“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.'”
—Alfred Lord Tennyson
#REALTALK
Nerve-cited: I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE VERY FIRST ISSUE OF MONDAY VIBES 2.0! I’d be lying, though, if I didn’t confess that I’m also a little nervous. See, this rebrand is also part of a greater personal transformation for me, one that involves trying to integrate all parts of myself: business, spiritual, fun, intellectual, thought-provoking, creative, intuitive, activist, healer, nature lover, Asian American, biracial, educator. I didn’t even realize how many different versions of myself I shared with the world until I noticed how exhausted I felt keeping track of them all. But in my attempt to embrace all sides of me, I’ve been confronted with major feelings of imposter syndrome.
It got me thinking: Who am I to write poetry? Who am I to call myself a psychic medium? Who am I to create memes? Who am I to talk about being a WOC? I’ve decided, though, that I will no longer carry the burden of other people’s preconceived notions of what any of those words or labels mean—including my own.
Limitations: I hate the fact that we can’t do everything we want in the time that we have. 2020 forced me to get real with my own limitations—what I realistically have time for, what I realistically have energy for—and I’ll be honest, I didn’t like choosing. I preach all day about the importance of boundaries, but I’ve been wondering lately if it’s less about setting boundaries and more about learning to accept our own limitations. Here’s a note to self I wrote that I hope resonates with those who need it too:
Dear Self,
There are only so many hours in the day, only so much of you to go around. You won’t be able to get to everything and that’s ok. Trust that you can’t miss what’s meant for you.
#Vanlife: We are off on the next leg of our vanlife adventure! Andrew’s obsession with TikTok is out of control (he’s much better at keeping up with what the kids are doing these days than me LMAO), so if you want some special BTS footage of our life on the road, follow us on our joint account @andrewandelizabeth!
WARM AND FUZZIES
DJ Earworm Mashup
United States of Pop 2020 (Something to Believe in): Andrew and I wait ALL year to see what DJ Earworm comes up with for his annual mashup of all the top hits – and the one for 2020 is finally here! Cheers to all the fun MV dance parties to come in the New Year!
OBSESSION OF THE WEEK
AAGC Collab Gift Set
Andrew got me the super cute AAGC Collab Gift Set, choc-full of goodies made by Asian American womxn creatives, for Christmas—perfect to celebrate this year of reclaiming my Asian American identity and what’s to come for the Monday Vibes community in 2021. So excited to sport my new Asian American Girl Club beanie around with pride!
MONTHLY HAPPENINGS: FEATURES + EVENTS
InHerSight interview: 6 Ways to Calm Your Nerves
Talkspace: 4 Ways to Recharge Completely After the Holidays
Gentler Podcast episode with founder Maya Fleming: Self-Love & Shifts
XO,
Elizabeth
