“Boss up and change your life.”

Today’s meditation asks, “What does it mean to stand in your power?”

Lately, that has meant trusting my gut (and my head and my heart). It’s meant saying no to some opportunities and jumping at others. It’s been allowing myself to express excitement and show passion in spaces where I’ve tended to be more reserved. It’s been letting more people inside and giving more of myself outside.

Be honest. Be open. Don’t seek permission to do what’s right. Don’t let the fear of disappointing others guide me away from the best choices. Give me the room to think big. Recognize that new challenges also mean lots of change and that new responsibilities require transformation. And trust. Trust in myself and others.

So, pull your shoulders back. Breathe into your diaphragm. Lift from the crown of your head and take up space. Create space for those you want to bring with you on this journey.

Look in the mirror and see that the person staring back at you is feeling good as hell.

---

Personal growth is perhaps the most important outcome of keeping a work diary. (Sarah Todd for Quartz)

People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered than by those which have come into the mind of others. (Olvia Goldhill, also for Quartz)

There is something about a number that implies precision. Accuracy. Certainty. Immutability. The implied message is a problem solved in totality. (Seth Partnow for The Athletic, subscription required)

What age is someone most likely to achieve their peak performance? (Brad Stulberg for Outside)

What to pick up at the Library: Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett

What to listen to on your commute: Football: Should We Cancel it? by Science Vs and Snapchat’s Secret Dossier on Facebook by The Journal

What to Watch: Hip-Hop Evolution on Netflix (great episode about the rise of the cypher in the latest cycle); and, the two CBS shows being led by the former stars of Luke Cage, All Rise & Evil