Hello my GOLDEN friend ,

Over the past two weeks, unimaginable scenes of war and violence have shocked and saddened the world. Seeing innocent people suffer--especially children and families--is heart wrenching and feels so hopeless. I have found myself at a loss for words, almost numb with despair for all those who are caught in the middle of this.

Dear God, have mercy.

It's really all I can muster right now.

Today, I ran across this short monologue by Pete Davidson and resonated with his words about comedy--and I applied it to my own life as it relates to doing creative work.

I was reminded that art--the act of creating something--is a beautiful way to respond to tragedy. 

Our inclination is to respond with anger and hatred. 

Hot takes.  

News consumption.

Worry.

Blame.

But these things eat at our souls.

They destroy, rather than build. They create distance and disharmony, rather than fostering peace and beauty.

This week, if you find yourself in a place of grief and despair, I encourage you to make art. This sad old world needs all the beauty we can put into it.

Bake bread, plant fall flowers, paint a picture, write a poem. Take a photo, make a delicious meal, perform a dance in your living room. Knit a scarf or sing a song.

Sign up for a class to learn something new. Join a group.

Make soup, a glorious savory soup.

My wish is that for every building that falls, for every family who loses a loved one, for every dream that is extinguished, something beautiful will be made in their honor.

We do this to say that life matters, and love matters.

We do this in order to live in a generative way..so that rather than continuously consuming rage and fear, we will be found producing goodness with intentionality and love.

Let's be GOLDEN this week:

Give yourself permission to grieve not only the current tragedies of war, but the losses in your own life here at home. It is important to acknowledge these events in order to fully appreciate their magnitude and effects. 

Generative living doesn't ignore reality, but honors its place in our lives.

In the video clip above, Pete Davidson shared a personal story from his childhood. I have literally never found Pete to be an interesting or funny person, but hearing his story made caused me to change my opinion in an instant. He became a person--a fellow human--to me.

Telling our stories connects us to others. Learning the stories of others (especially those we consider our enemies) can lead to deeper understanding.

How can you be more transparent with your story? Who are you holding at arms length because you don't know (or care to know) their story?

Generative living embraces the art of living. It is a mindset that seeks to build, create, lift, invent, savor, and experience the whole of life. 

It is alive with color and flavor, sound and light, laughter and beauty. It stands in the face of tragedy and refuses to be overcome by its ugliness.

Recommit yourself to YOUR unique strengths, interests, and talents so that you can send goodness into being.

This week, choose what positive act of creation--your art--you will participate in. Don't just think about it or imagine "how nice it would be," make a plan and DO IT!

Let me know what you choose by replying to this email! I'll send a signed book, Your Mountain is Calling to one lucky person who responds! I will do a random drawing on Tuesday October 17!

With love, 

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