Facing down the inner critic, reminding myself that these criticisms aren’t based in reality, closing out the Trail Tunes series, and contemplating where to take this newsletter next.
Man, was this relatable! I give that “dark passenger” way too many free rides. There’s gotta be a way to lock ‘em out for good.
On the music side, ‘Sun Is Shining’ might be my favorite Marley song. It reminds me of a dear friend I haven’t seen in way too long and a lazy (and extremely humid) day we spent together years ago.
How brave and honest of you to share your story. Damn it's a daily hard work to hush the inner critic's voice. Sometimes, I get really overwhelmed by the fact that it is a neverending process..
Lately, I’ve been intensely thinking about my newsletter and all these changes of formats and frequency of releasing issues, that I made this year. I suppose I'm still searching for the most maintainable and just-right-for-me way to do it all. Anyway, what I'm (rather clumsily) trying to write here is that I'm in the same situation as you, and we're in this together.
Love the selection, especially Ane Brun’s "Don’t Run and Hide". Somehow I totally forgot about this gem of a song 💎 thanks for the reminder.
Thank for your kind words Stygi, and thanks for being here! The inner critic is such a beast but the paradox is that I’m the one that feeds it. I’ve come to understand the inner critic as an extension of the darker side of my nature. The reality is that my darker side (my shadow) will always be there, so it comes down to how much air time I’m willing to give it. And finding that balance can sometimes be a challenge.
I totally resonate with your struggle to find the right balance for yourself on the newsletter in terms of format, frequency, length, etc. that scratches the itch of wanting/needing to write while also being maintainable. I’m exactly there right now and I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one.
What I do know is that “this too shall pass”. I have faith that I’ll muddle my way through this phase and get to the place where I’m meant to be. Philip Yancey described faith as “believing in advance what only makes sense in reverse” and I’m leaning into that vibe right now.
The Ane Brun song, and album, is a fantastic one. It’s always surprising to me how I can deeply connect with a song or album and within a couple years it can just fall off my radar. It happens a lot with all the new music I listen to. And I’m trying to find ways to balance listening to new (or new to me) music while making time to deeply appreciate the albums I enjoy.
If an external voice has authority over your internal critic/brain weasels, consider this for future use. I'm a former college professor and current copy editor/proofreader, so I've evaluated a lot of writing, arguments, grammar, etc. over the years. Your writing is clear, accessible, and heartfelt. Please do your best to keep all that and let go of all the "shoulds" implicit in some of what you've written.
Now to the music: you've included two songs that have been on my mind of late too. These days, I can't listen to "Zombie" without weeping, both for its message and for Dolores O'Riordan. I'm looking forward to exploring some of the other songs you've included in this piece.
Thanks for your feedback and advice Jackie, I welcome it. I feel the same about Zombie. I’m still heartbroken about Dolores O’Riordan and the message within that song remains such a powerful one.
Darker days lead to brighter ones Mark...Sun is shining is one of my favs too. A cool and calm remix that lifts the spirit in all of us. Enjoyed Bob in my younger days with plenty of T-shirts, music and the like. I love his mantra, and still do.
We are all in this together and you'd be surprised who's listening too! #onelove #yourdoinggreat
Thanks Andrew, indeed, you can’t have the shadows without the light. Bob is still a refuge for me from time to time. His posthumous release “Chances Are” is probably my favorite album. Check it out if you get a chance.
Walking on the Moon and Peaceful Easy Feeling are faves of mine. I have tracked a couple to listen to later.
As for writing frequency, I am still figuring that out myself. Be gentle with yourself. You'll figure it out!
Thanks for the advice on being gentle with myself, I’m slowly learning to do that! Thanks for reading
First, congrats to your wife on her retirement!
Man, was this relatable! I give that “dark passenger” way too many free rides. There’s gotta be a way to lock ‘em out for good.
On the music side, ‘Sun Is Shining’ might be my favorite Marley song. It reminds me of a dear friend I haven’t seen in way too long and a lazy (and extremely humid) day we spent together years ago.
Thanks Kevin, Tina’s retirement is a huge milestone for us. Now the countdown begins for mine, whenever that may be!
I’ve come to embrace the shadow as something that’s always gonna be there. It’s up to me how much power I give it.
Thanks for reading!
How brave and honest of you to share your story. Damn it's a daily hard work to hush the inner critic's voice. Sometimes, I get really overwhelmed by the fact that it is a neverending process..
Lately, I’ve been intensely thinking about my newsletter and all these changes of formats and frequency of releasing issues, that I made this year. I suppose I'm still searching for the most maintainable and just-right-for-me way to do it all. Anyway, what I'm (rather clumsily) trying to write here is that I'm in the same situation as you, and we're in this together.
Love the selection, especially Ane Brun’s "Don’t Run and Hide". Somehow I totally forgot about this gem of a song 💎 thanks for the reminder.
Sending lots of good vibes your way! ✨✨✨
Thank for your kind words Stygi, and thanks for being here! The inner critic is such a beast but the paradox is that I’m the one that feeds it. I’ve come to understand the inner critic as an extension of the darker side of my nature. The reality is that my darker side (my shadow) will always be there, so it comes down to how much air time I’m willing to give it. And finding that balance can sometimes be a challenge.
I totally resonate with your struggle to find the right balance for yourself on the newsletter in terms of format, frequency, length, etc. that scratches the itch of wanting/needing to write while also being maintainable. I’m exactly there right now and I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one.
What I do know is that “this too shall pass”. I have faith that I’ll muddle my way through this phase and get to the place where I’m meant to be. Philip Yancey described faith as “believing in advance what only makes sense in reverse” and I’m leaning into that vibe right now.
The Ane Brun song, and album, is a fantastic one. It’s always surprising to me how I can deeply connect with a song or album and within a couple years it can just fall off my radar. It happens a lot with all the new music I listen to. And I’m trying to find ways to balance listening to new (or new to me) music while making time to deeply appreciate the albums I enjoy.
If an external voice has authority over your internal critic/brain weasels, consider this for future use. I'm a former college professor and current copy editor/proofreader, so I've evaluated a lot of writing, arguments, grammar, etc. over the years. Your writing is clear, accessible, and heartfelt. Please do your best to keep all that and let go of all the "shoulds" implicit in some of what you've written.
Now to the music: you've included two songs that have been on my mind of late too. These days, I can't listen to "Zombie" without weeping, both for its message and for Dolores O'Riordan. I'm looking forward to exploring some of the other songs you've included in this piece.
Thanks for your feedback and advice Jackie, I welcome it. I feel the same about Zombie. I’m still heartbroken about Dolores O’Riordan and the message within that song remains such a powerful one.
Thanks for reading!
Darker days lead to brighter ones Mark...Sun is shining is one of my favs too. A cool and calm remix that lifts the spirit in all of us. Enjoyed Bob in my younger days with plenty of T-shirts, music and the like. I love his mantra, and still do.
We are all in this together and you'd be surprised who's listening too! #onelove #yourdoinggreat
Thanks Andrew, indeed, you can’t have the shadows without the light. Bob is still a refuge for me from time to time. His posthumous release “Chances Are” is probably my favorite album. Check it out if you get a chance.
Thanks for reading!