The Bridge #131

in which we call out what we might be forgetting, because we don't yet see it

Hello

& Welcome ! The Bridge is a newsletter connecting the professional and the personal creatively across cultures and a diversity of topics, until we are not only full of ideas but also ready to take action. Thanks for joining in the conversation.

Shout-out to the inspirational mayor-elect in NYC, Zohan Mamdani!

If you’re upset he won, I gotta know why. No really, I am genuinely curious. Be in touch if you are upset that a South Asian immigrant in his 30s —with a concern for the average New Yorker to be truly heard — got brave and determined enough to form a team around him (including 100,000 volunteers) and challenged an establishment power-player in NY politics (Andrew Cuomo) for the mayorship of NYC and won. His main platform: making NYC more affordable to live in. What’s not to like about it? I wanna know.

In other news, the darkest day of the year approaches (I’m talking about Dec 21st), and so with literally less light available to us each day (for the next five weeks), I’m considering stuff we can’t so easily see:
like, what helps us take better care of our mood?

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Something to Consider

As the seasons change and it gets cold, a bit dark even, I’ll admit, I’m drawn towards the warmth of tea, sweaters, hot soup, cozy blankets…. and, we’ve also planned several “Thanksgiving” meals to gather with friends around a warm meal.

I’ve been remembering, another way to warm ourselves is (we also had to replace our heater recently, which was a surprise expense, but another way besides that) --- exercising my body. Getting my heart pumping and the blood flowing faster.

I enjoy being a force of calm in a hyper-busy world, AND ALSO it’s good and healthy to add some “stress” to my muscles to wake up their “higher potential.” 😆

So good to be reminded, when life isn’t the way we want it (maybe too dark, too cold, for example) we can change the external circumstances -- turn on a lamp, e.g. -- and also shift what’s on the inside (letting light shine from our hearts, with a deep breath and the bloodflow). How could I forget about exercise?

It’s important attending to both inside and out, in helping ourselves feel better (or warmer, in any case). But often we focus more on what’s most visible.

Lately my pre-teen daughter experienced some positive external changes:

• having her own room,

• decorated in her own preferred style,

• starting an acting class,

• getting to go on vacation,

• and most important of all

  soon receiving her first phone.

But she was still very unhappy. UNTIL she remembered her power to change what’s on the inside: Practicing gratitude, introspection, and getting enough rest -- she re-found the well-being we want, even with an imperfect external reality. I’m quite proud of her!

Now, we know (from ads in the 90s) there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s, AND there are always multiple ways to get ourselves un-stuck.

Often, it’s outlier ideas we’ve forgotten about that help us out most profoundly. That is, if I want calm and cozy, jogging outside in the cold might be a bit counter-intuitive. I’d probably choose a warm blanket, obviously.

But if I start doing the thing, maybe with someone’s gentle encouragement, then I remember, a little inner heat goes a long way. Running on heart power! ❤️

Something to Practice

Is there an area of your life you’ve felt stuck in for a while? You’ve tried to improve everything around you you can see, but something’s still not right somehow.

Maybe it has to do with what’s on the inside, something invisible... I invite you to close your eyes, breathe deep, and... Wait a little, listen to the quiet, hear what your body has to say. Breathe, Listen.

Any new insight?

Maybe you want to laugh more?

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Something to Enjoy

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Though winter is coming, I’ve found consolation reading and re-reading a book by Tove Jansson called The Summer Book. It’s a treasure trove of vignettes (really short stories) about a little girl and her grandma. The father is there but really only on the edge of the frame, always working, and sadly the mother has recently passed away. They live in the north of Finland and spend each summer on a very small island without any neighbors (other than the nature surrounding, or the personalities who visit). So the grandma and her granddaughter spend lots of time together, exploring the island, running into little troubles of all kinds.

Sometimes the trouble is, nothing interesting is happening! but wait some more, and the boredom of a little girl gives way to some incident or another, every time. It’s a pleasant book, full of gentle observations and intense emotions, born of living on this little island, in summer. Tove herself grew up in a family that would spend summers in a fisherman’s cottage in a remote part of the gulf of Finland, and later in life she’d retire with her partner to a similar-sized island, where she wrote this book. I hope you’ll consider enjoying it.

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Something to Cozy Up to

“Poems” by Couch

Some of you have figured it out by now: I like jazz music. (yes, we already know!)

But did you also know that sometimes, even if I enjoy exploring new music of basically all genres, I also enjoy what I call “comfort music” (almost as much as I like comfort food). Today’s song is sung and written by a band called Couch.

A friend introduced me to Couch (thanks, Jake!) this past summer. Couch (cozy name, right?) is a relatively new jazz band with 7 people spreading good vibes. Perfect music for me on chilly autumn days. (they also have a love song called “Autumn” for interested listeners out there.)

The song “Poems” is a catchy number about a meet cute in the dark, two lovers making up poems (thus, the song-name). The poetry reveals a vulnerable side, (what’s going on inside), the less-seen parts of themselves, and they wonder if the love is real. Music is the message, helping them know… 🙂😄

Are these words about me, baby? /
Are you thinking of me lately? /
When you close your eyes, do you see mine? /
Am I reading in too deeply /
When you croon your words so sweetly? /
Music makes a dreamer of me

Comfy? Let’s start dreaming,

JPC 😎