nourish: a seasonal update from Amanda feed yourself goodness |
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"Stories break silence and nourish those who work, feel, and dream." -Carmen Naranjo- |
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It was a spring day, pollen swirling under a blue sky, green sprouting up from everywhere. At 1:00 in the afternoon on a weekday, one year into my job as CEO, I did something wild: I went outside and started running. At first, my head was swirling with to-do lists and self-criticism that I was not sitting at my desk doing the bullet-pointed tasks listed in my spiral-bound notebook. Then, as my heart rate rose to meet the intensity of my movement, I started reflecting on the words I had heard from our staff in meetings over the past year. I organized them, mentally grouping and labeling them. And around mile 2 of my run, that data turned into the solution to a challenge the leadership team and I had been struggling with: how to name the organization's core values in a way that was memorable and memorize-able. The answer was clear. The words were there as was the acronym that would hold them. It rolled around in my mind until the end of the run when I returned to my desk to capture it on paper. Those five words I saw in the middle of a mid-day break would become our agency's stated values, values that have become embedded in everything we do. I didn't create them. Our people did. My job was to put them in a form we could work with, and with some sweat, breath, and sunshine, it happened. That run taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my career: some of our best work happens when we move away from the desk. Inaction can lead to some of our best action. Stepping away can also mean stepping in - to creativity and insights, ideas we may have never accessed looking at a screen. Nourishment is about what we allow in, what we allow to take up space in our bodies, on our calendars, in our thoughts. That run I took nourished me personally - and it nourished the work of my organization. My goal in this newsletter is to check on you: How well are your choices nourishing you? What old beliefs do you have about leading that may not actually be helping you lead? Each edition will highlight three ways you can nourish yourself, three actions you can take to allow some good in. I'll share ways I've practiced in each area. Then, I'll always leave you with some of my recent writing, because sometimes stories and art can break through to us better than advice. |
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Read. Stories from a Black mother. Poetry in tiny doses. Helping more compassionately. An advice column that became bookshelf worthy. Here's what I've been reading lately: Breathe by Imani Perry Keep Moving by Maggie Smith Helping People Change by Boyatzis, Smith, and Van Oosten Tiny, Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed |
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Move. Go outside. Dance. Walk. Lift something heavy. Stretch. Look up every once in a while. My husband and I have been using apple fitness during the pandemic. Guiding us through indoor and outdoor movement, we've enjoyed the biking, running, and strength workouts the best, but they have just about everything you could want, including yoga and mindfulness sessions. Another great yoga pick - for free - is Adrienne on YouTube. |
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Eat. Learn a new recipe with ingredients you love. Sit at the table with people you love. Make your family's old favorite. Savor every bite. Here are two of my recent faves, both delicious, plant-based, and no surprise here: carb-intensive. When I made this creamy plant-based pasta dish I added sautéed garlicky kale on top. I made these vegan black bean brownies and added a few extra chocolate chips. Pro tip: buy the beans that do not include jalapeños and onions. |
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A community of 200 regular readers, you work as CEOs, teachers, retired accountants, volunteers, parents, consultants, and job-seekers. Other people count on you every day. Leadership isn't position. It's practice. It isn't where you are in an org chart, it is what you do. |
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And: it takes a toll. When we stop being intentional about nourishing ourselves well, it becomes harder to show up to lead another day. And that just won't do, because the world needs more of you. |
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hand-selected just for you: One of the hardest and most hopeful stories in my life, this essay shares a profound loss that shaped my life's trajectory. As a subscriber, you get the first chance to read the story here. My shortest poem, Rise, was published in a small UK-based literary magazine. Reflecting on how we grow in the space between accomplishments, the poem was born in in response to a challenge: Write a 12-word poem with the theme bittersweet. Read the poem below. |
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Rise gaping mouth between rungs is all the space we need to rise. -amanda noell stanley- originally published in Jaden magazine by Small Leaf Press |
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A closing word from the author: "We came together when my world was coming apart, a puzzle in the waiting room our only tablecloth for the feast we didn't know would be ours." from Reunion - a love story |
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Thanks for spending time with me today, amanda Know someone who would enjoy this newsletter? Share the love! Did someone forward this to you? To get all of my updates, visit my website to subscribe. For more frequent updates on my writing and work, follow me on social: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook |
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