Do It All: The Revolutionary Plan to Create a Full, Meaningful Life, by Linda Formichelli. Linda introduces the radical idea that a little stress is actually good for you. You have two choices: go through life as stress-free as possible, but have little in the way of memorable moments and funny stories to share. Or, set out to achieve something special, go on wild adventures, and just accept that stress is part of a life well-lived.

As spoonies, we’re already pretty well-acquainted with stress: We have to count our spoons, measure what little energy we have and make educated guesses about how tired and sore we’ll be tomorrow versus how happy and accomplished we’ll feel today.

In a way, we’re already living the “D.I.A.” lifestyle, without even knowing it.

How To Do It All offers concrete plans for making time and finding energy to do what’s important to you, explains how stress is actually your friend, and inspires you to go out and make your desires reality.

My only complaint about this book is that it doesn’t take into account that some of us don’t have 24 hours in a day (so to speak). While the average person can sleep 8 hours, work 8 hours, and spend the rest of their time on their goals, a spoonie needs to take things slower. We might not get through the entire book’s 12 desires within 12 months (as suggested in the book’s introduction). We simply can’t go at the same speed as our able-bodied counterparts, and that’s okay.

How-to-Do-It-All-High-Resolution-188x300

No matter your ability, you can do it all. Just go at your own pace, and enjoy the outcomes as well as the ride.

How to Do It All: The Revolutionary Plan to Create a Full, Meaningful Life — While Only Occasionally Wanting to Poke Your Eyes out with a Sharpie by Linda Formichelli is out now. Buy it in print or kindle here.

Full disclosure: I was a beta reader for this book and received a complimentary copy. However, this has not impacted my opinion.