Captivations is a monthly post with links, stories, and news that captivated me.
Recap
Hello! As I mentioned in my annual goals post, Captivations posts are moving to bi-monthly, so here’s the first one of the year. The format of these posts won’t change; they’ll still feature life recaps, things on my mind, and interesting articles.
I started this year at full steam, energetically and enthusiastically. It helped that I had plenty on my calendar, like volunteering, cookbook club, mahjong, and catching up with friends. It’s a reminder that, in between the big highlights, are the everyday things that add up to a life.
Spark Creativity
Make this year more creative! If you’re feeling dull in life, here are 5 ways to break out of it. I like the idea of micro goals. Also, check out this list of boring ways to become more creative. If you wait to be inspired, it may never come. But if you start moving and doing, it can spark ideas. Think about what creative season you are in right now – play, practice, or produce?
Personal Boundaries
I really like this Time article about weaponizing personal boundaries. Boundaries are sometimes not black and white, not one-size-fits-all. This paragraph summarizes the sentiment well: “Too often, we use boundaries to opt out of hard conversations with those we love. But if we truly love and value our relationships, we need to build our capacity for boundaries that are flexible, contextual, and that can shift and change over time—just like we do.”
Similarly, in this post by therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab, she explains that relationships require a bit of inconvenience because of preferences and imperfect human nature. Your inconvenience is necessary to be a good friend and part of a community. For example, I have people with dietary restrictions in my life, and when I cook or bake for potlucks, I take extra time and effort to find recipes that everyone can enjoy. There may be fewer recipes to choose from, the recipe may require me to procure different ingredients, and it may not turn out as well as a tried-and-true recipe without dietary restrictions. These inconveniences are things I can work around fairly easily, and the reward is being inclusive. When it comes to these kinds of boundaries, only you can decide whether you’d rather take on the inconvenience or cut ties.
We also use “boundaries” to opt out of hard things that could help us expand. A straightforward example is working out. I could argue that when I’m not working out, I’m taking an extra rest day to recover, but maybe I’m just feeling lazy and don’t want to go through a hard workout. It takes me being honest and remembering the result I want to achieve to follow through on my commitment. Many times, I’m better for it, and it’s not as bad as I made it out to be.
Bird Watching
Is it just me and my circle, or is birding very trendy right now? It does boost cognition, and we could all use some of that!
Values Bridge Test
I found an online test that measures your life values in 100 questions. The Values Bridge Test shares that there are 16 human values, and the free version of the test will give you your top three. The results describe the values in detail and share the things to look out for when you’re out of alignment. I wasn’t entirely surprised by my results, only that certain values ranked so high. What do you do with the results? Make sure your goals and actions align with your values. It can help you analyze why you might be feeling unmotivated or frustrated and lead you to feel more fulfilled.
Women’s Health
As an aging woman, I’ve been attracted to media giving guidance and tips on what others have learned. The healthcare system has not progressed to the point where women’s health issues are fully understood and even believed. As with much of the U.S. healthcare system, pills to decrease symptoms are the quick, go-to solution instead of finding and alleviating the root cause of these symptoms. Until then, we’ll lean on people and resources to help us advocate for ourselves. Here are some:
- Luminescence Podcast
- This article on Cycle Syncing
- Dr Jolene Brighten’s blog posts about perimenopause and menopause
Reading
- What are my book lovers reading lately? My recent favorites include Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell and Dear America by Jose Antonio Vargas.
- Did you know musical artist Dua Lipa has a website for articles and stories called Service95? She is also an avid reader, so books are largely featured. Check out their best books list.
- Last fall, I got a new cookbook called 108 Asian Cookies. I baked all my holiday cookies from it. This book is important because representation matters. It features an Asian baker, flavors, ingredients, and stories. Purchase your copy here.
Travel Ideas
Remember when I used to have regular travel ideas in my Fearless Wanderlust posts (71 posts!)? I’ll be adding some inspiration in Captivations posts, and you can always go back to old posts.
- Fredericksburg has long been a weekend getaway destination, and with its growth, it’s catching the national eye, like in this Food and Wine article.
- I will travel for food. This post shares memorable meals worth traveling for.
- If you’re near one of these “25 Most Spectacular Trees” be sure to stop! I visited the Angel Oak near Charleston, and it was incredible.
- What do you eat when traveling the U.S.? In Texas, they recommend fajitas. What do you think about this state food list?
5 Things I Love Lately
Some of my favorite brands! (You can find more of my favorites on this new page.)
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