>>> Books: Three Books I’m Reading Right Now

1. Meister Eckhart’s Book of Darkness & Light: Meditations on the Path of the Wayless Way by Jon M. Sweeney and Mark S. Burrows

2. Crafting a Better World by Diana Weymar

3. To Pause at the Threshold by Esther de Waal

>>> Spiritual Direction: How to Care for Your Body, Mind, and Soul during Online Workshops and Gatherings

1. Establish a ritual that tells your body, mind, and soul that you’re about to give your attention to an upcoming online gathering. A simple ritual like the one mentioned here might work well before each gathering, during breaks, afterward, etc. You can use a prayer, quote, or poem that will help you prepare and be a familiar and calming signal for what’s coming next.

2. Set an intention. Take a few minutes before logging on (or a day or two before the event starts) to think through how you want to show up, what you want to receive. Jot it down and glance at it often throughout the online workshop or class.

3. Be picky. When you have a choice, commit to participating in online gatherings and events that are a good fit for you during this season of life. Skip anything that doesn’t appeal to you so you can have more Zoom energy for the gatherings that do seem like a great fit.

And here are three more suggestions that I shared on a recent Instagram Live: Incorporate blank space, move your body, and make the online gathering what you need it to be for you.

>>> Retreats & Gatherings: One Way to Belong

If you want an extra boost of belonging as we get closer to Election Day and the holiday season, T he Great Belonging Project has 30 ways to broaden your belongings. It started as an Instagram series earlier this year, and now it’s online here. You can start any day, and I am 99% sure you will feel less lonely after you follow along for 30 days. The online offering is free. Please share it with anyone who might be struggling with loneliness.

During the month of October, I’m providing daily emails with extra layers of research, stories, and prompts and weekly Zoom gatherings. You can sign up for The Great Belonging Project October Refresh here.

>>>Retreats & Gatherings: A Retreat for Belonging in Birmingham

>>>Thanks for Reading!

Keep putting yourself in the way of thoughtful books, offerings, art, and other good things in the coming days, I hope you notice some of the ways you belong to yourself, others, God, and the world.

Charlotte Donlon’s writing and work are always rooted in helping her readers, audience, and clients notice how art and other good things help them belong to themselves, others, the divine, and the world. Charlotte is the founder of Thoughtful Books Etc.™, Spiritual Direction for Writers® , Spiritual Direction for Belonging™, and Parenting with Art®. Her first book is The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Her book on Spiritual Direction for Writers® will be published by Eerdmans in 2025 or 2026. Charlotte’s essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Curator, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, The Millions, Mockingbird, and elsewhere. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and a certificate in spiritual direction. To receive Charlotte’s latest updates, news, announcements, and all kinds of good things, subscribe to here.