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Dear :
For some folks it's New Year's Eve Eve.
I'm calling it "Thursday."
No, I don't live in a cave and my head isn't in the sand. But lowering the drama (and the expectations) around the "holiday season" helps me stay centered and calm.
Sort of.
After all, we're still in a global pandemic. Still.
STILL!!
In the "Before Times" (2018) on New Year's Eve, Ed joined a group of friends who gather at a couple's house to ring in the new year the way we have for several decades.
Our streak of attending that party ended in 2019 when the sudden onset of a mysterious illness left me so fatigued and breathless I could barely stand. The coughing, sweats and chills, muscle aches, and exhaustion kept me in bed for weeks. I didn't feel fully well until late March.
A few weeks after I got sick, Ed did too. And, possibly due to the pneumonia from that infection, he endured a heart attack and required open heart surgery.
We'll never know if we both had COVID-19. It was before the shut down, before masks, before vaccines, and before keeping a rapid test on hand "just in case" was a thing. Now, we're vaccinated and boosted and careful.
So yes. Happy Thursday!
While it's tempting to hope 2022 will be better than either 2020 or 2021, I'll practice what I preach: Stay in the Moment.
I'm typing this in a study room at the library with fresh air from a portable purifier blowing on my face. I lower my mask to sip some coffee or take a bite of bagel.
That's it. That's all. That's enough.
Whether you choose to celebrate or not, I wish you and your loved ones only the best. Whether we've met (yet) or not, please know that you mean so much to me. When the world safely reopens, we'll plan to gather. Until then, I'll be at the library (the ventilation is fabulous even without my tiny air purifier) or at home with Ed and the dog.
Right here. Right now. In this moment.
Take good care friends!
~ Nita
Free New Year's Day Sit Led by Shinzen Young
To begin the New Year, during the annual year-end retreat, Shinzen will be leading a 'Special Sit' (approximately 1 hour) the evening of Saturday, January 1, 2022, at 9:15 pm Eastern time (following his evening talk).
The Sit commemorates the last two years of the pandemic, honoring health care workers, unsung heroes, and any who suffered hardship throughout.
It is open to the world so feel free to share.
THANK YOU (again) GREATER COLUMBUS ARTS COUNCIL
Another grateful shout out to the Greater Columbus Arts Council for the grant they awarded to me. If you are an artist, don't overlook local grants. My author friend Matt Betts suggested it
and I can't thank him or GCAC enough.
MOVING YOUR BODY?
In this very moment, I feel joy opening my heart as I remember that I'm signed up to run the Shamrock Virginia Beach (half) Marathon with a group of friends in late March. Maybe I'll see you there!
Do any of you have movement plans?
I don't make resolutions, but I do have goals and follow a training plan. It provides structure, helps with accountability, and gives me a teensy dopamine hit when I check off a workout.
ON THE BLOG
My editor (aka Fairy Godmother) Brenda Knight, Associate Publisher of Mango Publishing Group, was my latest (very willing) "victim." Check out her answers to my nosy questions and her latest book, an updated version of her bestseller, Random Acts of Kindness!
RECENT PODCAST INTERVIEWS:
Prognosis Ohio - "Running and Mental Health"
The T. Estelle Experience - "Mental Health Advocate Nita Sweeney"
Rational Ignorance - "Outrunning Depression"
Finding Genius - “The Future of Mental Health and the Fantastic Benefits of Exercise"
Bowing to Elephants - "Running for Her Life"
Have a favorite podcast? Feel to recommend me and my books the host. I love to talk about mental health, meditation, exercise, writing, and dogs!
BOOK CLUBS
I'm so honored that several book clubs have chosen to read Depression Hates a Moving Target.
If you're in a book group and would like me to join you for a virtual author visit to discuss any of my books, please contact me. I'd love to meet your group!
I created a kit to foster discussion: Book Club Kit!
Mind, Mood, and Movement
Now more than ever, we need to tend to our bodies and minds. Please join us in the Mind, Mood, and Movement group. There's also unicorns!
The Writer's Mind
My writing practice group, The Writer's Mind, is for people interested in using Natalie Goldberg (Writing Down the Bones) tools and methods to create work aimed at publication.
Grateful always for your reviews!! THANK YOU!!
Thanks again for the positive reviews of Depression Hates a Moving Target and You Should Be Writing. If you enjoyed either book and haven't had a chance, please leave a review. Even a few words go a long way.
These direct links to Amazon make reviews easy:
YSBW - Paperback
YSBW - ebook
DHAMT - Paperback
DHAMT - ebook
DHAMT - Audiobook
Don't have your copy yet? Purchase Nita's books here!
Need it in Korean? Here you go!
A Writing Resource
For nearly two decades, Write Now Columbus, a once-a-month email newsletter for central Ohio readers and writers, has arrived in inboxes. Editor Tami Kamin Meyer and I compile author events, workshops, writing conferences and other resources in central Ohio. If that interests you, sign up HERE.
Reach Out
If I can help in some other way, please ask. Email is always the best way to reach me.
Take care and be well.
~ Nita
Sharing is caring!
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About Nita:
Nita Sweeney is the award-winning wellness author of the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink and co-creator of the writing journal, You Should Be Writing: A Journal of Inspiration & Instruction to Keep Your Pen Moving. A certified meditation leader, ultramarathoner, and former assistant to writing practice originator Natalie Goldberg, Nita founded the group
Mind, Mood, and Movement to support mental well-being through meditation, exercise, and writing practice, and The Writer’s Mind
, to share how to use writing practice to produce publishable work. Nita also publishes the writing resource
newsletter, Write Now Columbus. She lives in central Ohio with her husband, Ed, and their yellow Labrador retriever, Scarlet. Follow her on your favorite social media channels!
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