Hey First name / friend, Up here in Maine, the sun is fully set by 4:30pm and we had our first snow last week. The seasonal change is feeling real! And so is the Seasonal Affective Disorder. Don't forget to put your full spectrum SAD lights on folks! βοΈ β π Also, go for the darn walk. Even if it's only for 15 minutes. Your serotonin levels will thank you. The world is still in chaos. The news is filled with tragedy and pain. Social media is filled with yelling voices. And we are all doing our best to just keep going. So just keep putting one foot in front of the other and please know that we are glad you are here. Really, truly. The world is a better place because you're in it. We're switching things up a bit and splitting this into bi-monthly emails. We're still playing around with the format and seeing what works, so if you have thoughts, let us know! Erica Your TL;DR: DEIBJ Digest π - Native American Heritage Month, Veteran's Day and Transgender Awareness Week Coaches Corner π§ - Resilience vs. Endurance |
|
The Two Piers Podcast π§ In honor of Veteran's Day, we were joined recently by business executive and former US Army Captain, Angela Parker. In this candid and earnest conversation, Angela reflects on her personal journey from humble beginnings in rural Texas, through to the US Military Academy at West Point, and onward to a successful and expansive career in the C-Suites of corporate America. Her path was not without its challenges and Angela shares the ups and downs with humility and wisdom. She also shares her advice for those transitioning from military to civilians roles and the importance of communicating the depth and breadth of skill, experience and leadership that comes with military service. |
|
Two Piers Articles π π¨ New article alert! π¨ In September, Oilwoman Magazine published Part I of The Power of No. It explored ways to set boundaries and effectively and compassionately start saying no. Part II just dropped! It delves into how and when we should extricate ourselves from commitments that no longer fit into our lives, and how to reframe the obligations that remain. If you need permission to break that Duolingo streak or bail on that Pilates class, we've got you! π |
|
Book List π This month's booklist is packed with great reads related to our themes, including Native American Heritage Month, Veteran's Day, and Transgender Awareness Week. Here's a sample π Please note that we typically link to a Bookshop.org affiliate page as opposed to Amazon because we prefer to support independent bookshops. Should you choose to purchase a book from one of our links or lists, your purchase can not only support your local brick and mortar bookshop, it also helps support Two Piers. Rest assured that you do not incur any additional fees and we only share books that align with our mission. Articles π° Just a couple articles to share today: |
|
This month, we are honoring Veteran's Day, Native American Heritage Month, Transgender Awareness Week, and Transgender Day of Remembrance. |
|
Veteran's Day πΊπΈ This Veteran's Day, we hosted a special podcast episode with West Point graduate, former US Army Captain, and current Executive Leader, Angela Parker. She explores the way her military service and her time at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point shaped her career and her life journey. Military service can come with a high cost to both our Veterans and their families. If you or someone you know is a veteran facing mental health challenges, please consider the Veteran Crisis Line. This service offers free, 24/7 confidential crisis support for Veterans and their loved ones. You don't have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. There are three ways to connect: Native American Heritage Month π
This month we are celebrating Native American Heritage Month! β¨ So what does that actually mean? β¨ For us, it means delving into the stories, histories and lived experiences of Indigenous creators and authors, and in turn supporting their works. (You can find several of our suggested titles on our November book list π) It also means ensuring that we're up to date on the current regional issues facing Native American populations, and understanding how these communities want to be supported. Each year, state and federal legislatures and courts stand to impact tribal sovereignty with their decisions. To learn more about the current and historic Indigenous communities in your area, check out this interactive map by Native Land Digital πΊ. Lastly, Thanksgiving is right around the corner here in the US π¦, and it's a great time to parse fact from the fiction when it comes to this storied harvest festival. If you'd like to understand a bit more about the true history of Thanksgiving, cultural historian Maya Rook is offering an upcoming webinar on November 21st π
. |
|
In the meantime, we'll be revisiting Wednesday's classic takedown of whitewashed Thanksgiving Day mythology, as explained by Sasha taqΚ·Ε‘Ιblu LaPointe, a Coast Salish author from the Upper Skagit and Nooksack Indian tribes. Transgender Awareness Week π³οΈββ§οΈ As the name suggests, the week between November 13 and November 19 is a time to raise awareness about issues facing transgender and non-binary folks, but it's also a time to celebrate the vibrance, achievements, and joy that have always been found within the trans and enby community. Whether you're interested in the history of transgender rights, or you'd like to learn more about using gender-inclusive language, you can find an informative read on our November booklist π |
|
Pictured above: Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, two trailblazers who were at the front lines of the fight for LGBTQIA+ equality. May you rest in power, ladies π³οΈββ§οΈ |
|
This month's Coaches Corner theme is Resilience. Over here at Two Piers, we have a love/hate relationship with this topic. Oftentimes, we hear about resilience when folks really mean endurance. If you think that these two concepts are synonymous, you are in good company! They are certainly related, but the difference is important. Endurance is, quite obviously, the ability to endure. According to the folks at Oxford, βendureβ has two definitions: - suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently.
- remain in existence; last.
Resilience, the trait lauded by CEOs and inspirational speakers, is a bit more dynamic: - the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
- the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
Endurance is about steady state, it's about putting up with discomfort for an extended time. It's about staying put. Resilience is about bouncing back and even thriving. There is a before-state, a hardship that occurs, and an after-state. If you are able to return to your previous state, (or better), then that's a resilient outcome. It's no wonder that resilience has better PR than endurance! Don't get me wrong, endurance is a hugely valuable trait and it is often necessary for survival, but it's hard to get excited about the idea of βenduring.β |
|
So when we look at a situation with ongoing suffering or difficulty, we're witnessing endurance rather than resilience. We are seeing a snapshot rather than a post-hardship outcome. Sometimes hardships do not lead to resilient outcomes. Sometimes, they lead to lasting trauma and scars. Thankfully, we know a lot about resilience due to years of research and study. We know that there are a multitude of factors that contribute to the likelihood of resilient outcomes. Some of those factors are within our control and others are not. They include elements like availability of basic resources and access to community. Too often however, the conversation about resilience puts the onus on individuals, rather than looking at the environment and system factors. Next time you're tempted to advise yourself or someone else to βjust be more resilient,β ask yourself whether what you really mean is, βjust keep enduring.β To a certain extent, we can decide to endure. We cannot, however, decide to have a resilient outcome any more than we can decide to materialize bigger biceps. Just like building any muscle, it requires more than effort and will. It requires inputs such as resources, recovery and time. Needless to say, we have a lot of thoughts on resilience, and the good news is that we have a multitude of practical and applicable ways to build resilience. Our Unlocking Resilience mastermind has been reformatted to meet over the span of six weeks with ample opportunity to apply the learnings as we go. It starts February 12th and the cost is just $150. We hope you'll join us! |
|
Whether you're spending next week with inherited family, chosen family, fur family, or just on your own, we hope it goes smoothly and that you successfully dodge any flying turkeys π¦ |
|
If you've received this email as a forward and would like to subscribe, you can do so here. And if you have feedback about this digest, just hit reply π§ |
|
Erica and the Two Piers Team |
|
|
