Sunday Candy Issue #2

Discovering What’s Possible, Peeling The Onion, Until The Wheels Fall Off, Find Joy & Throw Away The Trophies

Hi friends,

Last week I asked you all to share something you’re feeling grateful for or looking forward to and I’m thrilled a couple of you actually replied!

“I'm feeling grateful for emergency savings, making Write of Passage friends, and the privilege of moving through life slowly for a bit.”

“I’m grateful for new friends!”

I’m feeling grateful for you, and everyone else that took a moment to read, comment, and reply with words of encouragement.

Thank you! 

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What’s on tap for this week?

Discovering What’s Possible

I wrote an essay about my journey in Write of Passage!

Here’s an excerpt:

“My hope is to see what else is possible and help others see what’s possible, too.”

Writing this felt silly, even if it was true. I was applying for a scholarship to an online writing course called Write of Passage. 

Could this course show me what was possible?

My gut told me I needed to find out.

You can read the rest here: “Discovering What’s Possible: My Write of Passage Journey”

Additionally, when I thought about how much of myself I’ve been sharing in my writing, which is far more than I normally like sharing with others, I started second guessing myself.

And so a special thank you goes to a friend who shared the following words with me:

“Anxiety is a real thing

Imposter syndrome is a real thing 

Your experience and feelings are valid 

Nobody is being forced to read what you write

It’s okay to take up space 

It’s okay to say how you felt/feel

Humans feel things” 

Reminder: Take up space, say how you feel, feel things, and be human.

Peeling the Onion

In his newsletter Quick Brown Fox, Salman Ansari wrote about viewing writing as peeling an onion. 

“I like to think of writing as peeling layers from the onion of my mind. Each layer is meaningful, but it is just one layer of many. 

This framing suggests not taking any single layer too seriously, for there are so many others to come. When I look at writing in this way, it fills me with the energy of curiosity. I become genuinely interested to unveil the mystery of myself.

If what I’m writing now is just the outer layers, what lies hidden beneath? What will I be writing about twenty layers from now? How about a hundred, or a thousand?”

This approach hits the nail on the head of what I’m doing with writing. More than anything, I’m unveiling the mystery of myself. And I’m both in love with that, and slightly terrified. What lies hidden beneath?

Time to move away from fear, lean harder into curiosity and keep peeling away those layers.

Until The Wheels Fall Off

Recently, the HBO Max documentary Tony Hawk: Until The Wheels Fall Off hit streaming. 

As a California kid who got her first skateboard in third grade, and still throws on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game soundtracks, I tuned in.

And you know what?

The godfather of modern street skating, Rodney Mullen, is the legend I left the documentary wanting to talk about today.

Mullen is a prolific skater, and the most heartfelt moment is when he describes his unwavering connection to skateboarding.

“But there’s something inside of me propelling that I’m not going to give up until the wheels fall off. 

That’s what I’m made of. 

And I wish, I see all the arguments against it, but I wish I could relate the intangibles to you.”

Stop. Listen to this short clip, and try not to be moved by his passion and reverence for skating. 

At 55, Mullen knows the risks. He’s almost lost it all before. It’s foolish to continue. But for him, skating is a meditative practice, an art form, and self-expression. 

He can’t stop because it’s who he is. 

It left me wondering if I’ll be doing something at that age that I won’t stop “until the wheels falls off.”

Find Joy & Throw Away The Trophies

If you were into that previous clip, I highly recommend checking out Rodney Mullen’s interview on Impact Theory.

This interview is gold from start to finish.

When he explains why he tossed all his trophies, it reminded me of how constraining chasing success can be. 

“Most of those contests I didn’t even give all I had. I just played it safe. Those are representative of me being conservative, not doing what I could have done because I just wanted to win because I was afraid.”

Bringing my whole self to what I do, like writing, is necessary. “Trophies” can come at the cost of limiting oneself. I don’t want to hold back who I am, what I can do or want to do just to win.

What does Mullen suggest instead?

“When you get what you thought you wanted, the fire goes away. So if there’s anything, just find joy in what you do for the sake of it and recognize how you’re being shaped in the process.”

I wonder, are there any limitations you’re placing on yourself for the sake of winning?

Before You Go, I Need Your Help

I’m looking to add some new tunes to listen to when I jump rope. What are your go-to songs, or playlists for working out? What artists pump you up?

Drop a comment, or hit reply. Send me some bangers, genre doesn’t matter. Surprise me. I’ll be checking out any recommendations I get! 

That’s all for this week’s issue of Sunday Candy!

Thanks for reading, friends.

Until next week!

-Sandra

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P.S. What’d you think of this week’s issue? Reply or leave a comment to let me know what you liked, or just take a second to say hi!