https://designobserver.com/five-years-of-100-days/
I'm frankly surprised that the 100 Day Project is not embraced more by public libraries. One library that does a 100 day project is the Daniel Boone Regional Library. Kudos to them.
Suleika Jaouad explains how the 100 Day Project helped her during a particular low point in her life in The Book of Alchemy.
Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay
We’ve all had that narcissistic boss who plays favorites, who sends passive aggressive emails, or who forbids anyone from taking time off. We’ve all had that nosy, antagonistic, or lazy co-worker who relieves us late and does not even have an excuse. We’ve all been there; or, otherwise, movies like Office Space and shows like The Office would not resonate the way it does.
Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson and Working with Difficult People by Amy Cooper Hakim are two of many books on workplace conflict resolutions. A relatively new book addresses the topic from a fresh perspective.
How to Work with Complicated People by Ryan Leak changes the “difficult” to “complicated.” Leak, an executive coach and transformational speaker, concedes that complicated people in workplaces result in business losses. Complicated people can result in “lower morale, eroded unity and trust, lower job satisfaction.”
In spite of this, Leak does not advise trying to change or reform complicated people. Instead, he argues there are certain techniques that will allow us to deal with such people effectively. Learning how to deal with complicated people can lead to great self-awareness, and, in that way, it is a gift.
He admits that he is himself a “complicated” person and that most of us are too. He writes we are all “weird, odd, irritating or baffling to someone else.”
Avoiding complicated or problematic people rarely ends well. Changing them or trying to cancel them also does not work in our favor. So that leaves only one option left — understanding them.
Though no one should tolerate a toxic situation, Leak insists that improving strained relationships will make everyone like their job more. Complicated people also serve a purpose — they bring a unique perspective.
No one has to accept workplace abuse, yet they should make generous assumptions about their coworkers and bosses. That irritating colleague who is late may actually have a valid reason for their tardiness.
Those who seem off-putting due to their differences can actually bring value. Diverse viewpoints add value because the last we need is “groupthink” or forced consensus. He urges employees to bring healthy collaboration to the table. Having a collaborative mind will help build bridges rather than silos.
The best chapter is the last one. If all techniques fail, he urges forgiveness rather than bitterness. Even if its justified, bitterness should have an “expiration date” because ultimately hostile feelings keep us prisoner to our emotions.
The white stag, in Celtic mythology, symbolizes mystery and a spiritual quest. In Celtic tales, the white stag leads visitors to Annwn, the Welsh Otherworld, a fairy land where no one gets hurt or dies.
According to Jones’s Celtic Cyclopedia, the white stag is also a component of Hungarian mythology, French lais, and even Christian iconography[1]. Hildegard of Bingen depicts Christ as a red stag[2]. In later Christian iconography, Christ is depicted as a white unicorn, which more directly reflects the Celtic white stag.
The white stag of Celtic mythology is known for its elusiveness and its regenerative powers. The stag can be chased but never caught. The Celts believed that worlds can exist simultaneously, and that certain animals, namely the white stag, can pass between worlds.
The white stag, who can move freely between worlds, acts as a guide during the hero’s transformative journey[3]. In Arthurian tales, the Mabinogian, and the legend Fionn mac Cumhaill, the stag leads the hero to an Otherworld. The hero’s courage is tested as he follows this mythical creature into the forest.
In the last chapter of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lewis appropriates the white stag symbol. Instead of going towards a supernatural realm, however, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are leaving one behind. They are crossing from a magical world back into the ordinary world.
Unlike other animals, a stag’s antlers reappear every season; and, thus, they are representative of spiritual renewal. In Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the stag is not just a liminal beast that can move between the seen and unseen world. In Lewis' novel the stag represents a spiritual transformation that the children have undergone.
The Headlight Review.
https://www.headlightreview.com
Kelp Crime. If you write crime fiction, this one's for you. They are seeking previously unpublished micro, flash, and short fiction in the crime, thriller, detective, and noir genres. Prefers conservationist, oceanic, and social justice themes.
https://www.kelpjournal.com/copy-of-about
Neon Origami. Decision within two weeks.
Brit Bennet. Vanishing Half.
Celeste Ng. Everything I Never Told You.
Lisa Jewel. The Family Upstairs.
Kim Edwards. Memory Keeper's Daughter.
Min Jin Lee. Pachinko.
Non-fictional memoirs that hinge on dark secrets are equally mesmerizing.
Dorothy Allred Solomon. Daughter of the Saints.
Anna LeBaron. Polygamist's Daughter.
Dani Shapiro's gripping memoir, Inheritance, details the repercussions of taking a simple DNA test.
Anyone interested in family secrets should watch John Baime's notable documentary, Filling in the Blanks.
Rowlett Public Library promotes the arts with this writing contest every year.
With the publication of Code Breaker, Isaacson focuses, for the first time, on a female innovator and businesswoman, Jennifer Doudna, the co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2020.
Isaacson's portrait of Doudna, who co-created CRISPR is balanced and nuanced. Isaacson describes the career difficulties she faced, her competitive drive, and judiciously considers the claims of her detractors.
According to Isaacson, there have been three revolutionary discoveries--the discovery of the atom, the bit, and the gene--that were watershed discoveries.
The discovery of the atom in the beginning of the twentieth century led to many inventions, including the atomic bomb. The digital age ensued from the discovery that a "bit" that could encode information. Lastly, the discovery of the gene led to the knowledge of the genetic code.
Isaacson captures details about her early life that prefigures her future success. He explains that Doudna became inspired to study science not only because she explored Hawaii's wildlife but also because of a seminal work, The Double Helix by Francis Crick. Doudna's father left the book on his daughter's bed when she was a pre-teen because he knew it would fascinate her.
Ignoring a school counselor's misgivings, Doudna majored in chemistry at Pomona College. From there, Isaacson takes readers on Doudna's intellectual journey--her early successes and triumphs--while also revealing her competitive spirit.
Doudna's first husband did not share her drive and that ultimately led to their breakup. Her second husband shared her enthusiasm for RNA--a molecule that would become her primary focus. While other scientists were content to read the genetic code, Doudna wanted to edit it using RNA.
To be fair, Isaacson has long recognized the accomplishments of women. His book, The Innovators, for instance, warmly commends Ava Lovelace and Grace Hopper. Code Breaker is, however, the first time Isaacson focuses exclusively on a female innovator.
Choi, Susan. Flashlight. A novel about family crises and family secrets. The novel is fuller rendition of her 2020 story, "Flashlight."
Desai, Kiran. Sonia and Sunny.
Kitamura, Katie. Audition.
Markovits, Benjamin. The Rest of Our Lives.
Miller, Andrew. The Land in Winter.
Szalay, David. Flesh.
Don’t miss this incredible story of an evolutionary scientist who combined her love for science with love and devotion to her family, the environment, and many social causes.
Each story exists in isolation, but numerous stories mirror each other. Grief in response to losing a sister is apparent in “Hormone Hypothesis” and in “Eighteen Girls.” The unnamed character in “Hormone Hypothesis,” who is unconsciously looking for a sister figure, finds Fernanda. Though this stay-at-home mother is the narrator’s opposite, the two bond and find strength in their shared grief.
A complementary story, “Eighteen Girls,” features two sisters, one of whom is slowly dying of cancer. The “eighteen girls” of the title are the same girl—the healthy girl reacting to her sister’s forceful personality.
“The Irates” and “I, Buffalo” deal self-hatred and shame. In “The Irates” a teen finds the world irretrievably altered after her much-loved brother dies. She works a job she detests—telemarketing—and becomes a person she hates—an “irate.” Sheila, the main character of “I, Buffalo” has lost her high-stakes job after an embarrassing incident. Vara brilliantly describes emotional states, especially isolation.
In “This is Salvaged,” a man has the lonely experience of trying to build a replica of Noah’s ark and in “Sibyls” a woman with a movie star’s name dies unnoticed.
This is Salvaged is a compelling short story collection that visits aspects of the human condition with humor and nuance.