Shaking it Up
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
I’ve written before about filling the well, or injecting novelty into your life in order to stimulate curiosity and growth. One of my favorite ways to do that is through travel, and this week a short road trip reminded me of the importance of breaking out of my routine. Shaking things up a bit also provided me with the opportunity to switch up some habits of thought and reactions.
There were minor glitches along the way that would have once set me on a downward mental spiral; nothing serious, but the old “this would have been perfect if only…”. Instead, maybe because of my anticipation of adventure, I took a deep breath. And surprised myself with the resourcefulness and calm I was able to muster in the face of each little monkey wrench. Which added an extra layer of pleasure, and a little bit of pride, to the whole undertaking.
Another way to fill the well: discovering and celebrating strengths you weren’t aware you had. Do you need to shake things up?
Ways I Found Joy This Week
Taking off on a road trip in an upgraded luxury rental
Visiting the artsy town of Melbourne
Buying a mermaid windchime for my front porch
Staying at a racecar themed hotel and having the bartender create a custom cocktail just for me
Checking out a friend’s first photography exhibit in a funky little bookstore/tea shop
Getting a tour of downtown Daytona (torrential thunderstorm be damned)
Having my bathtubs reglazed (they’re sparkling!)
Having an impromptu weekend-long slumber party at the CWP’s apartment when the fumes from the tub reglazing proved unhealthy
Resuming daily sessions in my Creatorium
Keeping my promises to myself
Things I Learned This Week
That the 1200-year-old oak tree in Sherwood Forest linked to Robin Hood has died
The history of red food and drink in Juneteenth celebrations
Quotes That Resonated This Week
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
You must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
Naomi Shihab Nye
You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.
James Baldwin
Compassion directed toward oneself is humility.
Simone Weil
What I Watched This Week
Ru Paul’s Drag Race All Stars (Paramount+). More creative fun with some old and new favorite drag queens.
I Will Find You (Netflix). Another winner by Harlan Coben. Found myself on the verge of hyperventilating throughout most of this action-packed tale of a father wrongfully convicted of his son’s murder discovering that his son is still alive and finding him. All the usual delicious red herrings and twists.
What I Read This Week
Bug Hollow, by Michelle Huneven. Across decades, beginning in the 1970s with great period details, this novel traces a family’s journey through unimaginable loss and subsequent transformations. Love and resilience prevail.
Alan Opts Out, by Courtney Maum. Keenly observant and bitingly funny, this tale of a disillusioned ad executive in Greenwich walking away from it all, and the hilarity that ensues, is a rare treat.
Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi. This novel was on every “top” list of 2025 books, and it’s easy to see why. From the first chapter, I loved and felt comforted by this mysterious eighty-six-year-old man who lands in Golden, Georgia and makes it his mission to connect with its residents.
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Thanks for reading!
