December Edition

It’s 3:00PM EST and I’m swept up in an airport symphony at Gate 41 - the couple on my left cracking up over overpriced water, the munching of fistfuls of goldfish from the toddler to my right, the pen-tapping from the man across from me keeping tempo, all of us waiting in harmony to board our flights. 

This past month, the waiting has come in undulating waves of peace, boredom, and restlessness. One week, the days danced across the calendar like skipping stones across a lake, my mind flooded with excitement and eager to take on new opportunities. The next, I’d wade through each hour as if time was made of the muck at the bottom, leaving me to ruminate over if committing to one area of interest meant I’d have to give up another. 

Tolstoy writes, “Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” Here are a few updates since last month of what attempting to apply that philosophy looked like for me in November:

• To expand my perspective on digital wellness, I continued surrounding myself with those that know more than me, from tabling with others about the AI moratorium to participating in a dinner with over 20 fellow organizers to heading to Australia with friends to learn about the climate of the country’s social media minimum age law. 

• To deepen my foray into public speaking, I delivered the icebreaker speech from last month without notes and am stepping into other roles within the Toastmasters program, such as leading Table Topics and being a sponsor for a new member. 

• To grow my knowledge of the legal field, I’ve started supporting efforts to distill our case law research at Ansari Legal into the appeal, taking the lead on drafting the legislative history section and learning firsthand how to structure robust arguments.

• To increase my understanding of non-traditional methods of education, I’ve accepted a position as substitute guide at The Montessori Schools, which represents 2 of the only 3 locations in New York City that are AMI affiliated. I’ve also conducted preliminary sessions with families interested in homeschooling and tutoring, each at different stages of their educational journeys.

It has been especially exciting to begin seeing some overlaps between digital wellness, public speaking, law, and non-traditional methods of early childhood education. How have you noticed and/or incorporated interdisciplinary applications in your own work? 

As I brace for what December holds, I’m reminded and reassured by Oscar Wilde’s observation in The Importance of Being Earnest, “The suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.” 

Until next month, thank you so much for stopping by!

Warmly,

Judy :)