January 8, 2021

The Hamilton Soundtrack, which kept me grounded this week. 

Hellooooo 2021! And hello to you, my friend—whether you are old or new, I’m so glad you’re here. The Brightside is something I’ve been sharing for just over a year—it started as a place to share life updates with a few close friends and it’s evolved into an outlet for me to process what’s going on in my world and share what’s in my heart. If what I’m saying is different from what you believe, I always welcome a respectful, human conversation about it via email, but I will not stand for hate or bigotry.

I spent a lot of time at the end of 2020 reflecting on The Brightside—why I started it, where I want it to go, and what that would look like this year. So in terms of what to expect, you can expect content ranging from mental health updates to pop culture obsessions, to product recommendations, whatever is on my mind. You’ll be hearing from me twice a month, and if there’s anything you’d like to see, I welcome suggestions!

Lastly, thank you so much to Sam Cillo who helped revitalize the template. I’m so excited for what’s ahead.

So, it was… a week. I guess none of us should have expected anything less, but it was still gutting beyond words to see what happened on Wednesday. I sat at my desk watching the news and was so overwhelmed, I didn’t even know what to do with myself. Zach and I watched live stream once the senate got back together and confirmed the electoral count, and it was surreal hearing the senator’s speeches about the fragility of American democracy. The lack of security and arrests compared to Black Lives Matter marches is disturbing on a visceral level, and there’s no escaping that feeling. So, as I’m sure many of you can relate, my mental health is stable, but fragile. I’m trying to be really mindful of my news intake and not let it derail me from doing what I need to do—writing, working, and getting my own year started on a good note.

This New Year also felt surreal. On one hand, it’s such a celebration to kiss 2020 goodbye, but it’s also like: well, it’s not over. I don’t have any resolutions, but I do have a few things that are really present for me as we start the year:

(ONE)

To borrow from Joe Biden: Keep The Faith.

I dipped my toes into a relationship with God in 2020. I grew up Catholic, went to mass with my family every week, did Sunday School, the whole thing, but totally lost all connection to religion after college. Around the start of the pandemic though, I started listening to some faith-based podcasts, I went deeper into my yoga practice, and found that the times where I was “tuned in” felt different. Grounding? Peaceful? I feel like I’m in a moment of building the foundation of my faith life, and one thing I’m building into my schedule is time to sit in awe. Meditation isn’t really the right word, but time to be present and reflect. As much shit is going on around us, there is still SO MUCH to be thankful for, and I refuse to let those things be clouded—and I know keeping my perspective on something bigger than myself will help with that. I know religion & spirituality are not for everyone, but I encourage you to find something that makes you feel more peaceful and grounded. The best part about this is that it is 100% customizable.

(TWO)

Blow Myself Away - This next one, which is more of a 2021 mantra, is to blow myself away. In 2020 I focused on building confidence and finding some direction with my creative pursuits, and I learned that when I work hard I produce great work. Right now I’m focusing on building solid habits and routines into my life, setting some goals for The Brightside and I am excited to see where the year takes me. I want to end this year and be proud of the work I’ve done.

 Justin Bieber’s Seasons on YouTube

(STAY WITH ME HERE.)  

Over the break, Zach’s family and I binged Justin Bieber’s YouTube series—it’s 10 parts and documented the process of making his most recent album, Changes. Before you close this email immediately and roll your eyes, stay with me! I went in with low expectations, I mean, Justin Beiber? Pfff. If anything I was in it for the BTS wedding content.

But… wow, it was actually amazing. I was surprised by his honesty and vulnerability. He owned his responsibility for bad behavior and clearly has worked so hard to recover from the effects of becoming a superstar at 15. The album is all about his journey to recovery and getting in a better headspace and a lot of what he talks about in the documentary and on the album resonates. I feel like I’m also at this place in my life where I’m trying to harness my potential and do what is TRUE to myself, so it resonated.

I also loveeee him & Hailey so much. I know this is probably a cringey thing to say, but I’m impressed by how committed they are to their relationship. They seem like they build eachother up and have a lot of fun, which, HEY!, makes good YouTube content. Needless to say, I'm a born-again Belieber. His new album has been on repeat since we watched the series and I’m going to listen to it till I’m sick of it.

You can roll your eyes, but don’t knock it till you watch the series. (I loved it just as much as I loved Lady Gaga’s 5’2” despite how upsetting this information might be to some of you.)

As Sam and I were editing this weeks Brightside, we talked about the Oxford comma and had a good laugh at this.

I’ve got my eye (and a Digit account) set on an Apple Watch. Worth it? Y/N??