Weekend Wisdom: I don’t know who needs to hear this but you are allowed to say no even when you aren’t busy.
Thinking about the illusion of control.
I thought we could veer away from our usual conversation today and instead talk about a woman who lived to be 122 years old.
When I read the headline, “The world’s oldest person made it to 122—3 reasons she lived so long, from a longevity expert who knew her” I thought, I wonder what she did. What were these three amazing things she did? Am I doing them? I expected to find out that she ate a certain amount of beans or veggies or protein or chia seeds each day. Or, that she walked 10,000 steps every day or meditated for 20 minutes each morning, or had a solid morning routine. Thanks to diet culture/wellness culture I am always pushing up against the thought that I could be doing more for my health and wellness.
I’ll share the article with you, but spoiler alert, the world’s oldest person did not do any of those things. Instead, here were the magical 3 things:
- She was wealthy, and not just wealthy but born that way.
- She didn’t start smoking until she was 112 (haha).
- She had a great social life (because she had lots of free time and lots of money).
The point I’m trying to make here is not that you are doomed if you don’t have lots of free time and money, but that this is just another example of where we can remove some of the pressure we put on ourselves. Health and wellness goes hand in hand with wealth and privilege. Outside of that, most health stuff is out of our control. While most of us are in different socioeconomic status than the world’s oldest person, we do have access to healthy food, clean water, medical care and lots of life’s little luxuries. Even with all of that wealth and privilege, we still can’t control the future or plan how long we will live. This is more reason than any to simplify, and create more space and time for yourself so you can enjoy more of what is certain … this very moment.
Ok … onto the favorites:
Stay happy, healthy and inspired with a few of these little rituals.
Live in the moment by trying one of these 12 suggestions.
10 simple ways to get back on track.
Cats and dogs can happily co-exist with these 21 plants.
What lifts you up on your gray days?
I really don’t want this book to end. It’s too good.
A great reminder that minimalism is the tool, not the goal.
Feel more carefree with this playlist.
Why it’s time to stop waiting for everything to be ok.
This is a good time to support some of these 80 Black-Owned bookstores.
A lesson I have to learn over and over again.
If you are an introvert, this may be your most important form of self-care.
14 things to help you get rid of negative thoughts.
I am beyond excited for this!
7 things I’ve learned from wearing the same things over and over again.
I agree, it’s time to stop doing this.
Giraffes make me smile.
Nurture your small biz with these journaling prompts.
Yum.
This week’s Instagram favorite is from @momjeansplease and @thehomeedit because we can all relate.
I hope you enjoy this edition of Weekend Favorites and have a beautiful, slow, peaceful weekend.
xo,
Courtney
