Angela Davis is a lot of things. A scholar, an author, a philosopher, an activist, an advocate, an educator, and a badass. Let's talk about her. RESOURCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Davis https://www.nytimes.com/1972/03/30/archives/miss-davis-tells-of-buying-guns-but-denies-plot-role-miss-davis.html GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.pat...
Feb 21, 2024•8 min
Today I recite a whole bunch of incredible Maya Angelou quotes because I knew I had been quoting her for years but the extent to which I did NOT know how much(????) was absolutely revelatory. Did you know she said: “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.” and “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” and “Living well is an art that can be developed: a love of life and ability to take great pleasure from small offerings and assurance that th...
Feb 20, 2024•9 min
Yesterday, I shared Maya Angelou’s poem, On the Pulse of the Morning. And today, before we discuss it, I want to share an interview I found of her discussing writing it, this video includes Bill and Hillary Clinton’s opinions on the poetry as well. Originally, I wrote all these responses in my own words, but it just doesn’t feel right - further distilling history when we have video and audio, and you can hear it straight from the source, here: https://florida.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ang17....
Feb 19, 2024•8 min
Maya Angelou's poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" feels as relevant today as it did when she recited it on January 20, 1993. Tomorrow, we will dig into it. Here is the transcript: https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/2017/03/21/on-the-pulse-of-morning-jan-20-1993/ A Rock, A River, A Tree Hosts to species long since departed, Mark the mastodon. The dinosaur, who left dry tokens Of their sojourn here On our planet floor, Any broad alarm of their of their hastening doom Is lost in the gloom of dust ...
Feb 18, 2024•6 min
Did you know James Baldwin is the friend who pushed Maya Angelou to write "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"??? I sure didn't. This human was so impressive and intentional and inspirational + I can't wait to talk about her work with you! MAYA + JAMES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6sFgaZBs-U MAYA + OPRAH: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/oprahs-super-soul/id1264843400?i=1000400403805 RESOURCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Know_Why_the_Caged_Bird_Sings https://www.salon.com/2014/05/28/...
Feb 17, 2024•7 min
In his 1955 essay, Notes of a Native Son, “I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” —James Baldwin FURTHER READING: Original Article: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1962/11/17/letter-from-a-region-in-my-mind debate transcript: https://www.rimaregas.com/2015/06/transcript-james-baldwin-debates-william-f-buckley-1965-blog42/ books: https://bookriot.com/james-baldwin-books/ resource: https://bookr...
Feb 16, 2024•8 min
The Baldwin/Buckley Debate was a televised debate of The Cambridge Union Society held on 18th February 1965, which has since come to be seen as one of the most historic and influential intellectual debates on race relations in America. James Baldwin , an influential African American writer and activist, and William F. Buckley , a leading conservative intellectual, debated the motion, “ The American dream is at the expense of the American Negro. ” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_Baldwin/Buckle...
Feb 15, 2024•7 min
Today's words are brought to you by the badass James Baldwin at a speech that is wildly still relevant today. "What is crucial here is that unless we can manage to accept, establish some kind of dialog between those people whom I pretend have paid for the American dream and those other people who have not achieved it, we will be in terrible trouble. I want to say, at the end, the last, is that is that is what concerns me most. We are sitting in this room, and we are all, at least I’d like to thi...
Feb 14, 2024•8 min
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/introduction-james-baldwin The human responsible for this quote: “It is very nearly impossible to become an educated person in a country so distrustful of the independent mind.” ― James Baldwin It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have. —James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (1924 – 1987) was born in Harlem, New York on August 2, 1924 to Emma Berdis Jones, originally from Deal Island, Maryland. L...
Feb 13, 2024•8 min
I grew up in Florida. My dad was a public schoolteacher, and I went to a variety of public schools throughout certain phases of my life. All within Florida. Then, once I graduated, I extended my education at the University of South Florida with a degree in education, and I taught in public school system for several years before moving to Chicago. To say I have opinions on the school system, would be an understatement. But given the current political/educational climate in Florida, I feel like it...
Feb 11, 2024•7 min
What can we do to fight the isolation crisis? RESOURCES: http://bowlingalone.com/ https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/05/12/americans-trust-government-00096509 GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are ...
Feb 10, 2024•7 min
that's by design. but we can fight it! GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for profession...
Feb 09, 2024•8 min
In sociology, the third place refers to the social surroundings that are separate from the two usual social environments of home ("first place") and the workplace ("second place"). Examples of third places include churches , cafes , bars , clubs , community centres , public libraries , gyms , bookstores , makerspaces , stoops , parks , theaters , and opera houses , among others. GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.in...
Feb 08, 2024•8 min
Julia Cameron's "Detective Work" questions from week 3: 1. My favorite childhood toy was … 2. My favorite childhood game was … 3. The best movie I ever saw as a kid was … 4. I don’t do it much but I enjoy … 5. If I could lighten up a little, I’d let myself … 6. If it weren’t too late, I’d … 7. My favorite musical instrument is … 8. The amount of money I spend on treating myself to entertainment each month is … 9. If I weren’t so stingy with my artist, I’d buy him/ her … 10. Taking time out for m...
Feb 07, 2024•10 min
"There are certain rules of the road useful in dealing with any form of criticism. 1. Receive the criticism all the way through and get it over with. 2. Jot down notes to yourself on what concepts or phrases bother you. 3. Jot down notes on what concepts or phrases seem useful. 4. Do something very nurturing for yourself—read an old good review or recall a compliment. 5. Remember that even if you have made a truly rotten piece of art, it may be a necessary stepping-stone to your next work. Art m...
Feb 06, 2024•7 min
Artist’s Way Week 3: Listen to my take on week one here: https://shows.acast.com/6152264dc28ad2001383af42/episodes/1033-artists-way-week-1 Listen to my take on week two here: https://shows.acast.com/6152264dc28ad2001383af42/episodes/1048-the-artists-way-week-2-going-sane Margin quote: ‘Take your life in our own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.’ —Erica Jong Julia Cameron says: "ANGER IS FUEL. We feel it and we want to do something. Hit someone, break something, throw a f...
Feb 05, 2024•8 min
In emotionally focused therapy , or EFT, Your emotions drive your behavior. The work is focused on understanding and expressing feelings before trying to regulate them. RESOURCE: https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/mental-health/emotion-focused-therapy AND: https://focus.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/foc.8.1.foc32 GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON...
Feb 04, 2024•7 min
Greenberg, the creator of EFT, specified six principles of the approach: 1. Emotional awareness: The first step involves knowing what you're feeling. Naming what you feel can help you reconnect to your needs . 2. Emotional expression: EFT seeks to help you overcome emotional avoidance, often by dismantling unhelpful beliefs, like "Anger is dangerous," that prevent you from healthy emotional expression. 3. Reflection: This component involves reflecting on the "why" behind your emotions. A better ...
Feb 03, 2024•8 min
therapeutic emphasis should always prioritize your lived experience. life is uncertain, that doesn't mean your life has to feel that way. life has limitations, that doesn't mean you have to feel limited. becoming self aware, means we can approach our lives with curiosity rather than fear. self-awareness doesn't have to translate to self-consciousness, it just may take practice to untie the two from each other. RESOURCE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64939/ GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAI...
Feb 02, 2024•8 min
revisiting: closing duties + tidying as I go + keeping space for things GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied ...
Feb 01, 2024•7 min
today we're revisiting what happens when you're in a "low power mode" and what to do when life sends a curveball. GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Da...
Jan 31, 2024•8 min
we're revisiting an episode I've been coming back to regularly, where I share strategies I use to get out of survival mode. GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Ma...
Jan 30, 2024•7 min
If I’ve learned anything from getting older, it’s that we’re all middle managers of our emotions, our energies, our moods, our feelings, and our experiences. I’ve had a lot of different types of managers in the past that have taught me things about how I showed Innman and by recognizing my own capabilities and limitations and knowing what I actually enjoy as a manager I could slowly start to enjoy the process of managing my moods, emotions, energy, and so on the second, I could separate a tradit...
Jan 29, 2024•10 min
https://prismreports.org/2024/01/22/labor-unions-unprecedented-calls-ceasefire-gaza/ "Within the labor movement, hundreds of unions and union locals have responded to a call from Palestinian labor unions and signed resolutions calling for a ceasefire , even those whose leadership has historically supported Israel . On Dec. 1, UAW, one of the largest unions in the country, made history when it released a ceasefire statement . Other influential unions, such as the United Electrical Workers , Ameri...
Jan 28, 2024•6 min
https://ceasefire-now.com/ In florida? do this next. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/florida-must-stand-with-the-palestinian-people “Why Participate? Influence Policy: Your emails are a powerful tool for shaping the decisions of elected officials. By participating, you contribute directly to a national call for peace, urging leaders to prioritize a ceasefire in Gaza. Express Your Views: Use your voice to highlight the urgency of the crisis. Your concerns, when aggregated, become a significan...
Jan 27, 2024•7 min
Everything we accomplish can be broken up into four parts: Planning Preparing Doing Cleaning If you aren't directly completing any single segment of this task? Someone ELSE is doing labor on your behalf. How does that make you feel? Are you thinking of sending this to someone? You feeling stressed isn't crazy. It's normal. You're normal. And you're doing a great job. GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/...
Jan 26, 2024•8 min
It feels like shit to recognize your privilege for the first time. But once you see it, you can use that privilege to uplift or provoke. Some things are nuanced, and this one DEFINITELY is. I find it fascinating and important to have perspective and recognize that perspective is only afforded to those who aren't in survival mode (which a rich heiress would never understand, and I wish nobody had do understand, but I digress...) Point is, society is broken, you aren't . You're in fact in the very...
Jan 25, 2024•8 min
We create patterns even when they’re unhealthy - so we must reintroduce healthier patterns as a break in the cycle so as not to fall into the trap of whatever pattern we fell into before. Original article: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/01/loneliness-solitude-pandemic-habit/672631/ but you can access it for free using spaywall here: https://www.spaywall.com/news/https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/01/loneliness-solitude-pandemic-habit/672631/ ) GET AN OCCASIONAL PERS...
Jan 24, 2024•8 min
Today we discuss the difference between a monkey and an ape before digging into some deeper philosophical questions that asks us to reframe our inner aggression as a gift to be honed and our inner altruism as a cultural norm to be reclaimed. Nurturing our own nature to become a more peaceful and loving and cooperative society sounds pretty dang cool to this old ape. RESOURCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-monkeys-and-apes http...
Jan 23, 2024•9 min
I accidentally posted episode 3 BEFORE I updated episode 2 and I am ashamed and disgusted with this sad fact. Here's the biology episode I missed. RESOURCES: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/06/bonobos-tolerant-peaceful-group-relationships-paved-way-for-human-peacemaking/ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/science/bonobos-cooperation-study.html and ttps://theconversation.com/bonobos-and-chimps-what-our-closest-relatives-tell-us-about-humans-202265 and https://www.persuasion.community/...
Jan 22, 2024•7 min
