First of all…

• I finally checked out The Mel Robbins Podcast. And gosh darn it, if it’s not just as great as everybody has been saying! More in a moment, but I love Mel’s no-nonsense way of communicating, how she ends every episode with “I love you, I believe in you”, and her incredible guests, all full of knowledge (science-backed!). I’m hooked and highly recommend it!

  • I also just started her book, The Let Them Theory. I’m currently very skeptical as to why it requires a whole book, but I’ll keep you updated.

• My dog, Taz, got a little hoodie for Christmas. It turns out he loves it. He has anxiety (in the morning, he takes his Prozac while I pop my Lexapro), and I think it soothes him? So, anyway, if you see my dog wearing a hoodie, I swear it’s his choice.

• My favorite thing on social media this week: this post by @joshlynott, who shares great quotes and mini poems about running. In it, he says “If comparison (the internet) didn’t exist, I think you’d be really happy with your efforts.”

On Exhaustion and Freckleface Strawberry

This was originally going to be a nice little post about how to be a good co-founder. I planned to spend an hour or so today writing about that and then sending it out into the world where it may or may not make an impact. And then, when I woke up, the first piece of news I read was that the Department of Defense banned a book called—I shit you not— Freckleface Strawberry from its schools, and I simply couldn’t maintain my quiet, composed newsletter (I lasted a whole two issues). It feels too important.

Julianne Moore, renowned actress and author of Freckleface Strawberry, posted the following statement on Instagram: “It is a great shock for me to learn that my first book, Freckleface Strawberry, has been banned by the Trump Administration from schools run by the Department of Defense. Freckleface Strawberry is a semi-autobiographical story about a seven year old girl who dislikes her freckles but eventually learns to live with them when she realizes that she is different “just like everybody else.” It is a book I wrote for my children and for other kids to remind them that we all struggle, but are united by our humanity and our community.

I am particularly stunned because I am a proud graduate of Frankfurt American High School a #DOD school that once operated in Frankfurt, Germany. I grew up with a father who is a Vietnam veteran and spent his career in the #USArmy. I could not be prouder of him and his service to our country. It is galling for me to realize that kids like me, growing up with a parent in the service and attending a @dodea_eduschool will not have access to a book written by someone whose life experience is so similar to their own. And I can’t help but wonder what is so controversial about this picture book that cause it to be banned by the US Government. I am truly saddened and never thought I would see this in a country where freedom of speech and expression is a constitutional right. Thank you to @penamerica for bringing this to my attention.“

A Department of Defense Education Activity spokesperson did not confirm nor deny that Freckleface Strawberry was pulled from shelves. However, they told CNN that they were conducting a review process in response to executive orders issued by President Donald Trump on gender ideology and DEI programs. The Pentagon agency said none of the books being reviewed have been officially removed from schools so far.

The statement did not specify how long the review of materials would last. Still, the directive issued on Feb. 5 said all books featuring “gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology” must be relocated (aka removed from schools) during the review.

So, it sounds like Freckleface Strawberry, a book about a white, cisgender, seven-year-old redhead, is being reviewed for its content.

I’ve avoided being as outspoken in the past year or so as I was prior, largely because I’m exhausted. I’m exhausted by the constant, unimaginable horrors being put into law by an administration with little to no regard for human lives, by the platform that harmful and hateful rhetoric has been given in our country, and by the lowering of the bar for elected officials to a point that’s unrecognizable.

I’m exhausted by the “policies” that put lives at risk and futures at stake, by the blatant disregard for humanity in all forms that are not white, cisgender, heteronormative, able-bodied, and, apparently, blonde. I’m exhausted by the fact that the people who voted for the administration responsible for these things continue to either a) maintain their support or b) wring their hands and say, “Gosh, I just can’t believe it!”

I’m exhausted by the anxiety I feel before picking up my phone in the morning, wondering which tragedy, natural disaster, or dehumanizing executive order will be next. I’m exhausted by the massive backward steps it feels like we, as a country, as a people, are taking, by the fact that things people fought and gave their lives for are being rolled back with the single scribble of a Sharpie. I’m exhausted by proven, peer-reviewed, life-saving science and doctors being questioned at every turn.

I’m exhausted by the undisguised hate, racism, homophobia, and transphobia being accepted and perpetuated across the country, and I’m exhausted by my own constant, simmering anger about it. I’m exhausted by confirmation of the most dangerous, least qualified people to jobs that affect our futures. I’m exhausted by the erasure of the departments and projects that exist to make the country a better place for all Americans. And I’m really exhausted by the continued support of an administration that isn’t keeping its promise to lower the price of eggs and is instead spending its time dismantling programs, progress, and paper straws.

I’m more exhausted than anything because I feel like there is nothing I can do about this. What I’ve come up with so far:

• I’m talking about it here.

• I’m reading as many banned books as possible.

• I’m donating copies of Freckleface Strawberry and other banned books to local schools.

• I’m spending time with people I love.

• I’m not letting exhaustion and hopelessness overtake the importance of speaking out.

I was going to end this with some kind of joy or fun photo because I like to do that, but I think it’s too important that this remains serious and consequential. I don’t want to block it out with joy—at least not entirely. I want to try to find joy and not completely lose myself to the overwhelm of it all, but I don’t want to imply that this isn’t of the utmost seriousness and gravity.

🧠 Neuroscience Notes

In case you’re new here, hi! I got my Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience before moving into the world of business, tech, and entrepreneurship, and I remain fascinated by all things brain-related. You’ll hear about some of them in this newsletter!

I recently listened to Dr. Judith Joseph, MD, MBA, talk about happiness on The Mel Robbins Podcast, and her explanation of the Biopsychosocial (BPS) model resonated so strongly with me. Happiness, depression, and everything in between are multifaceted and caused by the unique intersection of biological, psychological, and social factors in each of our lives.

"The BPS model states that relative health and disease is dependent on the interactions between these three factors. Their interplay thus determines the cause, manifestation, and resolution of illness." (the University of Washington).

This reminds me a lot of the concept of intersectionality, or “the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect, especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Intersectionality analyzes an individual's life and identity by accounting for all the factors that make up their life and identity. Similar to the BPS model, it highlights that no piece of us exists in a vacuum; all of our experiences and identities intersect to make us who we are.

Understanding, accepting, and working within your own biopsychosocial model will help you find greater happiness and better manage episodes of stress, anxiety, and poor mental health.

Listen here: https://www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-261

What I’m Reading

Tech Rec

I hate vacuuming, a feeling that increased exponentially when I moved in with a Saint Bernard. This thing has its flaws; we call him Sharkie, but Sharkie isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. He often gets lost on his way back home, sometimes his app spontaneously disconnects, and he doesn’t pick up 100% of the dirt he runs over. But he is a valued member of our household, and the primary reason I don’t make our Saint Bernard sleep in the garage is Sharkie, and therefore I cannot recommend him (or some robot vacuum cleaner) highly enough!