You guys–it’s the end of January. Which means we are closer to Life Post-Pandemic then ever before. And tomorrow, we’ll be even closer! (Basically, this is how time works, but I still find it encouraging.) 🙂 Also, how about that Johnson & Johnson vaccine, huh? Sure, it’s not as across-the-board-effective as the first two vaccines the FDA gave emergency approval for, but it is still gonna be a game changer and I continue to feel like things will be shifting to a more stable ‘new normal’ in the next 6 weeks or so. Which means, Groundhog Day (which is actually this coming Tuesday, Feb 2nd) is almost over!
Also, also, this is the time to think about things you’d like to a) keep from this past year, b) not bring back into your life or c) get done before you have to leave your house regularly and people ask you what you did over the past year. ‘Survived’ is a perfectly acceptable answer. But also, it may help to take a look at that list of ‘things I want to do’ you made last March…
Ok, ready for a few ideas for you (and your life) (and the world) to be just a little bit better? Here are 5 quick links to bring you a little joy, a chance to think or to provide a helpful tool to you in 5 (ish) minutes! 🙂
(You do know that you don’t have to actually DO any of these things to have a little bit of hope, right? Just knowing that they exist in the universe may be all the boost you need today, so don’t fret if you don’t feel like clicking on the links for more info.)
Here is your Hope in 5 (ish) for the week!
- Trying to change a behavior? I found this info about how to brain shift helpful as I evaluate the resolutions I am actually working on this month. (I break them down into only a few to focus on at a time so I am not completely overwhelmed at trying to change nine areas of my life at one time. But you do you.) Habits are the new resolutions! See if this quick read gives you tools to change that behavior that is making your daily life aggravating.
- If you caught Amanda Gorman’s poem at the US Inauguration, I think you’ll appreciate my internet dive to find some more work of hers. To say that she has a remarkable way with words is an incredible understatement. She did a Ted Talk for TedEd and I thought you might find it wildly encouraging and provide some food for thought about the choices each of us make about how we use our voice. Honestly, if you just listen to the two questions she poses in the first few seconds, it will be worth the click. 🙂
- Speaking of Groundhog Day, being sick of all the things in my house after virtually no change to them in a year AND needing a little mid-winter mental pick-me-up, check out these ideas for how to improve your living space for under $35 on Amazon. I gotta be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about the toilet night light, but…maybe?
- Some of the takeaways from this past year will definitely include meeting the needs of students, teachers and communities better as we have the chance to re-shape schools moving forward. This TedTalk from an educator in Chicago about how she believes things can change are a great reminder that returning to schools after so much time away provides a fresh-ish start. And maybe we should take it.
- Even after months of NOT going to a movie in a theater, my brain will occasionally send me a whiney message about how much I MISS going to see a movie in a theater. So when I stumbled across this list of what is happening/new release dates for the movies of 2020, I did a little happy dance! (I totally forgot about several of them! Like Dune! And Black Widow!)
If you discover something you think other folks would find helpful or hopeful or fun, please share that with me! 🙂
Hopefully,
Melissa 🙂
p.s. Was this forwarded to you? You can get it sent right to your inbox next week! 🙂
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