I’ve talked and written about Janus in my day job, on a podcast, in a guest blog, and ad nauseum in my personal life. Fair to say Janus is my favorite Roman god.

It’s a new month, a new week, and the start of my birth month! Janus—for whom January is named—was a two-faced god. He looked both forward and backward and was the guardian of doors, gateways, and beginnings and endings.

It’s a pretty groovy domain, all things considered.

Writing Prompt

Sometimes at moments of upheaval, we get fixated on one half of the story: the job that was eliminated (and not the start of a new chapter), the partner that left (and not the gifts that materialized in their absence), the start of a new semester (and not what we might learn from the end of the last).

Set a timer for five minutes. Explore a duality in your life right now. Imagine yourself right at the center of the story, on the edge of the coin. Write about both sides, both pieces—the two things that can’t exist without each other. Night, day. Beginnings, endings. Enter, exit.

Some Updates

• One thing I’m reading: The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
• One thing I’m working on: a collection of personal essays (and submissions of the individual pieces)
• One thing I’m meditating on: the word “here” (mantra, intention, whatever you call it, the idea of “here” is on my mind!)