#21 - Kicking Malaise in the Bum
Kara Monroe
First, we are now a community of 80 readers. Thank you so much for your support.
Second, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times before, I am planning to move my newsletter to a new provider. If all continues to go as planned, the July 11 newsletter will come from my updated website! And, if it doesn’t go as planned then you’ll still get a newsletter just like this one.
Kicking Malaise in the Bum
malaise - noun
a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.
I’ve been searching for the right word to describe my mood of late and I think malaise is that word. I have a general feeling of uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify - and perhaps even unidentifiable.
While this is how I’ve been feeling - it’s time for it to go. I’m writing this on Sunday, July 3 which is the day after Halfway Day - the unofficial midpoint of 2022 - and the day before Independence Day. This feels like a perfect time to decide and make a plan to kick malaise in the bum and get it out of my life.
First, let me be very clear. My malaise is NOT depression or another serious mental health issue. I work with a therapist who I trust regularly and I am blessed to not be suffering from a severe mental health disorder. If you or someone you love suffers from clinical depression you cannot just get over it or get passed it. The malaise I’m dealing with is minor and something I can kick in the bum and get rid of.
July 4 is a good symbolism of the thinking dichotomy that is causing my malaise. I am proud and happy to live in America where I, as a single female, have the freedom and ability to live on my own, make my own choices, etc. I deeply respect the people who have put their lives on the line to protect and serve this country - and who continue to do so at this very second. That said, I’m deeply disappointed in the way a lot of the citizens of America are conducting themselves right now - as if life is a series of battles to be won or lost. Life ends the same way for all of us. You can live your life as battles to keep relitigating and keep fighting or you can live your life trying to get better every day. I choose the latter.
As I did my Halfway Day check in yesterday I realized there were several areas I’ve made big progress on this year. Celebrating your successes and enjoying your wins is an excellent way to kick out any malaise. I think celebration is something we don’t value enough. Celebration is a key way to live in the moment which is an important way to enjoy life. This check in helped me realize all that I have done this year even though life looks vastly different now than I thought it would when this year started.
I also have a few projects I’m really excited about:
I’m serving as the Obsidian (software program) mentor in R.J. Nestor’s Cohort of AP Productivity which begins on July 8. R.J. is an excellent instructor and I’m honored he asked me to help him in this next cohort. Going through Cohort 4 really helped me expand my thinking about the work I want to do and how I want to get it done.
I have two client projects that are in full swing and have lots of creative elements to them that I’m enjoying a lot. Additionally, they are life sustaining types of projects in that they provide enough revenue to truly live on.
I’ve got a lot of travel stuff that I’m working on. The new website (where the next newsletter will hopefully come from) will be a place where I can house all of my writing, videos, and photos from trips and really showcase them. I made some good progress on getting the video from our Amtrak trip done last week and hopefully will get it finished and ready to share in another week.
My experiment from last week with writing down some habits and then practicing them went reasonably well and I’m going to keep refining that.
And finally, assuming all goes well with the website I’m going to be launching a series of webinars on different technology topics. They will each include a 5 - 15 minute demo on a topic followed by some time for open Q & A.
I’ve always loved the idea that action is the antidote to anxiety and it also certainly seems true that action is the antidote to malaise. I’m excited to see what the second half of 2022 holds and I’m so grateful you’re all on this journey with me.
Tip, Tool, Trick
One of my creative projects in the works is a podcast with some of my Creative Work Hour friends. We’ve been talking about all the various tools for podcasting. I’m intrigued to give Anchor.fm a try. Anchor is the free podcasting tool from Spotify. It is also the only tool you can use to do video casts on Spotify. I’m intrigued to give this a try and looking forward to kicking off this creative project. I’ve missed podcasting so very much and want to get back into it.
What I'm Reading
We played cards multiple times on my two most recent trips with Gayle and with Dad & Susie. In addition to enjoying playing Monopoly Deal - which is a fun monopoly themed game that doesn’t take a lifetime to play I’ve also been reading up on various card game rules in two books from the library: Card Games for Two by Sean Callery and Shuffle and Deal by Tara Gallagher.
Several books and articles on curiosity for one of my client projects. My favorites thus far are: A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life by Charles Fishman & Brian Glazer, Curious Minds: 40 Activities to Inspire a Love of Learning, and The Power of Curiosity by Kathy Tabener and Kristin Tabener Siggins
I started reading the Daniel Silva Gabriel Allon series. I love a good spy novel
I “skim” read Sacred Pathways: Nine Ways to Connect with God and Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation.
Finally, I’m re-reading 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day A Week by Tiffany Shlain. This is a book that probably could just be an article by I listened to it about a year ago and want to read it to take a notes and perhaps write my own article as a review.
What I Published
I was just as busy publishing this week as I was reading. Lots of things hit the presses this week:
I also wrote quite a bit of content for the new website which is nearly ready to go live so hopefully you’ll get to see all of that next week!
Diversion
While we were on the train to Glacier, my sister Susie and I had some fun time sharing memes with each other. She shared a “Lego Block” bible picture which sent me down an Internet rabbit hole where I discovered The Brick Bible.
A screenshot from "The Brick Bible" Homepage
Ways You Can Support Me
A reminder that I’m serving as the Obsidian Mentor in R.J. Nestor’s AP Productivity Cohort 5. I can’t say enough good things about this course. It starts July 8 so this is the last reminder to join us.
Even though I’m moving to a new provider/tool for my newsletter, you can keep signing up right here for now. I love watching this community grow.
I shared the Upside app once before. It allows you to get a few pennies back on fuel and food at participating locations. I’ve been using it about 3 months now and have earned about $17. Between this and the Gas Buddy app, I’m doing my best to save at the pump.
You can buy me a virtual coffee if my work adds value to your life.
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Kara Monroe, 11640 Winding Wood Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46235