Dear Julie, You are my hero. And I am sure so many fans of you feel the same. You have been doing so many amazing things not many people even take action in the entire life. You give us hope, strength, energy, and love. But you need to take a break for yourself. To move to the next chapter. Go for a long walk, travel, do whatever comes to your mind. Sending you big hugs.
thank you so much Naoko. i appreciate the hugs and the urging to take a break. my break is feeling so unproductive which goes against my core sense of self. gah!
You had a great ride. And name recognition as well. Your life is public service in all you do. What happens next will come to you - like love - when you least expect it - there it is! So many people must be so proud of you for all of the many accomplishments in your life. Take a breather. Rest up a bit. Ponder. Jossie and I send you our best wishes - jacqui drechsler.
First assemble your campaign inner circle for a debriefing a let it all hang out nonjudgemental speak freely session of pros and cons. This gives closure to the active campaign and if as usual there is debt to be retired this can morph into a debt retiring strategies session. next do your own personal examination not the BS psychoanalysis kind I mean the just got out of the shower naked looking in the mirror, calling out your strengths, weaknesses, flaws and flawlessness, take the time to calculate the next move for you and your family PS don't be surprised if family dynamics change they often do after these intense and exhausting Political campaigns YOU WILL SURVIVE.
Thank you for this article. I tried my best to write down my initial reactions to the post and it would be great to meet in person for a coffee or a lunch to talk about this further.
I appreciate your insights on you campaign and asking "what is next?". I wanted to highlight an interesting dichotomy faced in nonprofits and public service when it comes to asking for money for causes that are important to us. I have been considering the double standard that exists in the for-profit world, where asking for investments and looking to create the next big thing is often celebrated, whereas in the nonprofit sector, asking for donations can sometimes be seen as taboo.
I admire your work for my generation and the ones after me. Even though you didn't achieve your ultimate goal of becoming a congressperson, your writing, work in Palo Alto, and advocacy represent hope for many people. You've earned the right to take some time to ponder and reflect on your journey.
Thank you for reminding me that even the mundane things we do for ourselves can have a positive impact on others. I will always be on team Julie, and I'm here to support you in any way I can.
Julie - you have two skills writ large: writing and writing policy. So 1) Start writing another book. 2) Start preparing to run for state assembly in 2026. Berman is doing a poor job. So poor he may be unseated by Lydia. If she wins, that's an even better reason to run for that seat in 2026. After two years in state assembly, maybe go for Becker's seat in 2028. Here's the thing: serving in state legislature means you get a name in the district. If Liccardo gets the congressional seat, at that looks very much like the way that contest is going to go, that's bad news as he intended to stick around. But you never know. if that seat comes up again and you've been in the state legislature, you'll be properly positioned to have a decent chance of winning it. You are a leader, you are supposed to be in politics making decisions and writing legislation. That is very clear.
I've been sitting with this since I read it...you are on a plateau and you need to sit with it, take in the views, decide your direction. You have a lot of data; things you loved with the campaign, things you lost during the campaign, things you want to reclaim, things you want to discard. Like a retiree, you can let this sit until you are comfortable. Explore and reshape yourself. Use the lessons and move forward.
One thing you do well is move forward - and you are always moving forward toward people and their situations such that you create change and opportunity. Now it's time to do that for yourself, though I imagine it will just be for a little while and then you'll look at that plateau as just a rest stop. The decisions you make from there will encompass all you are up to this point in time and all you will become as you forge ahead on the next path...to the next plateau.
Just keep listening to that large, generous heart of yours and hold those you love close to you and the next step will become clear. You've had that feeling in the past and I have no doubt you will trust what it guides you to next.
Thanks Mary. It's been six weeks and I'm still in neutral. I'm realizing that I'm a workaholic who feels guilty if I'm not working seven days a week. Working at repatterning. Rest is good, and tasks take up the time I allow them to take.
You are a goddess and you are entitled to be in neutral...you can skim through the Patricia Hampl book The Art of the Wasted Day. This is where the tasks, the idleness, the "being present" allows for clarity in thought and gives the busy brain a rest from being "on" all the time. You are a highly cognitive and passionate woman when it comes to your family and your work - you ask much of yourself and you are good at being vulnerable and available. Decades ago, now, I read that it is good for highly cognitive people to have a hobby or ritual that brings joy and also has a Start and a Finish so that at the end of the day when you are reflecting upon all that your are grateful for you can also feel Good about accomplishing something. Think to the joy when you launch a book - that joy doesn't happen when City Council meetings roll from one to the next; there's always an agenda.
As you would for others, recognize what your are feeling (guilt for not working seven days a week) and reset you focus and your energy as you unfold into the next iteration. As with a move, you have this chance to take forward what is working for you and leave behind what is not. At the core, you will still be you and you will still be making a difference in an uncounted number of lives as your work ripples further than you imagined. That essence of you will be with you and can manifest in new ways of working that fit the "moved on" you.
Women have a tendency to live their lives in cycles as they move in and out of child-rearing/aging-parent care;what a joy to know that by not being on the trajectory path (moreso men) morphing along the way can create newness and energy. Repatterning is a growth step and with the support you have around you, and giving yourself the permission to rest and task, you'll find your next step. Like grieving, this process has its own timeline so give yourself the grace to go through it.
You are amazing and you are in charge of creating you.
Thank you. I've been taking a memior writing class and I was just thinking I have the same "voice" in all my prompts and was wondering if it would be boring to read the stories after awhile. It's so freeing to write from that perspective versus the fact-based writing I tend to do for my work. I rather like it.
Hi Julie! I can't even imagine the wild ride you have been on! We would have loved to see you go to Washington to shake things up. But I do wonder what a toll that would have taken on you. I can relate to your "What's next?". As I turned off the spigot of clients for career counseling, I found myself wanting to do something else -- But what? It actually took me almost a year (actually maybe more) before landing on inspiring parents to discover their child's constellation of gifts. As a career counselor myself, I thought I should be able to figure this out more quickly. And while I was contemplating the next journey I found that I was sometimes so discouraged that it felt as though the quest was taking me to a very dark place. Then it became clear, and I never looked back. I am excited to learn what you choose next!
Dear Julie, You have my vote always. I appreciate your take on the world and your vision of where we should go. Yes, it’s hard to get off the bike! I felt lost when I retired from teaching. Being a teacher was my identity, my way of serving. And then it was over. Who was I? Family issues and then health issues limited what I could do. What helped me was totally stepping back. I went on a retreat for a week, renting a little cabin in North Carolina. I would take my cup of tea and sit out on the porch each morning, just breathing, just letting myself be. I came to see that now I was a pilgrim, traveling the road ahead with an accepting spirit. My job was to care for my family and do what I could with the things that came my way. Sometimes the road is rocky, but I just try to remember to breathe and keep on going. Now, you are at a different place in your life, but I think the practice of stepping back and being still could be helpful. Be still for a bit (a few days, a week, more if it feels right) and let the waves settle. Sit quietly and see where you are called to go next. You never know just where the road will take you. My love to you and all the family.
thank you Teri. i love the image of you at the little cabin in NC. i feel such pressure to earn. but part of me just wants to cut our bills in half so I can work less. not an easy thing to do!
Hi Julie. Thank you, as always, for your vulnerability and your humanity. At big moments of change or liminal times, I often find myself getting stuck because my nervous system wants to have the whole plan laid out for me before it can allow me to do one thing or make one decision. But committing to a whole plan is so overwhelming! It feels like its the the most intricate dominos path, where every single decision has a cascade of consequences, and I need to be reasonably sure that I have thought of every one. So I have found that the best way out for me is pretty simple (but not easy)....decide on the one next thing and do that. I have to intentionally tolerate the uncertainty of not knowing what comes after that next thing, and the fear that I may have to double-back or that the next thing right now might end up to be "a waste" in the future. I trust that you will figure out your next things in your own time. I imagine that as you gain more distance from the campaign, the next things will reveal themselves. You inspire me just about every week!
Hi Julie, First of all please don't apologize for asking for money to run for office. It's an absolutely necessary part of the process, and it's inviting people to invest in something they care about and their hopes and dreams.
I read your post after just watching the documentary of Diana Nyad who at 60 swam from Cuba to Key West; it took her four attempts! And, often you are asking, why?, but it's her goal. I also saw the movie with Annette Benning and Jodie Foster, but actually preferred the documentary, now on Netflix. Diana describes what you do here, having that clear focus of a goal and how that fueled her and gave her purpose and meaning and when she didn't have that goal she felt lost and uncertain. It's actually rare for most of us to have the experience of one clear, all consuming goal. And, I was thinking for myself how I have never chosen one goal or had that experience and why. Most of us live a varied life of work, family, community, and not one clear goal, where we put aside family, and/or other things. I would like to recommend a book to you: Yamas & Niyamas by Deborah Adele. It may be a good source for you on your continued lifes journey. And, I also encourage you to keep running for office or working in politics, we need you, and I will be happy to contribute!
Dear Julie, You are my hero. And I am sure so many fans of you feel the same. You have been doing so many amazing things not many people even take action in the entire life. You give us hope, strength, energy, and love. But you need to take a break for yourself. To move to the next chapter. Go for a long walk, travel, do whatever comes to your mind. Sending you big hugs.
thank you so much Naoko. i appreciate the hugs and the urging to take a break. my break is feeling so unproductive which goes against my core sense of self. gah!
You had a great ride. And name recognition as well. Your life is public service in all you do. What happens next will come to you - like love - when you least expect it - there it is! So many people must be so proud of you for all of the many accomplishments in your life. Take a breather. Rest up a bit. Ponder. Jossie and I send you our best wishes - jacqui drechsler.
like love, it'll come when i least expect it. i like that! spares me the task of figuring out what it is and constructing it. thank you jacqui!
First assemble your campaign inner circle for a debriefing a let it all hang out nonjudgemental speak freely session of pros and cons. This gives closure to the active campaign and if as usual there is debt to be retired this can morph into a debt retiring strategies session. next do your own personal examination not the BS psychoanalysis kind I mean the just got out of the shower naked looking in the mirror, calling out your strengths, weaknesses, flaws and flawlessness, take the time to calculate the next move for you and your family PS don't be surprised if family dynamics change they often do after these intense and exhausting Political campaigns YOU WILL SURVIVE.
lotta specificity here - you've been there i take it. thanks much!
Hi Julie,
Thank you for this article. I tried my best to write down my initial reactions to the post and it would be great to meet in person for a coffee or a lunch to talk about this further.
I appreciate your insights on you campaign and asking "what is next?". I wanted to highlight an interesting dichotomy faced in nonprofits and public service when it comes to asking for money for causes that are important to us. I have been considering the double standard that exists in the for-profit world, where asking for investments and looking to create the next big thing is often celebrated, whereas in the nonprofit sector, asking for donations can sometimes be seen as taboo.
I admire your work for my generation and the ones after me. Even though you didn't achieve your ultimate goal of becoming a congressperson, your writing, work in Palo Alto, and advocacy represent hope for many people. You've earned the right to take some time to ponder and reflect on your journey.
Thank you for reminding me that even the mundane things we do for ourselves can have a positive impact on others. I will always be on team Julie, and I'm here to support you in any way I can.
Best,
Riley
so kind of you Riley, thank you !
Julie - you have two skills writ large: writing and writing policy. So 1) Start writing another book. 2) Start preparing to run for state assembly in 2026. Berman is doing a poor job. So poor he may be unseated by Lydia. If she wins, that's an even better reason to run for that seat in 2026. After two years in state assembly, maybe go for Becker's seat in 2028. Here's the thing: serving in state legislature means you get a name in the district. If Liccardo gets the congressional seat, at that looks very much like the way that contest is going to go, that's bad news as he intended to stick around. But you never know. if that seat comes up again and you've been in the state legislature, you'll be properly positioned to have a decent chance of winning it. You are a leader, you are supposed to be in politics making decisions and writing legislation. That is very clear.
thanks Deb!
I've been sitting with this since I read it...you are on a plateau and you need to sit with it, take in the views, decide your direction. You have a lot of data; things you loved with the campaign, things you lost during the campaign, things you want to reclaim, things you want to discard. Like a retiree, you can let this sit until you are comfortable. Explore and reshape yourself. Use the lessons and move forward.
One thing you do well is move forward - and you are always moving forward toward people and their situations such that you create change and opportunity. Now it's time to do that for yourself, though I imagine it will just be for a little while and then you'll look at that plateau as just a rest stop. The decisions you make from there will encompass all you are up to this point in time and all you will become as you forge ahead on the next path...to the next plateau.
Just keep listening to that large, generous heart of yours and hold those you love close to you and the next step will become clear. You've had that feeling in the past and I have no doubt you will trust what it guides you to next.
Thanks Mary. It's been six weeks and I'm still in neutral. I'm realizing that I'm a workaholic who feels guilty if I'm not working seven days a week. Working at repatterning. Rest is good, and tasks take up the time I allow them to take.
You are a goddess and you are entitled to be in neutral...you can skim through the Patricia Hampl book The Art of the Wasted Day. This is where the tasks, the idleness, the "being present" allows for clarity in thought and gives the busy brain a rest from being "on" all the time. You are a highly cognitive and passionate woman when it comes to your family and your work - you ask much of yourself and you are good at being vulnerable and available. Decades ago, now, I read that it is good for highly cognitive people to have a hobby or ritual that brings joy and also has a Start and a Finish so that at the end of the day when you are reflecting upon all that your are grateful for you can also feel Good about accomplishing something. Think to the joy when you launch a book - that joy doesn't happen when City Council meetings roll from one to the next; there's always an agenda.
As you would for others, recognize what your are feeling (guilt for not working seven days a week) and reset you focus and your energy as you unfold into the next iteration. As with a move, you have this chance to take forward what is working for you and leave behind what is not. At the core, you will still be you and you will still be making a difference in an uncounted number of lives as your work ripples further than you imagined. That essence of you will be with you and can manifest in new ways of working that fit the "moved on" you.
Women have a tendency to live their lives in cycles as they move in and out of child-rearing/aging-parent care;what a joy to know that by not being on the trajectory path (moreso men) morphing along the way can create newness and energy. Repatterning is a growth step and with the support you have around you, and giving yourself the permission to rest and task, you'll find your next step. Like grieving, this process has its own timeline so give yourself the grace to go through it.
You are amazing and you are in charge of creating you.
i love how you think and how you express yourself, Mary
Thank you. I've been taking a memior writing class and I was just thinking I have the same "voice" in all my prompts and was wondering if it would be boring to read the stories after awhile. It's so freeing to write from that perspective versus the fact-based writing I tend to do for my work. I rather like it.
Hi Julie! I can't even imagine the wild ride you have been on! We would have loved to see you go to Washington to shake things up. But I do wonder what a toll that would have taken on you. I can relate to your "What's next?". As I turned off the spigot of clients for career counseling, I found myself wanting to do something else -- But what? It actually took me almost a year (actually maybe more) before landing on inspiring parents to discover their child's constellation of gifts. As a career counselor myself, I thought I should be able to figure this out more quickly. And while I was contemplating the next journey I found that I was sometimes so discouraged that it felt as though the quest was taking me to a very dark place. Then it became clear, and I never looked back. I am excited to learn what you choose next!
wow thanks for sharing what you've been up to and through. i'm happy for you, and thanks for the support!
Glad you like that. Only other thing is spend time with your Mom!
yes. she's a huge part of my life these days. I just have to figure out how to earn income alongside all of that!
Dear Julie, You have my vote always. I appreciate your take on the world and your vision of where we should go. Yes, it’s hard to get off the bike! I felt lost when I retired from teaching. Being a teacher was my identity, my way of serving. And then it was over. Who was I? Family issues and then health issues limited what I could do. What helped me was totally stepping back. I went on a retreat for a week, renting a little cabin in North Carolina. I would take my cup of tea and sit out on the porch each morning, just breathing, just letting myself be. I came to see that now I was a pilgrim, traveling the road ahead with an accepting spirit. My job was to care for my family and do what I could with the things that came my way. Sometimes the road is rocky, but I just try to remember to breathe and keep on going. Now, you are at a different place in your life, but I think the practice of stepping back and being still could be helpful. Be still for a bit (a few days, a week, more if it feels right) and let the waves settle. Sit quietly and see where you are called to go next. You never know just where the road will take you. My love to you and all the family.
thank you Teri. i love the image of you at the little cabin in NC. i feel such pressure to earn. but part of me just wants to cut our bills in half so I can work less. not an easy thing to do!
Hi Julie. Thank you, as always, for your vulnerability and your humanity. At big moments of change or liminal times, I often find myself getting stuck because my nervous system wants to have the whole plan laid out for me before it can allow me to do one thing or make one decision. But committing to a whole plan is so overwhelming! It feels like its the the most intricate dominos path, where every single decision has a cascade of consequences, and I need to be reasonably sure that I have thought of every one. So I have found that the best way out for me is pretty simple (but not easy)....decide on the one next thing and do that. I have to intentionally tolerate the uncertainty of not knowing what comes after that next thing, and the fear that I may have to double-back or that the next thing right now might end up to be "a waste" in the future. I trust that you will figure out your next things in your own time. I imagine that as you gain more distance from the campaign, the next things will reveal themselves. You inspire me just about every week!
i love this Marisa, thank you!
Hi Julie, First of all please don't apologize for asking for money to run for office. It's an absolutely necessary part of the process, and it's inviting people to invest in something they care about and their hopes and dreams.
I read your post after just watching the documentary of Diana Nyad who at 60 swam from Cuba to Key West; it took her four attempts! And, often you are asking, why?, but it's her goal. I also saw the movie with Annette Benning and Jodie Foster, but actually preferred the documentary, now on Netflix. Diana describes what you do here, having that clear focus of a goal and how that fueled her and gave her purpose and meaning and when she didn't have that goal she felt lost and uncertain. It's actually rare for most of us to have the experience of one clear, all consuming goal. And, I was thinking for myself how I have never chosen one goal or had that experience and why. Most of us live a varied life of work, family, community, and not one clear goal, where we put aside family, and/or other things. I would like to recommend a book to you: Yamas & Niyamas by Deborah Adele. It may be a good source for you on your continued lifes journey. And, I also encourage you to keep running for office or working in politics, we need you, and I will be happy to contribute!
thanks for all of this Nancy!