Month: November 2018

You can do a lot with your phone. In this fast-paced world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of always staying connected. Making content, connecting with friends, reading the news, aimlessly scrolling through twitter, finding romanse, etc. There’s so much you can do that it can sometimes be super overwhelming. However, there are some apps that provide resources to make your life better. Whether you need gentle check-ins or a quiet escape, here are 3 self-care apps that can help you with your self-care routine.

1. Aloe Bud

Aloe Bud is a great self-care app that uses gentle reminders to keep you on track. The best part is that you only have to use it as much as you want. Aloe is completely free. Though if you want, you can pay for different packages to make more personal customizations, but that is not necessary for you to have the full experience. Whether you need a gentle reminder to take your medicine or a reminder to tell you to take a minute to breathe, you can be sure that Aloe bud is the pocket companion that has your back.

2. #Selfcare

#Selfcare by TruLuv is a very unconventional self-care app, but I really love using it to take a break. This app is basically a low-pressure escape room. The premise is that you’re laying a bed and recharging with various activities. That’s it. You can play low-risk games, draw tarot cards, create your own altar, do breathing exercises, and even pet your cat. In addition, it’s just beautifully designed from the graphics to the atmospheric music; it’s an excellent way to quiet your brain in this fast-paced world.

3. Happy Not Perfect

Happy Not Perfect is like having a life coach in your pocket. This app basically gives you meditation exercises to complete every day. While many users enjoy paying for a subscription, the bare basics of the free Happy Not Perfect app are excellent. This app takes you through a daily mindfulness reminder, and even a daily ritual to start out the day right. In addition, there are a lot of free courses in mindfulness. Right now I’m working with the self-love meditation and the morning mindfulness meditation. Happiness starts from within at Happy Not Perfect, and they want to give you the tools to help make that happen.

Thanks for reading!

It’s a hard world out there, don’t forget to take care of yourself. I hope some of these recommendations work well for you. Leave us a comment if there’s one that you think we should check out! 💖

As election day comes closer and closer, it’s not hard to think about colonialism and white supremacy, particularly how it still is affecting the world we live in. With that in mind, here are 3 recommended reads on the subject.

1. When the Moon Met the Tiger: Homecoming and Loss in Myanmar

I felt an anger growing. I wanted my old Burma, not this “new Myanmar.” The old Burma was palm trees in moonlight and bougainvillea petals in black hair; Buddhist monks who promised spirituality and political reform as opposed to golden pagodas built to the God of ego; bicycle bells instead of traffic jams. But then I immediately felt embarrassed, ashamed. The old Burma was also summary executions and no free press, poverty and starvation, secret police and the promise of torture for an overheard gripe in a tea house. The new Myanmar wasn’t perfect; even in 2015, the groundwork was being laid for the present-day displacement and genocide of the Rohingya people. But to want an old Orientalist fantasy back—no matter how beautiful the real edges of that fantasy often were—was the height of selfishness. I was indulging in the traveler’s conceit: wanting a country to bend to my desires, rather than bending myself to fit its reality.

When I think about colonialism, it’s hard not to think about Myanmar, and how much I don’t know about it. This piece is another look at Myanmar, how it’s changed, and how much it’s the same.

2. Is ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ A Subversive Takedown Of White Supremacy?

But it’s one line in particular that I keep returning to:

“Proud to have it, ashamed of how he got it.” (I remembered this later as “Proud of where you are; ashamed of how you got there.”)

When Hela uttered these words about Odin’s rise to dominance, I froze in my seat. This sentence, spoken as she destroyed the veneer of Asgard and shattered its image of itself, was so much truth. This sentiment is at the core of American exceptionalism, this pride in being American without acknowledging the horrors committed to become this nation people are proud of.

Thor: Ragnarok has to be one of my favorite Marvel films period and I love this analysis of the film. It’s amazing what can happen when other voices are let in the room.

3. ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Shows How White Supremacists Make Language Into a Weapon

Unchallenged manipulation of language has allowed white supremacists like Duke to legitimize themselves on a national scale. Duke sees this strategic play at respectability — suits not hoods — as his ticket to the White House, the end game of the white nationalist agenda. Lee clearly establishes how analogous his linguistic and sartorial deception is to today’s political reality

BlackKkKlansman is definitely an interesting film. I love how this writer uses language to break down how white supremacy uses language.

Those are just a couple interesting essay’s I found! Of course, there’s no limit to what you can read about white supremacy and racism. Let us know if you have any favorite essays!