jessa

Reflections on becoming

jessa blog

  • No such thing as self-made

    “Self-made.” What a deceitful way to say that we have arrived where we are by ourselves, without receiving any form or kind of help. I used to believe I earned everything I had. But looking back to where I really started, utterly dependent on my mother for nearly everything, I can see it now: every Read more


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  • Letter no. 51

    Dear reader from the future, I just watched Tron: Ares last night. Two computer programs faced off—Ares and Athena—and their exchange struck a chord in me. “You’re out of time.” “And you’re out of lives.” The words hung and popped out from the screen, and I found myself thinking: what’s the difference? When we run Read more


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  • People like us (do things like this) by Seth Godin

    You can download the PDF form of this special limited edition of People Like Us here. I like reading Seth Godin’s books and blogs, and this one was free and short—easy to dive into during a time when I was navigating spaces where I felt like an outsider, trying to understand the unspoken rules everyone Read more


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  • Life is in The Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Change (by Bruce Feiler)

    I read this book during the pandemic, when I was out of work and disoriented about my identity after job titles were stripped away from me. Writing this now reminded me of the hours I spent watching the blue skies, letting the clouds pass me by, while tugging hard and keeping our goat Dolly from Read more


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  • When your friends become consumables

    After spending a lot of time on social media, watching families’, friends’, and acquaintances’ days unfold through their stories, reels, and posts, I realized I hadn’t actually spoken to them in deep conversations or even casual catch-ups. I know some snapshots about their lives, but I am not sure if I really know them at Read more


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