August is my birthday month, and if you know me, you know I believe we should always celebrate birthday months.
Since road/spontaneous trips are my love language, last month was filled with both. First up: visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time (which was doubly special because I got to experience it with my parents).
Next? This newsletter was largely written at the Jardin du Luxembourg. My sister and I planned a trip to Paris (a week before we left) because that’s the kind of spontaneous energy we all need in our 20s, am I right? Turns out practicing French every day for 2+ months paid off.
Today, we’re pivoting a bit from tech to focus on the beauty of mindfulness and how I believe music plays a part in it. The featured albums, songs, and lyrics this edition were my travel companions last month. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
A playlist with every song I’ve ever highlighted exists. Follow along on all the fun here.
Inhale, exhale
A few weeks ago, I had dinner with a group of friends in a small beach town near Santa Monica. All working in different industries, we sat and discussed our work-from-home lives. The obligation to turn on video, the panic when you accidentally sneeze and realize you’re not on mute, the productivity highs and lows throughout the day, and most importantly, grasping a work/life balance.
“Maybe I’ll respond to this email at 7pm.” Ugh, I’m a perfectionist so it takes an hour.
“Ok, another email but I’ll schedule to send it tomorrow morning so no one thinks I’m working this late because #recharging is important.” Over and again we go.
Burnout is inevitable. Following the great wisdom of Usher from a 2013 episode of The Voice (and also Kurt Vonnegut who is more widely credited),
“We’re human beings, not human doings.”
Based on this advice, I created limits. Start work at 8, shut down by 5. Go for a walk to catch up with loved ones or a run to sweat out the stress of the day. Then, a friend of mine started teaching yoga classes on Zoom. Sensing the burnout on my sales team, I asked everyone to join the first class with me as a “Wellness Wednesday” activity. They loved it.
In 2020, I took 26 yoga classes over 40 weeks. A year filled with such chaos, it allowed me to build a space dedicated to focused breath, intentional movement, peace, and gratefulness for the here and now.
Similarly, music has an incredible way of enveloping you into the present.
I curate playlists according to my mood and the time of year. It’s one of my favorite pastimes because it’s a gift to my future self.
I miss Texas? Cue my favorite country songs.
I’m driving in the rain? Cue the songs that make me feel cozy and warm inside.
I need to wind down from the week? Cue a glass of merlot with songs that aged like fine wine.
As we listen, all sense of time disappears. Music empowers us to feel the richness of every emotion, bringing us more in tune with ourselves. Nostalgic for memories, yet simultaneously captivating us to just “be.” Music is how we can put more of everyday life in a “flow” state — an effortless, spontaneous, ecstatic feeling.
Before you turn on your laptop today, save 5 minutes just to focus on your breathing. A series of inhales and exhales because you owe it to yourself to set an intention for the day. This playlist helps.
Ain’t no gift like the present tense.
Albums | Listen to these front to back, the only way to do it.
I’m the resident Zoom DJ at work, who’s surprised? Once, I played New Light by John Mayer and literally not a soul could guess the artist, which shook me to the core. Mostly because I can’t imagine a rainy day without Continuum and the masterful guitar rifts that make me swoon. This entire album is a masterpiece, and for my country fans—listen for surprise vocals by Maren Morris on Last Train Home.
I heard Black Hole while shopping in Paris, and it literally stopped me in my tracks. With piles of clothes in both hands, it took me ten seconds to recognize the voice and remind me of this album. It’s brimming with syncopated rhythms, lyrics like journal entries, and brilliant production. Every song builds perfectly from verse, to bridge, to chorus.
Sarah Griffiths—musically known as Griff—took her songwriting inspiration from Fearless and used YouTube tutorials to learn how to record and produce music. Winning the Rising Star Award (previously awarded to Adele, Florence + The Machine, and Ellie Goulding) at this year’s BRITs, she’s taking the UK by storm. If you listen now, you’ll have extra clout to say you were a fan before she took over the US charts.
Behold, the most perfect album to play on desert road trips. Seriously. With an MC adding commentary every 3-5 songs throughout the album, it’s meticulously crafted like a concert experience. Packed to the brim with emotion, this album has hauntingly gorgeous melodies that keep you leaning in and wanting more.
RN | Songs I’m listening to…right now.
In the midst of producing for Taylor, Lorde, and Lana (all of whom had album cycles this past year) Jack Antonoff gifted us a new Bleachers album with this gem in the mix. The song is powerfully framed as though he’s having a conversation with us, full of references to his friends and family and their perspectives on the state of our world.
Fun fact: “Jimmy” is his nickname for Lana Del Rey. He breaks down the lyrics here.
Taylor’s songwriting has a way of meeting you right where you are, and even though I should expect it by now, it still surprises me. I didn’t love this on the first listen, but I’ve loved it ever since. She recently released a pop version, but as first movies are always better than sequels, the original version is better. I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them.
Jungle is a British electronic music duo famous for their one-take dance videos. I’m still making my way through the full album, but this song is a bop and so is Keep Moving.
On what Jungle means to them and how fans can experience oneness at their shows:
“It’s about being in a collective and collective energy—when you get 400 people who turn up, then they’re part of that as well and they can join us. That sounds kind of idealistic but it’s quite simple. We struggle with all those worries that everyone else has, but Jungle is a place where we can overcome those sorts of things.”
Lyrics on Loop | Find the lyrics that speak to your soul and never let go.
Sunlight fell and reminded me that life can be so gracious sometimes
I hope that I see the world as you did 'cause I know a life with love is a life that's been lived
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea, help me tie up the ends of a dream?
Wonder of the Week
I visited Musée de l'Orangerie where I saw eight murals of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies. Monet spent the last 30 years of his life painting nearly 250 of them inspired by his home in Giverny (a place of quiet reflection) so they may be viewed in meditation. I felt that stillness as I took in the panoramic pieces across two exhibition rooms, overwhelmed by the extravagance.
Whether it’s through exercise, music, or art, I hope you find a way to be present this week.
Love,
Donya
If you liked what you read or heard, why not share it with a friend or five?