Recently a few someones signed up to receive this here email and I have no clue how they came upon Be With Cassandra. You might be one of those someones! I have quite a word-of-mouth kind of network so I usually know how a new-to-me someone met a new-to-them me. If you think you are that new-to-me someone, maybe you'll want to respond to this email telling me how you arrived in this little nook of togetherness on the big wide Internet?
Maybe you don't want to tell me. That's totally fine, too. I'm saying this right at the beginning here because I'm a curious person (both ways of understanding that phrase are true about me, ha!) but also because I love the surprise of connecting with someone in a way that feels like it's too good to be random.
It's why I've said the word "synchronistic" probably a bajillion times by now. Some might think life is random but, trust me, it's a whole lot more fun hanging out on the synchronistic train.
For some reason – maybe a reason that's known but likely a reason unknown – you and I are here in this email together. Something has ushered me here. Something has ushered you here. In this moment, I'm happy about the ushering and those two somethings.
take a read through when you wish. it's your right to design if, how, and when you take in the all that's beyond you.
the first invitation is for an offering with an enrollment window that's closing this Monday morning (11/6) so if you're intrigued to join, you might want to read that part sooner rather than later.
take in the view of this note:
- riff: more into blankets than blanket statements
- #1 invitation to join: Moment of Slow's enrollment window is open for a few more days
- #2 invitation to join: November's Supportive Spiral is on Tuesday the 17th
riff: more into blankets than blanket statements
should
should
should.
I can't get away from this word and this feeling. The other day, I wondered if I stayed in bed long enough if the desire to get out of bed would arise or if I'd have to should myself out of bed.
It ended up being like 55% desire and 45% should, so I'd say that's a success.
I'm not as interested in blanket statements as I think I should be. I'm in the mood right now to see each being, each of us, to see YOU, to see me, as a very odd, one-of-a-kind creature.
You live your life in likely a very different way than I do.
Sure, we have things in common, we really do. But today, I'm much more interested in blankets than in statements. Much more interested in being warm than being right.
Blanket statements often come off as pronouncements.
But, wait, making pronouncements can make me sound like the expert I need to should feel like I should sound like so that I can have a successful business and so that I come off as more clear and understandable.
I should be more successful. I should be more clear. I should be more understandable. I should be more.
I should be more successful (what is success?). I should be more clear (I do enjoy foggy days, too). I should be more understandable (I do enjoy guessing games). I should be more (I do also like less).
In recognizing that I can actually disentangle myself from these should's with what's hugged by the parentheses, I actually feel the desire to make a pronouncement right now.
Funny how that works.
I think that The more podcasters, writers, thought leaders, content creators who say that the way to do ______ is to do it their way, the worse off we are as a people, the worse off we are as a species.
That's the blanket statement I can tuck around my lap right now while I sit at my big screen that transports me into so many portals. So many portals of potentials, of shoulds, of love, of connection, of loneliness.
I think Every single offering, content, thought piece, list, workshop, episode published in this exact moment needs to have the explicit caveat that "this is what has worked for me, I have no earthy clue if it will work for you."
"I might also have no earthy clue if it will work for me again next time."
Sure, there are things that are good for all of us, like eating a variety of vegetables and doing electrical work in a particular way, but can't we just be done with the gimmicky "How To Get Your First 10k month."
Can you tell I'm pretty tired of the online business churn? No one cares about "How To Generate Leads: 41 Strategies That Work" when I'm out in the forest with Ernest.
What I care about is feeling the spaciousness and curiosity to experiment and discern what works for me and my life. What I care about is that you have the opportunity to feel what you want to feel to be able to play and learn what works for you and your life.
There are things that do just work. And many of those things that do just work that I don't have experience in yet. Maybe you have experience with them and can share about some of them with me? I can share what I have experience with you, too, if you want.
And there are things that can happen in so many different ways that someone telling me there is just one way or even just 41 ways is laughable.
But maybe I'm glad there are these so-called experts out there with their "How To" closets overflowing with blanket statements. Because I really do like laughing.
#1 invitation to join: Moment of Slow's enrollment window is open for a few more days
Moment of Slow is part private podcast, part private email newsletter, all parts gentle and intentional.
Moment of Slow is for people who want to tap into a different wavelength, a slower wave that asks many questions and isn't really concerned about answers, unless they are coming from deep within.
Each Moment of Slow invitation includes a prompt, it might be a body-based prompt, a question to reflect upon, or a metaphor to support a reframe. Each invitation is shared by me while outdoors, most always standing by my friend of a creek and my friend Ernest.
Moment of Slow is offered at three amounts, set up as a sliding scale so the gentle and intentional seeps into the way we exchange time and money, as well as the actual material that's shared.
I'm working on some goodies to snail mail out to all who are a part of Moment of Slow so if you're thinking why does this offering have to be all digital and nothing tangible, well you're in luck because there will be tangibility coming to a literal mailbox near you, if you want to join!
I welcome your curiosity! I welcome your gentle intentionality!
I'll be closing the enrollment window this Monday 11/6 at 10pm PST. This is the last enrollment window for Moment of Slow so if you've been wanting to join this would be the time to dive through the open window (it's all pillows and blankets on the other side so you'll have a soft landing).
Do you want to join but maybe walk through the open door instead? Yeah, I get it
#2 invitation to join: November's Supportive Spiral is on Tuesday the 17th
The Supportive Spirals thus far have been small gatherings of deeply thoughtful, funny, kind, and curious people.
I notice that I depart from each Supportive Spiral feeling very connected to my own sense of agency and especially grateful for the new things I've learned from the other people present and from the resources we've each spiraled into.
Something I'm playing with explicitly integrating into this upcoming Supportive Spiral is reflection. If you've ever had a conversation with me, you know that reflection is etched into the marrow of my bones. I can't not reflect. But I'm getting curious about if and how there could be more integration of reflection.
So, if you've been really needing a moment to just hit pause and look back or look within, this Supportive Spiral might be just the thing for you. :-)
Curious what a Supportive Spiral is? Learn more
Want to register and join November 17 (or December 21)? Register here
-
I'm happy to connect with you whether it be simply through this monthly note, within Moment of Slow, at a Supportive Spiral gathering, as Creative Partners, or in a way neither of us have imagined into being just yet.
I wish you and the beings in your circles health, love, and a deep sense of belonging.
Til next time,
Cassandra