Hope in 5 (ish) minutes: A weekly newsletter for life to be just a little bit better – No. 23

I noticed this morning that the light is shifting more and I feel spring coming! Even here in LA, the land of mostly gorgeous weather all the time. Need a bit more sunshine? (No, but really.) Daylight Savings Time is only a month away! (March 14th, for my American readers.)

IKR? How are we here already? But also, yay for more sun!


I hope you are doing ok. I saw a great response to the question of “how are you doing?” in one of the articles I linked below. “Good on paper.” I mean, right? No complaints, except things that just sound whiney in light of the past year of loss and trauma. And existing through this world-wide event without being personally impacted feels a bit like survivor’s guilt, I think. Ya know?


Please take this gentle offering as my way of creating just a few minutes of relief and hopefulness as we all keep moving forward, whatever that might look like for you this week. (hug)

(Can I ask you to take a second and forward this newsletter to a few people? We are better together. 🙂

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! 🙂


Here is your Hope in 5 (ish) for the week!

  • While I like to think I am not into the commercial exploitation of romantic love that is Valentine’s Day (but gimme chocolate, please and thank you), I do like to use it as a chance to think about the people I love who are closest to me. This article on the 5 love languages with examples was a great re-fresher for me to consider how differently the people in my life receive love and how I can adjust to them. My top 2 love languages are words of affirmation and acts of service–what are yours? No one in my household has either of these two, of course, haha. 🙂
  • One of the very interesting things we didn’t even know we were missing right now are those casual acquaintances and interactions we used to have with people. As the writer states in this article, American’s don’t have very many words to label different kinds of friendships, but those light associations bring us a surprising amount of social connection. There’s a reason you miss the people you don’t know that well.
  • In The Before Time, when I spent some days on set with a kid or two, there were things I didn’t know I would miss. Like at the end of the day when the sound team would keep the cast and crew on the set and we’d all be very quiet while they recorded ‘room tone’, just the ambient sounds of a room that you don’t even notice. No talking, no sounds, just the quiet sound of the space itself. It allows the sound team to fill in chunks of background sound to help editing continuity, basically. I liked the pause at the end of all the energy and it was both a collective and personal breath. I came upon a compilation by one company of the very end of shoots when everyone just stays put for room tone. Honestly, I’ve watched the short video it several times and it is strangely soothing.

  • I came across this TedTalk and it is a FASCINACTING talk. The speaker is a very engaging and funny, but the outcome of his experiment was even more interesting. Not to be all click-bait-y, but I was very surprised with what he (as a Black man) agreed with White supremacists about. Watch the first minute or two and see what you think.

  • If books are your love language, check out this list of books that would be a lovely weekend read for you or someone you care about who might love to know you thought of them! (It’s not too late to send it as an ebook! 🙂

    Hugs and have a great week!


Hopefully,

Melissa 🙂

p.s. Was this forwarded to you? You can get it sent right to your inbox next week! 🙂

For reals. It won’t.

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