Halftime Speeches (vol. 1, no. 7)

Here are five bolts of inspiration I’m sharing this month:

1. Tupac on handling the hard:

  • “No matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out, keep your head up and handle it.”

2. Layli Long Soldier on being patient with your “unproductive” periods:

  • “Yeah, absolutely. I just think that I’ve learned, through writing, the reward and the joy that comes out of just being really patient with a piece and patient with yourself. I think, at least for me, the imagination is something that I have to really respect, like its own little person in me. And so I can’t demand too much of it. Sometimes I have to let it take a rest, and then come back and be in conversation with it again. But it’s a beautiful process that I’ve learned, through writing.” (interview on On-Being)

3. Dune’s litany against fear:

  • “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

4. Lucille Clifton on self-possession (ht James Clear):

  • “What they call you is one thing. What you answer to is something else.”

5. Encore blog post from me on living the life you want to live:

  • Every August (before classes begin) I choose five adjectives that I want to live my life by and write them down on a business-card-size piece of paper to carry around in my front pocket. I invite you to read my Five Adjectives post, choose your five adjectives, send them to me (with your address) in a reply to this email and I’ll make you a card and send it back to you to keep in your pocket.

That’s it. Have a great day. And, go start something! – shawn

PS If you’re reading this newsletter for the first time, you can read previous issues hereview lists of poems, questions, quotes and songs I’ve shared before here, and subscribe here.

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