THE ROOT 9: 35.2

Lean Into The Beauty of A Welcoming Community

This past weekend, I volunteered with Sutro Stewards (an organization I’ve been working with since April) in a different way - at our annual nursery Plant Sale.

I was a bit nervous because I usually volunteer on the weekends doing trail maintenance and habitat restoration and the crew that runs the nursery goes in on the weekdays, so I had not met most of them before. I worried I would feel like a bit of an outsider and wouldn’t be able to support some of the roles, like educating customers on the best native plants to buy based on the sunlight and soil around their homes.

I ended up supporting by boxing plants, taking them to cars, and (one task I took quite seriously, which you might guess based on my music feature on Mondays) being the Plant Sale DJ.

I had so much fun just getting to know and learn more about the plants by listening to the advice the other volunteers were giving, and I felt instantly welcomed, even though I wasn’t a regular nursery volunteer. It honestly made my entire day when two little girls told their mom they were having a dance party while she was shopping.

The lesson I took away is that sometimes the fear to join a community or be part of something where you are the newbie is a lot scarier in your head than just doing it. We all have something unique to bring to a community, and in this case, mine was some tunes that fit the vibe and support 🙂 .

My big takeaway is to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone. When you just acknowledge you may be a novice but are excited to be somewhere, it’s typically received well. That humility opens the door to connection and makes the experience feel less like a stressor and more like a shared celebration.

Alex Consani’s Positive Journaling

A bit of time has passed since Paris Fashion Week, but I am still watching the recaps from the runway, rewatching some of the shows, and diving deeper into getting to know the models. Two things I love: Alex Consani and "What's in my Bag" videos. So when Vogue posted one with her, I had to watch. I love the way she is genuinely herself, brings a bit more humanity into the world of modeling, and the attention and gratitude she shows for her fans is refreshing.

The video itself is just fun to watch, but a simple wellness tip she shares in spoke to me and I’ve been practicing it for like 5 days in a row. All credit goes to Alex on this one, but it is the idea of positive journaling.

In one sentence, it is basically taking a mental note of when you feel a wave of doubt or negative energy enter your day, pausing, and then journaling the best case scenario for the rest of your day.

How I have been putting this into practice is by taking a single page in my journal to start a few sentences that just begin with “What if.”

It can be simple things, like: “What if I go to bed early and feel incredibly well rested tomorrow?” or “What if I take some extra time to clean up the house before bed and feel calm when I wake up?” It is about mentally outlining little things that would make up a best case scenario day based on its unique circumstances.

The exercise gives your mind an achievable positive track to follow instead of the negative one (and I do believe in positive manifestation). I have been loving it!!

I literally just started swimming (today lol) and one thing I was worried about was whether I could listen to music or a podcast while I did it. I need that ‘auditory anchor’ (if you will) to pass the time during cardio

So, I got the open water version of my beloved Shokz headphones.

Wow, I love them. The audio quality was incredible, and my music didn't glitch once. The experience made a hard workout feel really fun and I’m exciting to do again. Shokz are probably my favorite piece of gear for swimming / running / lifting / etc. (Thank you @JS for introducing me to them in 2024 if you are reading this…!).