Hello Reader,
On the last day of school before summer vacation, I heard kids at an elementary school chanting “Kick it like you mean it!” Their chanting was exuberant.
I try to kick it like I mean it. I try to be present and intentional.
But what about when I don’t know what I want? How can I kick it like I mean it if I’m flailing in some in-between, unclear on what I actually desire?
As we move through a major transformation, time can feel like molasses. If we are flooded, overwhelmed, and burned out, our decision making capacity can get slippery.
Sometimes clarity starts as a whisper, or shows up delayed once we already committed and then realize we need to bow out.
As I try to discern my desire, I can change my scenery or try something new in community. I can talk it through with a trusted person. I can turn inward.
As Neil Young sings in the song razorlove, “Imagination is my best friend.”
I imagine into a decision to see how it feels in my body. Does it feel like a “yes,” a “no,” a “maybe”?
And what if I kick it like I mean it, and I miss?
In a Guardian article, psychologist Madeleine Jago says “The brain processes rejection using the same neural pathways as physical pain, which may explain why rejection feels so sharp and lasting on a psychological level.”
As a creative writer who submits to artist opportunities, and as a recently laid-off job seeker, I must let the rejections roll off me the way water moved over my old beloved labrador dog.
I can notice the water even as I don’t let the water soak in.
A past version of me may have just watched from the sidelines. Now, I can celebrate the kicking, even when I miss.
Reflection
Write a list of what you love about yourself. Include achievements, values, or qualities that are meaningful to you, which may or may not have to do with traditional success. Feeling stuck? Ask some people who love and know you. (Reflection inspired from the Guardian's article on how to cope with rejection)
Resources
My Creative Updates & Offerings
Come join me for a free community event, Portland Poetry Confluence on October 4 at 3:45 p.m. PT. I’ll be reading as part of a collective poem “Dialogues with Trees,” Atrium, 2305 SE 50th Ave, Portland.
I’ll be sharing a mini-session of somatic practices as a guest facilitator at Kim Moy’s Caregiver Wisdom free virtual support group for caregivers on Sunday, October 5, at 12 noon PT.
If you’ve been wanting a chill space to practice gentle movement and rest, join me for my last in-person group class of the year at REVEAL on October 17 at 4:15 p.m, 222 SE 8th Ave, Portland.
Community & Care
In Portland, free food through Urban Gleaners.
NPR Life Kit’s Cheap and easy ways to stock your emergency go bag.
From the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, La Talacha, a newspaper by and for immigrant and working communities—a tool for organizing, resistance, and storytelling.
From Bi History, a free toolkit Queer Histories, Radical Futures: A Toolkit for Archivists & Community Memory-Makers.
From the Othering & Belonging Institute (En)Gendering Authoritarianism: A Six-Strategy Framework Examining How Political and Cultural Leaders Weaponize Gender in Ways that Advance Authoritarianism.
Soft Pants for Your Mind
Be the hope, from The New Happy.
A beautiful brief piece from poet Adrian Frandle.
Flower fresh, one of my favorite meditations from Plum Village:
Notes & Citations
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/14/how-to-cope-with-rejection-and-move-on
Let’s resource! Let’s play! Let’s happen to notice, together.
In peace,
Vanessa Micale
Founder of Poderosa Voz LLC
(she, they, ella)
P.S. You can show your support by sharing this micro-newsletter with a friend, or you can send me a digital tip and treat me to a pastry.
P.P.S. Sharing resources is one of my love languages. Is there a resource related to somatic and creative realms you want to see or you know of? Hit reply and let me know.
