9 reasons you need to read James Martin, S.J.’s Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Anything
When Jen and I were developing the idea for The Single Diaries, we agreed that our main focus would be on relationships: romantic, platonic, familial, but most importantly the one with self. One major life influence for each of us is spirituality, and it may be for many of you as well. Regardless of your self-described religion or spirituality, I highly recommend The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything as a way to incorporate that part of your identity into real life. This book is applicable to anyone looking to deepen their spirituality, regardless of their main belief system. As Martin S.J. states, “Just as there are insights from Zen Buddhism that are useful to me as a Christian, so there are practices and techniques from Ignatian spirituality that can help the Zen Buddhist. And the person who is Jewish or Muslim, too. Anyone can use these practices to better his or her life” (393).
In Twenty-Seven | What I’ve Learned This Far, I cited this particular book as a wonderful starting point for anyone looking to reflect and deepen their knowledge of themselves on this level. I tend to read books with a pencil in hand, but this one is impossible to get through without one. It took me a really long time to get through it, not because it was uninteresting… on the contrary, while the material James Martin S.J. covers is dense and requires a lot of reflection and processing, he writes in true Jesuit fashion making the teachings of St. Ignatius accessible for all with more than a few moments of real laugh-out-loud humor. Whether your goal is to get to deepen your sense of self, learn more about St. Ignatius and his friends, or get a better understanding of Jesuit teachings, here are 9 points that Martin, S.J. makes… and my arguments for why you should pick up a copy and start the trek through this book today, if not sooner.
6 lessons in a 6-year long-term relationship from Angelo Ignacio, our first male contributor
PHOTO: Angelo Ignacio.
This year I celebrate six wonderful years with my girlfriend. Leezel and I are now often the longest running couple among our friends, but we continue to learn new things about each other and what it takes to keep building this love fortress that we have invested in over time.
In reflecting about our relationship thus far, I immediately thought of sharing some of the past years’ biggest learnings. In the advent of sites like BuzzFeed and Thought Catalog, I read some pretty corny articles that have attempted to portray the beauty of relationships. While some of it is true, I find most of them so one-sided; they never talk about the hardships that are absolutely imminent. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that love takes work, not dreams. This woman has been worth every bit of it.
In the spirit of a young love still eager to learn, here are six important truths I’ve discovered about playing for the long run. They are very real to me and may take a second or even third read to wrap your head around. I’ve come to understand that these ideals are what have elevated Zel and me in the game of hearts. I hope you’ll take something from what has taken me 6 years to find and accept. (more…)
Right before the official start of summer, Jen rounded up some of our favorite things of the season—a list of to-do’s and items to make your summer more festive. This year we’ve emphasized the importance of goals, but if you’re like us and your world has recently been turned upside down (hopefully for the better) you may have lost track of what you set out to do in 2014. At the end of January, we took a look at your Single Girl Goals and shared some themes that resonated throughout your boards. We love to celebrate victories big and small (heck, we love to find the celebration in everything!), so I found another great excuse for you. Read on for challenges you can set for yourself this month, inspired by your 2014 goals, before our season of sun is over… then pat yourself on the back for your tiny wins.
After 9 years in Los Angeles, Catherine reflects on her decision to move to San Francisco
PHOTO: Tara Freese.
I moved to Los Angeles in 2005, fresh out of high school and ready to tackle my first taste of freedom. The rivalry between the Bay and L.A. was palpable among my friends at LMU, and shortly after starting my freshmen year, I was already homesick for San Francisco. Every opportunity I had to fly home for an extended weekend, I took. Then after opening my eyes to the world and studying abroad in Florence, my perspective changed. My senior year I embraced the limited amount of time I had left in college, took an off-campus internship, and really started to explore the city I had lived in for three years beyond the neighborhood around LMU.
Though I started to find my groove—particularly once I was working full-time at a magazine and working events in glamorous Beverly Hills and exciting West Hollywood—it wasn’t until a couple years after college that I finally admitted to all my Bay Area friends that I loved L.A. I even started to feel a sense of pride in the city (though I will never ever support the Dodgers), especially when people told me how much they hated it.
Many people decide to start fresh after college by moving to a new city; I was not one of those people, though I did face the obstacle of making new friends after my college friends slowly but surely left the area. The last time I really felt like I started a new chapter in my life was when I originally left home. Serendipitously, while cleaning out my place, I found the video from my cotillion and watched it with my parents. My 18-year-old self gave a speech about leaving for college, moving to L.A., and what I’d learned up to that point in life. It was so fascinating to look back at the girl I was before I started this L.A. adventure… and to feel the difference in what I went through then versus what I’m going through now.
Back then I had so much direction and focus: I knew my purpose in moving, I knew what I would study in college, I knew what I wanted to do after (though at that point I thought I would be a high school English teacher first). Now I’m leaving L.A. with more life experience and a better sense of who I have become, though what the future holds may still be hazy (or should I say foggy).
There are times the worst case scenario pops into your head. “Wouldn’t it suck if it rained on our picnic?” And then it does. This week I put my computer to sleep for an hour, and it never woke up the same. Just earlier that day I was thinking about how much a crash would jeopardize my work. And when it happened I was in disbelief over the coincidence. A computer crash is the most feared catastrophe for someone who is self-employed and relies on their beloved laptop for nearly everything.
My first thoughts were of the supposed devastation. My next were of a tinge of relief: in light of my move from Los Angeles to San Francisco, maybe I have a chance at starting fresh. Completely.
