“When you ask more of yourself you must give more to yourself.” 😘 ~Octavia Raheem

By Jessica L. Williams • Issue #292 • View online

Shout-out to Jen, Annetta, and Melissa for buying me coffees this past week! ☕️ Thank you!

Jen is a life coach for midlife women and loves helping people create a loving relationship with their #1 mentor - their future selves. Click here to take Jen’s future self quiz!

Melissa is a #MedX ePatient Scholar who teaches and loves patient experience and research. She’s always stitching something fantastic.

–

Last week I talked about needing to slow down and promptly sent my newsletter a day early.

If ever there was a sign to pause, right? 🥴

I sat there, beating myself up, and then someone bought me coffees, and it brightened my whole world. It made me focus on the good. Not my mistake.

A quote says, “when you focus on the good, the good gets better.” And I genuinely believe that.

Many folks do a version of a gratitude practice, which I’ve always struggled with from a consistency perspective. But I like Ruth Ridgeway’s suggestion in her Journaling Club.

Instead of creating gratitude lists, she suggests doing this as a journal prompt:

Things that made me smile today…

And I love that so much. Jotting down a few things that made me smile before I head to bed has helped me feel lighter—and improved my overall mood.

If you’re curious, here are some of the things that made me smile this week:

I’m still getting used to my hair, but I’m getting better at enjoying its journey and not comparing it to others.
Turning the wrong way several times during my sensual salsa dance class. (I had to laugh at myself!)
Treating myself to Krispy Kreme donuts (chocolate and glazed). 😋
Taking a walk with my coworking friend Shayna.
Going to the gym and doing 20 minutes on the elliptical.
Participating in a panel for high schoolers interested in tech careers and having one of the participants say that it was an inspirational session.
Chatting with folks about balance and doing less. (This seems to be a theme for many of us.)
Writing this list.

What good can you focus on right now? What made you smile this week?

On to the picks!

P.S. I’m chatting about side hustles with the 40 Cups of Coffee founders on 8/31. Join us if you’re free!

Note: This email may contain affiliate links. If you click through my link and make a purchase, that means I may receive “thank you money” at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love.

#loves 😍

🧐. Resource: Marketing Personalities – I adore personality-based and human design-related stuff because it helps me understand myself sooo much better. Brit helps us determine how to market in a way that feels good based on our Myers-Briggs personality type. In the full report, you can also see what you can create as a lead magnet. And how you can use social media. For example, I’m an ISFJ, so an insight for me is that I find flow when I can support folks in a high-touch, high-impact way. How about you? Don’t know your type? Take this free test.

🎧. Listening: Small Daily Wellness Habits That Make a Big Difference. Loved this podcast episode from Balanced Black Girl. She talks about some small things you can do daily to stay energized and well-rested. I loved her suggestion of consuming less (ex. reading one book at a time or only listening to one podcast episode a day.)

#reads

Jessica L. Williams

@techbizgurl

11 lessons I've learned as a side hustler over the past 11 years...

9:12 AM - 9 Aug 2022

How #SlowGirlSummer Changed My Life

“It seems counterintuitive, but when you slow down, you’re proactively guiding the flow of your time and energy according to your goals, instead of constantly reacting to notifications, dumpster fires at work, and constant battles for your attention.”

Summer is almost over here in Chicago, and I love this idea of slowing down so much.

www.designedbyshyne.com • Share

#icymi

😍. Last issue’s top pick was: The 7 types of rest that every person needs

🤝 Want to connect with other #jesspicks readers? Fill out a profile and get an introduction as soon as next week.

#lifevibes

#supporters ☕️

Thank you Annetta, Constance, Tunde, Jen, Michelle, Emile, Bex, Kim, Angela G., Lauren B., Chelsea, Amy, Ricky, Kirsten, Vin, Julie, Nicole, Humza, Greg, Kristin, Kirstyn, Jess, Cheryl, Krysta, Adrena, Vidya, Kristyn, Danielle, Keryn, Terry, Vanessa, Meredith, Lauren, Meg, Maria J., Chivon, Kim, Luciano, Colie, Chasity, Laurie, Latienda, Collette, Anne, Kristen, Liz, Katherine, Monale, Betsy, Melissa, Lindsay, Jennifer, Kayla, Madison, Rae, Stephanie, Christine R., Christine M., Frances, Hannah, Chris, Brandy, Mea, Kristian, Maria K. Avery, Adam, Barbara, Shenee, Desiree, Lisa, Kandice, L’Oreal, and LaVerne for being #jesspicks supporters!! ❤️

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By Jessica L. Williams

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“When you ask more of yourself you must give more to yourself.” 😘 ~Octavia Raheem

Older messages

“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to-do’ list.” 💞 ~Michelle Obama

“Greatness takes time. Patience. Magic.” ✨ ~Josh Spector

“Who you are when you prioritize rest is the truth of who you really are.” 😴 Kandice N Cole

“There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.” 😍 ~Christopher Morley

“Whatever you did today was the way it was meant to be. Be proud of you.” ⭐️ ~Oprah Winfrey

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