I know the beginning of February may seem early…but if I could only recommend one book and one thing to watch this entire year, here they are [seriously, they are that good]:
What to read: Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas by Alexi Pappas (2021)
Pappas is a threat in so many areas I can’t even count them all: world-class distance runner, filmmaker, writer, actor, warm and brave life ambassador. She has survived devastating personal loss, mental and physical injuries, and courageously shares what she has learned from those experiences. I was continually impressed by her candor, humor, and formidable intelligence. I would really like to have a beer with her, tell her about my day, discuss her fashion aesthetic and current training plan, and marvel together in the wonder that is this life.
We all struggle sometimes. We all feel like we are the only one who hasn’t figured out adulting, feels constantly overwhelmed, feels constantly down or anxious or both. We feel shame that we feel this way and struggle to keep it secret. Even as I type this I think “maybe I shouldn’t say that. Maybe no one else feels this way. Maybe everyone else really does Have. It. Figured. Out.” Pappas shares her journey with depression with profound generosity – it is a love letter to us all, and an invitation for us to do the same – celebrate ourselves in all our wondrous and unique complexity.
In her own words: “you can be one thing – or two or three – you can be – the beauty and the beast”.
What to watch: Rising Phoenix (Netflix 2020)
This fabulous documentary follows several athletes training for the Paralympic Games, reviews the creation and history of the Paralympic Games, and chronicles some of the funding and publicity challenges faced in recent years.
As Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman is credited with saying, “if you have a body, you’re an athlete”. If you are currently training for something or you once trained for something or you just walked to the mailbox – you are an athlete and this documentary is for you. I strongly believe that watching athletes train at the elite level holds more for us “recreational” types than just inspiration. Every day, each of us has to move with the body we have at that moment, and dance the delicate line between challenge and strength and pushing too far. Sometimes the tango works out, and sometimes you fall on your face. But you keep trying.
Every damn day.
