It’s November 1st. Besides being my oldest kiddo’s birthday, November is one of my favorite months of the year for many reasons.
Habits
November 1st is the culmination of Samhain (SAH-win), a cross-quarter day that marks the mid-point of the Season. This is when we really start to see an energy shift. As we move into the darker side of the year, our energy turns inward and it is a great time for reflection and release, to rest and to receive.
Reflect: As you look inward, don’t be afraid to look at your shadow side and observe your inner life without passing judgment.
Release: When you are brave enough to gaze into the darkness, you will discover parts of yourself that you need to let go of in order to grow and evolve. This is a powerful time for manifestation.
Rest: Autumn is also the perfect time to nourish your soul and practice self-compassion. At Samhain, we are entering the feminine or yin side. “Yin energy is restful. It’s gentle and nurturing; intuitive and receptive.” (The Seasonal Soul)
Receive: Allow yourself to rest, but remain open to receive whatever comes to you at this time.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you have good daily habits?
What are some bad habits that you would like to let go of so you can grow and evolve into the next season of your life?
How will you rest and practice self-care over the next several months?
What is something you would really like to manifest in your life and what are some small steps you can take now so you are ready to receive those gifts?
Missed Opportunities
I’ve been thinking a lot about missed opportunities - the chances we don’t take, the paths we don’t choose, and the people we will never meet because we chose a different journey.
Last week I watched Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and it got me thinking about all the possible versions of our lives that we could be living had we just done a few things differently. And while I am not sure that I believe in the existence of a multiverse, the idea of different dimensions or parallel universes has been around for a long time. Biologically speaking, there is only one you; but quantum mechanics implies that not only are there multiple, identical versions of you, but that infinite versions of you could exist on different planes. (Daniel Cossins, New Scientist)
It’s an interesting thing to think about. In the movie, the lead character, Evelyn Wang (played by Michelle Yeoh) is introduced to multiple versions of herself - she is always inherently herself, yet every decision she makes (or doesn’t make) creates a branch - “an alternate reality in which every rejected possibility takes root and flourishes, independent of the originating human’s existence, which of course continues on.” (Kurt Loder, Reason.com)
To take it a step further, there is also John Koenig’s definition of “sonder” from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which started out on Tumblr and has since been published as a book. In it, he defines “neologisms” or made-up words.
Thinking about sonder is enough to make your head spin.
sonder - n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries, and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.
The idea that we are all the stars of our own story, yet only an extra in someone else’s, has fascinated me for decades. How often do we really take a moment in the daily rush of our lives to make a note of our surroundings, strike up a conversation with a stranger on the train, or pursue getting to know someone we may only see in passing?
This week’s writing prompt and monthly contest: Missedyounyc.com was created by Alex Lee as an alternative to the “Missed Connections” board on Craigslist. Lee was always fascinated by “Missed Connections”, “finding them entertaining, poignant, and even strange in the best ways.” (Shaye Weaver, Timeout.com)
Visit the site missedyounyc.com and choose one of the posts on the page. Using the post as inspiration, write a 300 - 500 word short story.
Subscribe and submit your short story to frequentstarts@gmail.com by November 25, 2022, along with your name and email address and the subject line: November Short Story Contest.
All stories will be published on Frequent Starts and voting will take place the last week of November. The winner will receive $50 via Paypal or Zelle. (The more paid subscribers I get, the higher the payout!)
NaNoWriMo Kickoff
Finally, another reason I love November is that it is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). As a teacher of writing, I encourage my students to participate every year.
Even if you didn’t participate in Nano Prep 101 this year, you can still participate in NaNoWriMo by supporting other writers or signing up to participate and announcing your project.
Once you’ve created an account, I advise you to do the following:
Create your profile
Join a region - I joined both the Northeast NJ region and the NYC region since I am only 12 miles outside of NYC and will be participating in the daily write-ins to ensure that I meet my daily word count.
Find a writing buddy - some people work better alone, some people love the accountability of writing with a partner - if you don’t know anyone else who is participating, don’t fret! You can join a forum and meet other Nano writers that way.
Check out the upcoming virtual events hosted by NaNo HQ.
Join the Frequent Starts Writing Group - Just drop me a line at frequentstarts@gmail.com with the subject: Nano Writers. Include your name and email address and I’ll send you an invite to the group.
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SO IN for this writing contest!!!