Late-Start

“The one thing people can’t take from you is your education. and that’s worth the investment.”

— Michelle Obama

This isn’t February yet but I figured I would update you guys on what’s going to be happening in February as a way to keep me accountable this month. I have some good news and I thought that there would be no better way to share it than to post it to the blog!

I’ve gotten a few new people who are new to the Late-Start Family and I want to acknowledge you. hello and welcome. have a seat, get a hot or iced beverage of choice and relax. this is going to be a super chill Blog update post that I like to call my Monthly Motivations. they are a way for me to interact with The Fam and also to good way for me to organize, update, and get inspiration from You all. I start every month off with a positive quote, an update, and then move on to observances that are mental health or recovery related, and then end it with some things I have been not lately. Those range from podcasts to books to movies to apps I’ve been using.

Update

There has been a certain shift in my life priorities right now. I will still keep up with the blog, but the day/time is currently TBA. The “why” of this is good news. I am going to be trained and hopefully certified as a Peer Support Specialist. This means that I’m going to be more than just an authority on myself, but a type of counselor, one who helps people with mental health challenges to empower themselves and understand and use their tools for wellness and recovery to help them be better.

I am so excited about this opportunity! I can’t wait to share what I will be learning with all of you!

In January, I said that the topics are Mental health, Creativity, and Productivity and so far the narrowing down of my topics has helped me a lot. I’m much more focused and can write more because they cover topics I’m familiar with, instead of just whatever comes to mind that day. I believe the rebrand is making this blog better.

And speaking of better how do you guys like the new length of the articles? I was watching a few SkillShare courses on blogging and they mentioned I should try for 500 words minimum, which is a significant change from how I normally do things. However, I’ve been giving it a try and I feel like the length makes it seem more legit because of the extra effort I’ve been putting in. I’m cultivating my writing to be more intentional and thoughtful and I feel like the effort will speak for itself.

So How is Your YouTube Going?

Um, about that…

So I have tried to put together a video but I got scared. What if no one cares? What if it’s another lousy video? What if it gets zero views? and so on. then, as a form of a challenge and to compromise with that fear I decided to a live stream of me doing some art and talking about my channel changes. now I’m thinking about doing weekly Livestreams on Sundays to do art and chat with people, it’s low-pressure content making. I will eventually do some Capital C, Content —perhaps in March or late February at the soonest— but until then live streams just get me in the direction need to go.

✨ Recovery & Wellness Days To Celebrate This Month

All February: February is National Black History Month. The best way I can think of to celebrate this month is to donate to the ACLU and the NAACP to support the Voting rights of Americans because here in as we like to call it “the Land of the Free” that is (still) a modern-day problem.

Thursday, February 17th: Random Acts of Kindness Day brought to you by The Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation. You can celebrate this day by doing something kind to help your local community!

This month the best way to help yourself is to help your community! Here are 5 ways to help your Community this February.

1. Donate to the National Birth Equity Collaborative to help Black mothers
2. Sign up to your local soup kitchen
3. Ask your local Homeless shelter what they need or how you can be of service
4. Listen more than you talk. It will change your life for the better.
5. Educate yourself on topics you are unfamiliar with such as Civil rights, reproductive rights, Homelessness, and your public Education system.

📺 Stuff I’d Love for You to Check Out

• Pew Research Center has a ton of super interesting, well-researched articles worth reading!
• YouTuber and Productivity Guru Thomas Frank has a whole playlist devoted to Notion Tutorials
• Season 6 of Queer Eye is Out on Netflix and it’s amazing.
• I am obsessed with JVN (Jonathan Van Ness) and guess what he has a YouTube.
• The Financial Diet’s Podcast, The Financial Confessions has a brand new season And I’m loving it!

So this month is going to go great! I will speak that into fruition for you. I hope you can donate your time or resources to help any or all of the organizations I have mentioned. please at least consider helping your local community, even if it’s just for an hour a day.

XOXO

—Cindy