The Cut recently informed me that although some people don’t keep a diary, most of us have inboxes that serve as a “fossil record of our lives.” In other words, ancient emails are a window into our stories. Reading this, a small chuckle escaped my lips. I’d been sifting through emails the day prior for … Continue reading Lessons from 2019
self-improvement
What defines us
This is your Monday reminder that you are not defined by your number of followers. You are not defined by a number on a scale. You are not defined by a number in your bank account. You are not defined by the number of checks on your to-do list. The sum of these numbers is … Continue reading What defines us
This year, I want to be brave
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked, looking at me in the mirror. From height of my salon chair, I studied myself. Some iteration of long hair has been my look the majority of my adult life. My senior year of college I received a poorly executed shorter cut that left me emotionally … Continue reading This year, I want to be brave
Gets better with age
In my early twenties, I worked for a large, progressive Presbyterian church on Chicago’s Gold Coast. I’d graduated in 2008 with dreams of working for a magazine or newspaper, but this was the year of the financial crisis and although unpaid internships beckoned, I could not afford to take them. I needed a paying job. … Continue reading Gets better with age
Holy attention
I've been thinking a lot lately about attention. Lately it feels like everything is scrambling for my attention. Unread emails. Missed text messages. Facebook notifications. Shows to watch. Articles to read. New podcasts to play. The pull of infinite content, waiting to be consumed. Do you feel it too? We have work to do, bills … Continue reading Holy attention
Why I don’t set New Year’s resolutions
. . . and what I'm doing instead in 2017. I've been thinking a lot about what I want the next year--2017--to look like for me. Have you been too? Maybe you've made a resolution to lose weight or to save or make more money or to get involved in local politics or to start making … Continue reading Why I don’t set New Year’s resolutions
Erin Strybis 