Reading and watching
Hi my friends,
First and foremost, as a reminder, this is not me in real time. I am not working. I am lounging on a couch somewhere, enjoying my mini sabbatical, and I wrote all about it here in case you missed it! I hope you can find some time to do the same.
I’ve pre-written some posts to help you see how I use my recharge time. Today’s post is all about what I’m reading and watching during my time off.
Let’s start with reading, shall we?! Reading is one of my favorite things to do in the world, and when I have time off, I take advantage of the extra hours I have to read. Here are some of the books I’ve ordered for myself to devour over my sabbatical. While I haven’t read any of these yet, each one comes highly recommended:
Open by Andre Agassi—I am fascinated by autobiographies, especially those by athletes. This one by Andre Agassi, tennis superstar, is supposedly one of the best out there. Andre tells the story of the highs and lows of his career, including when he realized that tennis left him unfulfilled. It’s a book about his search for identity and purpose both on and off the court.
Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski—I’ve been studying the topic of burnout a lot these days, especially now that I’m working from home and have seen how easily the lines between work and personal life can blur. This book in particular caught my attention because it explains why women experience burnout differently than men, which I didn’t even know was a thing.
The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist—Ever since we embarked on our debt-free journey as an organization, I have viewed my relationship with money differently, and I love reading books that help me dive deeper into that relationship. In this book, Lynne helps readers connect money to meaning.
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey—I heard Matthew McConaughey talk about his book on a podcast. He was sharing a story about how he was focusing on too many things and needed to narrow his focus to be really, really good at a couple things instead of “pretty good” at a lot. That really resonated with me, so I bought the book—but now I’m kicking myself because I should have bought the audio version! Matthew McConaughey reading to you on a sabbatical? Need I say more…
How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith—I keep hearing about this one over and over and over, so it must be really good. The authors have identified twelve habits that prevent women from moving up in their careers. As a woman and someone who is passionate about helping all humans rise, regardless of gender, I am excited to read this.
One Life by Megan Rapinoe—Megan Rapinoe is an Olympic gold-medalist and two-time World Cup champion. In this book, she tells the story of how she used her platform to be a force for change and to fight for issues that are important to her. She was one of the first athletes to come out publicly as gay and use her platform to advocate for marriage equality, and in 2016, she was the first high-profile white athlete to take a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. According to the synopsis, the book centers on one powerful question: What will you do with the one life you’ve been given?
The Purpose of Power by Alicia Garza—TIME included this book in their “100 Must-Read Books of 2020” list. It’s written by Alicia Garza, who is one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s a book about bringing people together to create monumental change. I am continuing to educate myself on issues of social and racial injustice, and this seems like an important read. I love one of the quotes on the back of the book: “Magnificent and engaging…This is a text everyone needs to read, to discuss, to debate, to challenge, and to absorb. Alicia Garza is our Ella Baker.”
And now, for the watching! I love watching movies. I could be a movie critic in another life. I become fully immersed in what I’m watching, and there’s something about it that helps my brain disconnect completely. But I don’t just love watching any kind of movie. I have a few guidelines I try to stick to: I try to find movies that have meaning and that can teach me something, and bonus points if it’s a true story. (Oh, and extra bonus points if it’s about crime. I know, it’s weird, but I love it.) I also live by Rotten Tomatoes: Movies rated 70% or higher move right to the top of my list. I don’t always follow these guidelines, but in general, this is how I pick what I want to watch.
I keep a list throughout the year as I hear about movies I want to watch, and any that I haven’t seen by my sabbatical, I try to watch them then. My sister is my movie-watching soulmate. We are going to be quarantining together before visiting our parents, and we’ve already determined that a few of those days will look like movies from the couch all day. We might even set up a pillow and blanket fort like we did when we were kids. Heck, we might even be in that pillow and blanket fort right now as you are reading this.
Here’s some of what we’ll be watching:
Philadelphia—Tom Hanks stars in this one from 1993. Hanks, a lawyer in the film, is fired from his job when it’s discovered that he has HIV. He resolves to sue for discrimination and finds the only lawyer willing to help him try his case.
The Trial of the Chicago 7—I keep seeing this one on Netflix, and I’ve decided to save it for my break. It’s a documentary about the 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy.
Good Will Hunting (I know, I haven’t seen it!)—I have tried to watch this movie several times, but I always fall asleep because I watch it late! I am determined to watch it in full over the break, and I know I will love it. A classic about a professor who helps his student reach his potential.
Milk—This is the story of Harvey Milk and his struggles as an American activist who became California’s first openly gay elected official.
The Florida Project—This movie follows a six-year-old as she grows up in a budget motel in the shadows of Disney, the most “magical place on earth.” It’s been described as tender, powerful, and movingly told.
Rain Main (I know, I know!)—Can you believe I haven’t seen this one yet? This break, we change that! Fun fact: This movie came out the same year I was born.
Conviction—I randomly stumbled upon this one recently, and it looks really good. Hillary Swank’s brother gets convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, so she goes to law school to attempt to exonerate him.
There we go—happy reading and watching! Hope this post inspires you to carve out some time to read and watch what inspires you. See you next week for a post about one of my favorite visioning exercises that I do when I have time off!
Hugs through the screen until then,
Kristen
PS: I can’t promise I’ll be posting over the break, but if I do, it will be on my Instagram, so be sure to follow me there! (@kristenhadeed)
PPS: We are taking a pause on our weekly LIVE show until my sabbatical is over. We will be back in action on Wednesday, January 13th at 11 a.m. ET and every Wednesday after that! If you haven’t registered, you can do so here: https://bit.ly/3kWe2kT. Once you register you will get the Zoom link, and it’s the same link every time. See you there!
