A while back I read a quotation from Diego Perez, who goes by the pen name of Yung Pueblo. It said,
I happen to be down today. It’s not sadness or melancholy so much as overwhelm and fatigue, which has been an on-and-off-again theme this year.
I’ve been sitting here for the past hour feeling awfully frustrated with myself for a whole catalog of reasons.
In particular, I feel really badly about how inconsistent my writing has been lately, how sporadic my recipes and posts, how difficult it has been to show up fully in this space that I love.
I even feel badly about the overwhelm. Didn’t I say that I was going to do something about the overwhelm months ago? Shouldn’t I have found a solution by now?
As far as this Sunday post goes, my plan was to not write anything or try to write as if nothing was wrong. As if I weren’t in the middle of a solitary, glum, angry bout of self-criticism.
Then I remembered that quote.
If susceptibility to both melancholy and self-loathing have taught me anything, it’s that Yung Pueblo is right. The capacity to understand that a low moment will warp one’s lens is a form of maturity.
Being down, overwhelmed, or exhausted—mentally or physically–alters perception. Especially self-perception.
So instead of spending another hour marinating in this feeling, I’m going to do my best to engage with things that I know to be healthy, for me: Sunday night dinner with my mom, some reading, some fresh air, a little proactive planning for the week ahead.
I’m not going to try to argue with the self-critical inner voices. I’ll just choose not to engage with them for now, trusting that this low moment will pass quickly.
So, too, will the harsh light in which I’m seeing myself today.
I’m grateful to past me for taking notice of words that future me would one day need to hear. That day is today.
Here’s to a new week and to the grace of beginning again.
Happy Sunday, and we’ll chat soon.
xo
Sorry to be posting weekend reading late, everyone! The last two days seem to have flown by–but not too fast for me to bookmark a couple of outstanding recipes and compelling reads. We all know that I can’t resist an avocado toast recipe. This one–slathered in homemade dukkah–looks almost too awesome to be true. While we’re on the topic of spice blends, za’atar is one that I wish I used more often, because it’s wonderful. These hemp za’atar sorghum crackers with parsley hummus…
I had such high and hopeful intentions to post this weekend reading before today, so that everyone could bookmark the Super Bowl recipes I’d picked out. Work got in the way, and I’m the worst. But you should still bookmark them, because even if you don’t have time to prepare them today, these vegan dishes are show-stopping, hearty, colorful, and absolutely delicious. And beneath them, you’ll find the articles and posts that piqued my interest this past week. If you ask me, dips…
Happy Sunday, all. It’s a cold and rainy day here in Northampton, MA, where I’m currently visiting for the weekend. I hope you all took some time to read Claire’s moving green recovery post from Friday. Once you’re finished with that, you can get immersed in the following recipes and reads. This cauliflower salad with chickpeas, kale, cumin, lemon, and toasted buckwheat is so full of textural contrast! Love it. I want to drink a vat of this kale and potato soup…
Once upon a time–and by that I mean as recently as 8 months ago–I spent a lot of time reading articles and lists and impassioned bits of advice about productivity. I listened to podcasts about time management, efficiency, and entrepreneurship. In spite of the fact that I wasn’t crushing my goals or organizing my time in some spectacularly economical fashion, I remained fiercely attached to the idea of operating that way. In many ways the fixation on productivity was an expression of longing for my…
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I really needed that Yung Pueblo quote after a very difficult week. Thank you.
It seems like your posts always mirror something I’m feeling or struggling with in my life. Maybe we are in similar phases of life. Either way your sharing makes me feel like I’m in good company. Thank you.
Best of luck, Gena. Hang in there.
Well said. I’m continuously impressed with how well you know yourself. And how often I learn from you. Thanks so very much for sharing openly.