Off to the desert for the next week
Going to Burning Man, conversation starter app, self-therapy, a book on survival, and staying curious
Hi friend!
So, I am off to Burning Man this week. (Burning Man is a week-long music and arts festival held in the desert north of Reno, Nevada)
Due to a series of unfortunate last-minute circumstances, my friend Heather's boyfriend could not make it to Burning Man. She called me devastated and asked if I would be open to taking his spot. Burning Man is not a simple thing to plan, nor is it a simple thing to cancel, so after a lot of thinking, I said yes. Although she had already sorted out tickets, camp, food, water, and shelter, I still spent the majority of this week just planning. As you are reading this, I should be headed to San Francisco first and then to Reno for Burning Man.
After launching my podcast, Yellow Glitter, last week, I got a lot of feedback. Thank you to everyone who chimed in. All I can say is, wow. This is what we need. These are the conversations that need to be happening. I saw a massive gap in the mindfulness and health space for Asians in the US (let alone LGBTQ+ Asians) and was scared shitless to put my own story out there as a starting point for this conversation. I had thought that what swirled around in my head were all just my own thoughts.
Surprisingly, it resonated with the people I had least expected. Having my stories resonate past the LGBTQ+ Asian space was a delightful surprise. If you haven't checked it out, go listen to Episode 1 & 2 of Yellow Glitter on Apple Podcast. (It's also on Spotify, TuneIn, Overcast, Google Podcast)
PS - Was not able to get episode 3 out this week as planned. Though I am not really happy about it, I am finding compassion for myself in this process. It will be out when I come back from Burning Man, so stay tuned.
An app for your next get-together
I love it when technology can get us away from the screen and closer to each other. The Gottman Card Deck has 14 digital decks with interesting questions to help start your next conversation. There's a deck for deepening your friendship, becoming more intimate, and improving listening skills, just to name a few. And best of all, it's absolutely free!
Becoming our own VR therapist
This is a fascinating scientific journal I stumbled on. In this experiment, participants first asked questions to a virtual Sigmund Freud. Afterward, they switched spots with the virtual Freud and listened to their questions as the therapist. They wrapped up the experiment giving advice to their virtual doppelganger. Almost all of the participants responded positively. How cool is this? I'm curious how this will open doors for alternative forms of therapy including self-therapy.
A book that I couldn't put down
Dr. Edith Eva Eger is one of the few holocaust survivors of our time and recently published a book about her life and its lessons. I first heard about her on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday podcast a while back, and a few weeks ago, a guy sitting next to me on the plane was reading it in Spanish. I told myself I had to read it after this coincidence. So thankful I did. Once I picked it up, it was impossible to put down. Her intense stories surviving the internment camps, life after the war, and immigrating to the US can teach us a lot about humanity... especially during this chaotic time we are in now.
A quote on staying curious
"Honor those who seek the truth and beware of those who've found it" -Adapted from Voltaire
As always, thanks for reading!
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Have a beautiful day!
Metta (loving-kindness),
Steven
Yellow Glitter Podcast | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | StevenWakabayashi.com