"This is the journey that I'm on, and I won't stop 'til I find my way out of the maze."

ghetto walkin' | miles davis, robert glasper, bilal

✦

Hi + Hello

Happy Week 10! It’s been so gloomy, literally and metaphorically, so I challenge us to find a reason to smile today. If you are here in NYC, maybe the sunny 70° day was enough! If you need some prompts, I got you. (Yes, it’s a link to a 7-day ‘find joy’ challenge facilitated via email. I’ll be doing it alongside some of that viral IG delulu challenge…let’s be real, I’m not doing it all.) If it’s harder to smile and find joy these days, it makes a lot of sense, ya know, given all that’s going on… and at the same time, it does us no good to turn away from healthy self-soothing and comfort so, joy we must find!

✦✦

✍🏾 #RandomSessionNotes

1. When you are brave enough to ask for something you need, even if you don't count on a ‘yes’, don't count on a ‘no’.

2. Shorten the thought-to-action continuum.

3. With contention within connection, ask yourself: if I believe we're on the same team and we ultimately have the same goal, how might I proceed?

✦✦✦

March is both Women’s History Month and Social Work Month, and yesterday was International Women’s Day, so I want to highlight a major contribution made to the social work community by a woman (of which there are so many). Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term "intersectionality”, which is defined as the “sociological framework explaining how overlapping identities (race, gender, class, etc.) interact with systems of power and oppression, shaping lived experience and social outcomes.” She developed and pioneered discourse and discussions on how our demographics interact with and within the society where they exist. The combination can influence the opportunities, barriers, and expectations someone encounters. Acknowledging, and better yet, understanding these overlapping influences helps us better appreciate the complexity of people’s identities and experiences. Additionally, it can deepen our empathy and help us respond to others with greater awareness and care. To me, that should be a universal goal, in March and beyond.

✦✦✦✦

😏 Unrelated Musings

Some movies haven’t aged well. I recently, and for the first time (gasp!), watched Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. It was made in ‘96 so I’ll blame my young age at the time. I watched it with a gaggle of like-minded adults, half who’ve seen (and remember loving it) and half who were new to it, like me. As one expects when watching a comedy in good company, there were bursts of laughter and memorable lines being quoted aloud in unison. But there were other things said in unison: cringey ‘ooofs’ and “yikes!” and “eeek, I don’t remember thats” and “I used to be on the floor rolling but now, not so muches” and “ewws” (ok, that last one was me). I know what the movie was doing and maybe it did it well back then… I wish I could share in the movie's nostalgia because maybe I would have enjoyed it more. But even if I did, there’s no denying how much that movie got away with back then, most of which just isn’t funny to me (perhaps anymore).

And speaking (very tangentially) of the Wayans Bros and the nostalgia of old movies, their new Scary Movie trailer recently dropped, and THAT is making me feel all the nostalgic feels. Admittedly, I didn’t watch any of the other franchise movies outside of Scary Movie 2, and frankly, I’m very okay with that. I still quote it often to this day, probably inappropriately, because I’m childish. My interest is piqued, and I’m really curious to see some of the SM2 cast together again and, of course, who/what they’ll be making fun/light of this go ‘round. Hopefully, it doesn’t get cancelled before I get the chance.

Sidebar 1: Not gonna lie, that Scream mask is still scary. Sidebar 2: Did we know that Dashiki, real name Tracy Cherelle Jones, is the sister of Tamala Jones?! I love finding out these tidbits! How cool!

My favorite possible self writes another blog post in approximately one week! My mantra says I follow through, so I must! See you there!

xo janelle

ps. If you’re in the market for free custom workouts, I make them and update them every Monday here. For unrelated personal chaotic workout videos, random photos of my life and happenings, and more, come hang on IG =)

| Microdosing Wellness 💊 • 10mg