do not be afraid to say yes

I generally have become too cynical for most of the self-helpy/sugary crap from that million-dollar industry. But this one caught me by surprise as I was folding baby clothes, and wondering what I would someday tell our child about this strange year as she was cocooned safely in amniotic fluid. 

I needed to listen to it a few times while doing my regular Sunday round-up of laundry, cleaning, and napping during the utterly glorious snowstorm. 

I hope you have a good Sunday, and that it sets the pace of solid balance between work and rest for the upcoming year, especially refraining from work on Sundays. 

Artist and poet Cleo Wade recites a moving poem about being an advocate for love and acceptance in a time when both seem in short supply. Woven between stories of people at the beginning and end of their lives, she shares some truths about growing up (and speaking up) and reflects on the wisdom of a life well-lived, leaving us with a simple yet enduring takeaway: be good to yourself, be good to others, be good to the earth. "The world will say to you, 'Be a better person,'" Wade says. "Do not be afraid to say, 'Yes.'"

image via {amber rae}