THE ROOT 9: 41.2

Saying The Thing

I’ve had the phrase playing on repeat for a while and figured I’d write about it a bit more: “Say the thing.”

It sort of speaks for itself, which is why I love it. It connects to another simple but powerful mantra I’ve written about before that one of my mentors said to me that has stuck with me: “clarity is kind.” Both phrases are pithy and concise yet say so much in so little words. This is something I'm always trying to work on, as I tend to be a bit verbose at times (as you all may have noted)

To dive into “saying the thing” specifically, one of the benefits that speaks the loudest to me is how it leads to clarity over ambiguity, enhances vulnerability and authenticity, and pushes us toward action.

Instead of leaving an elephant in the room or a feeling of "what did they mean by that," saying the thing allows us to confront a potential conflict or disagreement head on. In turn, letting us move more quickly and collaboratively into solutioning.

Navigating complex conversations can be difficult, and we sometimes attempt to ease the pressure of that by accessorizing what we want to say with flowery words or lengthy explanations. That often only benefits the emotional attachment we’ve given the communication and inhibits us from addressing sometimes difficult topics or disagreements.

Saying the thing, in all honesty, lets us prioritize the person on the other end of the conversation. It shows respect by giving them the clear communication you owe them, while also allowing you to set your boundaries clearly. It’s a powerful lesson in making directness your default.

3/6/9 Method for Manifestation

I’m going to start this off by saying that I typically only write about things that I do do in this part of the newsletter, but, candidly, I’ve been in a bit of a “mindset funk,” if you will. I’m actively exploring ways to get out of it.

Sometimes it’s the season (and sometimes it’s my horoscope and me believing it), but there isn’t a particular thing that’s been driving the feeling. I’ve just found that the way I internally speak to myself throughout the day could use a boost, and I’ve been searching for ways to attempt to change that because my current operating model isn’t working.

Ironically, without me even bringing up leaning into forms of manifestation to try something new, a friend of mine brought it up on Tuesday. So I went into a bit of a rabbit hole to find a method I thought would actually work for me.

You might think this seems silly, but here’s a method I found compelling: the 369 manifestation technique.

This technique uses the Law of Attraction by having you write your specific goal or affirmation:

You do this consistently for days or weeks to focus your energy and align your thoughts with your desired reality.

A lot of manifestation tactics are appealing, but what I found I didn’t like about most of the ones I looked into is that they were merely done during a single point in time, like gratitude journaling to start or end your day. While I think that’s powerful, it doesn't necessarily keep our minds grounded in that mindset throughout the entire day.

This 369 method, however, allows us to really work on deploying this mindset throughout the whole day, to more powerfully influence our subconscious.

This part you may roll your eyes at, but I set a recurring 3 daily five minute calendar invite for myself to try this out through year end and see how I feel. Give it a go! It should take no more than three minutes of your day.

I’m currently loving the Levi’s Super Baggy Barrel jeans. I’m going to be honest, yes I can sometimes be biased, but barrel jeans have been something I’ve loved since (dare I say) they were even a trend way back in 2023. My OGs know the Free People Barrel Pant was the very first fashion item I wrote about when I started The Root 9 in February

I am such a fan of the Super Baggy fit from Levi’s. I just bought my third pair…I already have a dark and light denim, and just added a black pair.

They’re cozy because they’re oversized, versatile enough to be worn low or high with a belt, and just super chic in my (humble) opinion. To me, they instantly elevate a look. If you haven't given the barrel silhouette a try, the Levi's Super Baggy version is where I’d start 🙂