Are You There Friends? It's Me, Nesima
On my mind
Is journaling the adult version of keeping a diary? If so, it may be the one thing I’m better at as an adult. I journal frequently in books, on my Evernote app, and through voice notes. I’ve written epic journal entries and emailed them to myself in the future. Journaling helps me sort through whatever is going on in my life, keep track of ideas I have, or reflections I want to remember the next time I’m in a difficult (or wonderful) situation. It’s helped me tremendously over the past six years in a way I didn’t expect.
Keeping a diary as a kid was really tough. I felt bored revisiting what happened to me that day and struggled to find enough interesting things to say on a consistent basis. When I was really into my diary, I went all out and made illustrations along with my entries inspired by Amelia’s Notebooks. But now, I don’t judge my life by whether or not it’s worthy enough to be captured for my memory. Journaling to me isn’t about writing everything you each day but it could be if that’s what you want out of it. It doesn’t matter if I write one sentence or one page. What matters is the process of releasing those thoughts, gaining new perspective and helping myself efficiently tackle emotions on the page and then moving on.
Tomorrow, I’m facilitating a session on mindful journaling as part of a wellness retreat. I’m super excited to talk more about what I found to be a really great self-care ritual that isn’t expensive and can be easily adapted into anyone’s lifestyle.
I mostly free write, but here are some journals I love that give me direction when I need it: 52 Lists for Happiness, Do One Thing That Centers You, Practice You, and Q&A a Day: 5 Year Journal.
Do you journal? If so, what’s your method and routine? If not, is that something you’d want to try? Let me know!
What I’m noting
An American Marriage // I just finished this book by Tayari Jones and I highly recommend it. It tells the story of (surprise) an American marriage but it also challenges the ideas of fairness, love, fate, morality, as well brings to light how mass incarceration really damages the lives of black men and their families. Yes, this was an Oprah Book Club selection but since this is my newsletter, let’s pretend my word means more.
When Swimming As a Muslim Woman Becomes A Political Act // Really beautiful photography and stories from American Muslim women who have found the courage to swim in public with their modest swimwear after feeling unwelcome due to stares, harassment and exclusion from beaches and pools. I recently got myself a burkini and have been enjoying swimming in public pools and the beach again, something I stopped doing for years because I couldn’t find anything to wear and worried about what people would say. Here’s to owning your joy and doing things you love unapologetically!
Athleisure, barre and kale: the tyranny of the ideal woman // “Today’s ideal woman is of a type that coexists easily with feminism in its current market-friendly and mainstream form. This sort of feminism has organized itself around being as visible and appealing to as many people as possible; it has greatly over-valorized women’s individual success. Feminism has not eradicated the tyranny of the ideal woman but, rather, has entrenched it and made it trickier. These days, it is perhaps even more psychologically seamless than ever for an ordinary woman to spend her life walking toward the idealized mirage of her own self-image. She can believe – reasonably enough, and with the full encouragement of feminism – that she herself is the architect of the exquisite, constant and often pleasurable type of power that this image holds over her time, her money, her decisions, her selfhood and her soul.”
World’s Greatest Places 2019 // For all you wanderlusters, here are some beautiful places to check out in your future travel.
Accept The Awkwardness: How To Make Friends (And Keep Them) // Making friends is hard. Especially being D.C. I’ve noticed most people aren’t interested in building meaningful relationships and often let their perpetual busyness stop them from following through. I appreciate this advice for me to still keep trying.
How a journalist discovered and reunited identical twins // This was such a moving story about twin sisters who finally meet each other at 16 years old. In 2002, one of the girls was taken from their family by Chinese officials because the family had violated the one-child policy. The stolen child was later adopted by an American woman and raised in Texas, while her sister grew up in rural China. It’s eerie to think about what their lives might have been like if they could have grown up together.
Watch me perform in my improv showcase (starts at 17:19) // Turn up your volume to hear my soft-spoken self act a fool with my improv class last weekend. Having 3 people is unusual for an improv group but for some reason, everyone in our class decided to drop halfway through the semester so we had to continue on without them lol. This meant being in nearly every scene as a main actor or walk on, so we put in work. The show must go on!
That’s it for me. Keep sending me your favorite things and hot takes, so I can share them with all of you in an upcoming newsletter.
Have a great weekend!
— Nesima