💬 Sunday Reflections #42 (empowerment)
Plus the May round-up and things you should know
Hi! This is Leyla from A Day Well Spent, a newsletter seeking pathways to more purposeful living.
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Hello glorious June. Also known as my favourite month of the year.
Plants are growing so fast I can almost hear them, early summer produce starts making its way into my kitchen, the garden is full of newly fledged chicks and the long daylight hours are irresistible with a clinking cocktail in hand.
For me, June is the natural month to get important things done.
It marks the halfway point of the year and also plays host to the longest day of the year on the 20th (the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere). June is when I got married and June is also when I launched this Substack, a year ago yesterday.
Both myself and my ambitiously planted sweet potatoes have everything crossed for good weather this month 🤞
Welcome to Sunday Reflections ☕
For new subscribers, welcome to our twice monthly gathering! This is our intimate and friendly space for community and accountability. And the last (or first) Sunday of the month is always a juicy one.
How it works
On two Sundays each month I pose a prompt or question which we discuss (and say hi) in the comments. Topics tend to cover self-empowerment and personal growth and these regular check-ins allow us to share our wisdoms and get to know ourselves and the other members of the A Day Well Spent community better.
Feel free to have a browse through previous Sunday Reflections to get an idea of the stuff we talk about.
Before we begin, the May round-up
In case you missed them, here are all my published pieces from the month in one handy list.
1. Things I’ve learnt from 1 year on Substack
I started this newsletter one year ago yesterday, on 1st June 2023 (🎂). I did so without any existing mailing list and by mid July, found myself writing about how I had become a ‘bestseller’ in just 5 weeks.
12 months on and just shy of 5000 readers, I’ve learnt a lot about writing here. These are the thoughts I’ve scrawled at the back of my notebook over the past year.
2. Why sometimes it’s OK to just quit
Why I quit jiu-jitsu, and other things.
3. This is how — and what — I eat
It seems that people want to know what - and how - a food journalist eats. I know this because I am one and I am asked this question, a lot.
I share my food manifesto that has organically developed over the years — this is the how I eat. Plus my food diary from the past week, everything that has passed my lips - this is the what I (actually) eat.
4. The rural life of self-sufficiency: why I want it
I have been driven by a desire to flee the city and pursue a more self-sufficient life for several years now. It’s something I feel deep within the marrow of my bones.Â
But is this really the life I want? And am I cut out for what it takes?
I spent a good chunk of April working on farms in Portugal to find out.
I shared mine and you shared yours.
This time last year
Here are the pieces I published in June last year you might also enjoy this month:
Why I really, really don’t like shopping
My ultimate anti-aging beauty secret for anyone, any age
A big WELCOME to new community members
Should you join this community and leave a message when doing so, it would be a lovely thing to read and I’ll be sure to share it in these monthly round-ups.
Sophia, Raj, Liv — thank you for your kind words and along with all other May new joiners, welcome!
June events you can find me at
📅 Too Many Critics, Darby’s in London — Tues 25th June
A ticket gets you a 3-course dinner and drinks cooked by ‘some of Britain’s top food critics’ - that includes me. Proceeds from this charity event will raise vital funds for the wonderful Action Against Hunger.
It will be an excellent and fun evening where you’ll get to enjoy my cooking. There is also a silent auction with amazing foodie prizes.
Sunday is for awakening the mind, body and spirit 🧘
Now let’s begin.
Today’s topic: empowerment
