What’s Lighting Me Up (January 11, 2025)

Well it would appear that I’ve reached week 2 of this project, so as far as New Year’s projects go, that’s not nothing! As I noted last week, I started 2025 thinking a lot about how important it is to lean into and celebrate the things that bring us joy, encouragement, and nourishment of soul and body (and in a week in which the news was crazier than ever, this feels all the more true!), and so it’s my intention to do a quick weekly wrap up of the things that are lighting me up and lighting the way for me.

Two years ago, I developed a Rule of Life. I intended to revisit it every year, but I like it so much that I’ve left it pretty much unaltered. But last year, as I eliminated my tracking of my goals, I forgot about my Rule for big chunks of the year. So I’ve put it up on my refrigerator whiteboard and it’s been great to be reminded of these beautiful principles every time I pass it:

• Remember the teachings
• Be present in whatever it is I’m doing
• Act from identity
• Speak the truth in love
• Seek beauty
• Recognize Excellence
• Follow curiosity and joy
• Quality over quantity
• Shop local (if at all)
• Waste not
• Add value
• Be kind.

I’ve been doing a lot of re-reading of Jung and Jungian writings lately as I prepare my series on the Christian Shadow. So many powerful words that seem so frighteningly fitting for our present moment. But on the more encouraging front, I appreciated Jung’s succinct articulation of the basic spiritual principle of healthy growth: “If we do not have the depths, how do we have the heights?” (The Red Book).

My leisure reading this week has been a bit more hit-and-miss than last week, though the hits are hitting harder than the misses are missing. I was recently introduced to a new-to-me Golden Age mystery writer by the name of ECR Lorac, and I absolutely adored her 1946 novel, The Theft of the Iron Dogs. It had all the great British, period investigation I love from folk like Agatha Christie, but adds a wonderful and cozy sense of place, with salt-of-the-earth characters who delight in their own foibles, readily admit to their prejudices, and get a lark out of being proven wrong. I also finally got around to reading Ender’s Game, which I’d been putting off due to the problematic advocacy of its author. I’m really not sure where I stand on the whole ‘cancel culture’ thing — I hope we can at some point come to a place as a culture where we can find ways of holding people accountable for their actions, while still also appreciating their art. At any rate, the novel itself was brilliant — propulsively entertaining while confronting the reader with difficult ethical questions. I also read my first 2025 release, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight; it has nothing to do with octopuses, except as a metaphor, but was a fun and moving college life and family secrets story that I really enjoyed.

Just as new books always come out on Tuesday, Friday is the day for new music. With December being fairly fallow in terms of new releases, it was great to have an injection of new music last week, even if nothing really jumped out to me as being special. The two projects that have gotten most of my attention have been two EPs, “soft light” by young friend and “Still Living With My Parents,” by NIA NADURATA. (Is anyone else exhausted by artists’ stylized use of all-caps and no-caps???? I sure am!) I’ve been enjoying this mellow fare, but could use an injection of musical energy soon!

So what’s lighting you up this week?