January 13, 2020

Happy Monday BOSLadies!

I hope that everyone is feeling well rested from the weekend and has a bright week ahead. The February meeting is a month minus two days away so if you haven’t already done so, please use the link in Catherine’s event invitation to vote on a book. We will share the results on Wednesday evening so get clickin’ and:

(thanks Alexandra for sending this great photo)

The Weekly Three

• Something to encourage giving yourself a little slack January. Fresh start. Resolutions. Old hat. I have the feeling that most of us probably finish the holiday season, and year, at least a little tired. Then we’re immediately supposed to jump in to being the 2.0 version of ourselves. I like what Anna Brones proposes in this month’s Creative Fuel letter. If you’re not inclined to read the whole letter, just think for a moment on the excerpt below:

• Something exciting about women in construction Last week one of my coworkers sent over this article about a women-led construction project in Worcester. I didn’t know that the number of construction site workers who are women in Massachusetts is 5 to 6% higher than the national average. That national average is a mere 3% but we can say that we’re trending in the right direction.

• Something about Nipsey Hussle inspired book clubs and black mens’ mental health  If I’m being honest, I didn’t know much about Nipsey Hussle before I clicked on this article. He was a rapper and activist and was killed outside of his clothing store in LA in March. When he died, a fan compiled a list of books Hussle had cited as influential in his life. The Marathon Book Club is one of the reactions to that list and is currently in four major cities, its members 74 black men and two Latinos. It has become a safe space for these black men specifically to discuss trauma and mental health that has previously been unspoken. The evolution of hip-hop and artists like Hussle are breaking down those barriers and The Marathon Book Club is an inspiring example.