Welcome to the mcosm journal. The lifeletter dedicated to living deeply, personal growth, & social change.

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seek silence

this much is true
short, guiding columns by our founder.

Give yourself the gift of silence.

Real, full, undivided quiet.

Because when you rush to announce things you’re only beginning to make sense of,

You miss the lesson and the epiphany.

When you always fill your eyes and mind with noise,

You rob yourself of peace.

When you’re quick to curate intimate parts of your own life, and post them in hopes of being seen, of being felt, or witnessed, or recognized,

You lose yourself to an image that mirrors life, but is not it. 

When you have a moment, seek silence. 

In silence, there are lessons, and epiphany. There is peace. 

And there’s life, waiting to be lived.

~ Pedro

P.S. if you love this section, it’s expanding in a separate, weekly newsletter. It arrives Monday, April 8th. Interested? Learn more and be one of the first to subscribe here.

prompt
follow-ups from this much is true. If the last section resonated with you, grab a journal & a pen, & commit to these next steps.

This week, consider:

Where do you rush through your day, fill moments with noise, resist silence?

➨ List it. Be fully honest.

Take a moment to be still.

➨ What feelings or emotions come up?

➨ What thoughts arise?

➨ Notice where you feel discomfort. What is underlying it? What could it be telling you?

Where in your life can you create more moments of silence?

➨ Cultivate at least one small moment of silence each day.

🪐 from our universe
NEW: go deeper - what’s bubbling beyond the journal

Chaos & Control - a documentary-style podcast exploring the story of birth control in America.

What is the role of hormonal birth control in a post-Roe America? Is birth control toxic? Why are so many women sharing their negative experiences? What does contraception free from coercion look like? And most importantly, how did we get here?

Episode 01 is out now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. An original podcast by Currents Media. Written and produced by our editor, Sabrina.

~

Love this much is true, but want to go deeper?

Explore Lifepunk, a new (separate) platform by our founder. With a weekly newsletter every Monday (except holidays). Officially launching April 8th. Subscribe here.

~

Have a favorite section? Want to make sure something never changes? Want to see something added?

Take our survey here before it closes later this week. It’s how we decide how the journal evolves (and doesn’t), and who to partner with. And newness is coming (you may have already noticed some of it). So be heard. Takes ten minutes.

vibes: longer days & sunset strolls
in the air rn.

This week, spend some extra time with the sun.

March 19th marked this year’s Spring Equinox, or the “first day of spring” in the Northern Hemisphere. With it comes longer days, and the approaching warmth of the hotter seasons.

Plan a picnic with friends to enjoy sunny afternoons. Appreciate the organisms – flowers, trees – that bloom in response to her. Notice how they sway in the wind, and the petals that slowly grow. Your roots are like theirs, grounded in the essence of what they are, and ever-changing with the seasons. Bring the love you express inwards. Feel the warmth of that in your chest.

An evening walk accompanied by some good tunes takes advantage of the longer days. Sometimes imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Mimic the increased abundance of sunlight, and fill your cup with activities that make you shine from within.

aesthetic: brightening up, floral feels, & clementine orange
principles of a deeper chic.

Brighten up your aesthetic and welcome the start of spring.

Switch out your closet’s deepest hues for bright pastels, and let yourself blossom through your style. Experiment with layers that work in sun and shade - and don’t forget your sunscreen. Sheer cover ups, colorful sunglasses, and loose dresses are stunning choices for the start of the season. Pair them with extra layers when the sky turns gray, and shed the excess once the clouds clear. Whatever you choose, bring light to your closet, and feel your energy lift as you do.

Channel floral feels wherever you go. Stop and smell the lilacs while you’re out and about. Get inspired by the way they bloom. Buy fresh seasonal flora directly at your local farmers’ market, or reference their beauty through your decor. Observe nature as it unfurls into fullness, and feel yourself do the same.

Reinvigorate your energy with clementine orange. Liven up with citrusy scents; diffuse orange essential oils when you need a pick-me-up, or refresh your skin with a citrus face mask to enhance your natural glow. Invite this bright hue into your wardrobe, your home, and your mind to embrace the liveliness of spring. Want more? Reference this Pinterest board for inspiration.

🫦 well, actually… greet the sun each morning
hot tips for the whole self: look good, get deep sleep, eat whole foods, have good relationships, move your body, & stress less.

We heard you: well, actually is back!

Something simple you can do each morning for your circadian rhythm, hormone health, and overall wellness: greet the sun.

Getting exposure to bright, natural light first thing in the morning gives your internal clock a natural wake-up call. 

This sets you up for a day of steady energy, a balanced mood, and clear thinking. It can also lead to reduced inflammation, a strong metabolism, and balanced hormones. Plus, it might even help with PMS.

If you can get outside for a walk or drink your morning tea on the balcony, amazing. If you can’t, simply sitting by a sunny window will do the trick. 

Try it for the next week — it just might make you a morning person.

culture

grounded in our pillars.

Worth reading (books to change your life): Ayiti by Roxane Gay

“Everything I know about my family’s history, I know in fragments. We are the keepers of secrets. We are secrets ourselves. We try to protect each other from the geography of so much sorrow. I don’t know that we succeed.”

A collection of 15 short stories, Ayiti (‘Haiti’ in Kreyol, or Haitian Creole), explores identity within the Haitian diaspora. Gender and sexuality are vessels through which Gay highlights the diversity of experience and perspective. But tying many of the characters’ stories is the concept of the “‘American dream,” how to achieve it and subsequently, the understanding of its fragmentation in practice due to the cyclical racism and violence enacted on immigrants.

What does it mean for the characters to be Haitian or American? What does it mean for anyone to be a citizen of a place? What do we bring from our culture, and what can we release? In its own way, Ayiti urges us to interrogate Nationhood itself, and the extent of its relation to our own identities.

～

Worth streaming (shows, podcasts, & movies worth your time): Hacks on MAX

A truly hilarious and surprisingly emotional half-hour comedy series, Hacks explores the endearing, slightly dysfunctional mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comic, and a young, Zillennial, outcast comedy writer.

Explore the duo’s saga as they get cancelled, accepted, rejected, and connected.

～

Worth knowing:

With climate change threatening the globe, consumers increasingly seek to lessen their environmental impact through their buying power. This became more feasible with the passage of SEC's climate rule earlier this month, which requires U.S. companies who sell stock publicly to disclose climate risks posed by their business. While the impact of this regulation remains unclear, it’s one step forwards in compelling corporations to become more eco-conscious. Learn more here.  

until next time…

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