Welcome to 'Goooood Morning, Monday' - Your Weekly Dose of Inspiration (Formerly Q&A Monday)
“Diana, your voice in your Q&As is different than the one you use in your Thursday posts. It’s as if two separate people are writing,” my coach Jackie said during our call last week.
Jackie’s ability to challenge me is one of the reasons I work with her.
“I know… I am kind of scared when giving advice,” I said.
After a moment of silence, I said: “You know what? The one advice I did give in each post was to get professional help. I think readers got the point."
So, starting today, we bid adieu to "Q&A Monday," and we welcome you to embark on this exciting journey with "Goooood Morning, Monday."
Hey there,
Welcome to the very first edition of "Goooood Morning, Monday" – a non-commercial and advertising-free space dedicated to kickstarting your week with a burst of inspiration and creativity.
Mondays might get a bad rap, but here's my take: they provide a chance to begin anew.
In this cozy corner of the internet, I've curated a collection of delights for your mind and soul. Join my table at the café, order yourself a double espresso or a tea, and let’s chat about what drives you and inspires you. Here are some of mine:
🎵 Music: Mondays are a great day to listen to I’ve Got the World on a String performed by baritone sax player Claire Daly. It’s soothing and ideal for planning out your week. Check out her new album VuVu for Frances.
✍️ Words of Wisdom: “Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” —Guillaume Apollinaire
🎧 Podcasts: Rich Roll’s interview with Osher Günsberg last week is like listening to two friends chat over coffee. Günsberg's Australian humor and his honest account of his struggles with mental health and drug and alcohol use as well as recovery is awe-inspiring.
📚 Reads: Chasing Bushido: How I Learned to Just Say Osu by my sensei Richard Amos is a book that I devoured in two days. It’s entertaining and I recommend it to a general audience because it covers themes of resilience, persistence, humility, and mastery, and does not get into the details of karate to such an extent that it would lose non-martial artists. I’ve started reading the classic Moving Zen: One Man’s Journey to the Heart of Karate by C.W. Nicol, which is also good, but would be more suited to martial arts practitioners.
🎬 Movies: On the flight back from Zurich, I watched Silver Linings Playbook (2012) with Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert DeNiro. I loved how it dealt with mental health, families, and attachment issues. I also watched Empire of Light (2022) with Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, and Colin Firth. This movie focuses on mental health and racism in the UK in the 80s. In both movies, I found it interesting how the family and friends coped with their suffering loved ones.
Your turn! Feel free to email me yours… and remember that everything we do in life (including relationships with ourselves and others) is about progress—NOT perfection.
Here’s to future Mondays! I look forward to sharing more music, books, wisdom, and the simple pleasures of life with you. Let's turn Mondays into a delightful adventure together.
Stay curious and be well,
