1. By far, my favorite article of the week was this piece on good love being boring, and what that means.

“By “boring,” I mean stability, consistency, reliability. We can hang our hat on these things; we can only build on a solid, unwavering foundation.”

We’ve become so comfortable with putting love synonymous with ‘excitement,’ ‘passion,’ even ‘fear.’ And while I’ve always believed real love is all those wild and beautiful things, it’s also comfortable, too. I think there’s a line we have to draw and understand in the difference between crazy and toxic, fun and erratic, challenging and just plain difficult. There’s something to be said for the love that shakes us to the core, but being with someone (in terms of forever) is not constantly going to make us feel the butterflies we did when we first met.

This isn’t a bad thing, it’s the truth. Over time love becomes comfortable—but to be honest, that’s a good thing. Comfortable love, or ‘boring love’ as this article describes, is the wonderful type of affection that provides security, stability, warmth. And that’s worth celebrating just as much.

2. This powerful article about ‘breakthrough knowledge” and finding our space in world of distraction.

“So how do we find the signal within the noise? The proverbial needle in the haystack? The breakthrough knowledge in a sea of FOMO and distraction? How do we live in an information utopia rather than an info-apocalypse?”

These questions are so important, and ones I find myself asking quite often as I try to identify my niche in the online (read: crazy) industry. With the constant overload of social media posts, industry ‘experts,’ and more more more to consume, it’s hard to figure out where you can fit, and more importantly, stay relevant.

3. This piece that tackles the stigma around mental illness in sharing a story about illegal drug use.

The standout quote:

“What does it say about the continuing stigma of mental illness that so many of us feel comfortable discussing our illegal drug use, but depression is a secret too embarrassing to share?”

4. This article by a writer I worked with at Thought Catalog, Benjamin Sledge, (who never ceases to amaze me) on the real truths about marriage in today’s society.

“If you walk into a marriage treating it like a consumer relationship or make it about what you get out of the relationship, you’re doomed from the beginning. It’s not about your needs, it’s about mutual service and submission to one another’s needs.”

Amen. I couldn’t agree more. Covenant, not a contract.

5. This powerful article by Zeno Group on the state of journalism today.

“Perhaps the most remarkable finding is that, although nearly two thirds of journalists still believe that objectivity is a journalist’s primary obligation, nearly half of those surveyed believe that it is not possible to be 100% objective in today’s political and social environment.”

As painful as this quote is to read, I have to say I sort of agree. As a whole, we’re obligated to reporting and sharing the truth, and yet, when it comes to social media trends, we (more often than not) are prone to just hitting ‘share’ or ‘like’ without verifying a source or knowing whether or not something is ‘fake news.’ Can we stay objective? Is this possible? Frankly, I’m unsure. Feel free to comment!

6. This article on female role models which inspires and reminds me that women are so powerful.

The author talks specifically about the automotive industry, but the praise applies across careers. #girlpower

Want to check out the other weeks’ reading lists? Go here.
 

Featured Image Credit:Joe Yates