What should WE do with this newsletter?
I've got some ideas, but I need your help.
One of the nuggets of wisdom I came across while planning my recent wedding was conflict mediator and author Priya Parker’s thoughts about gatherings and needs. Parker writes:
“To have a powerful gathering, to have a meaningful gathering, start with a real need in front of you and ask who might be able to solve this with me.”
This newsletter is a sort of gathering. We meet here each week to think about men and masculinity, and how we can build a better, safer, more just world together.
I’m on this side of the screen, yes. But I encourage you to comment or send me an email with your thoughts. I love hearing from you—even if it’s difficult to find time to respond as quickly as I’d like (because, you know, capitalism sucks).
I want more of that connection. I NEED more.
Here’s a picture my mom sent me the other day. It’s me in the hospital 12 years ago, when I was 25.
I’d went to the ER experiencing blurry vision and a numb arm. After a night of tests, the hospital’s neurologists diagnosed me with a “complicated migraine,” a catch-all for, “We have no clue what’s wrong with you.” They said stress was likely the cause of my symptoms. They told me to get some rest.
I have no idea why I was making that face. But it captures how I was feeling in those days: anxious, stressed, and extremely disconnected.
It’s been a journey since then to find more connection. I’m still working on it every day. My tendency is to think I can handle everything on my own. Capitalism has a lot to do with that. But so does my particular family upbringing, European-descended farmers who’ve slowly lost touch with our deep, ancestral roots due to whiteness.
So, I’m working on some ways to expand this newsletter into something closer to a community (as fraught and complicated that word is when it comes to online spaces).
I’m thinking of adding an optional subscription of $5/month or $50/year. Everyone will still get my weekly posts for free, but paid subscribers will also get:
Invitations to monthly Q&A video group chats with me
Access to a monthly coaching call podcast (audio)
Occasional opportunities to receive one-on-one coaching (on relationships, career stuff, anxiety, burnout, whatever you support you need)
Knowing that you’re supporting my ability to give away almost everything I do free
What do you think? Would you subscribe? What stuff do other newsletters/online communities that you’re a part of do to increase connection? Comment below or email me: jeremy@jeremymohler.blog
With warmth,
Jeremy