'Selfish' is Not a Bad Word ????? All Pride, No Ego

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Hello beautiful people!

While traveling and promoting my book all summer long, I've had to actively carve out time to tend to my personal needs and foster me time on the road.

I truly revel in the chance to be selfish between tour stops, travel days and speaking engagements!

It's been one of my favorite learnings from over the years of serving and leading authentically: selfish is not a bad word.

So today, I thought I'd share a bit more about this concept in the hopes of inspiring you to take care and be kind to yourself.

? One Big Thing: Selfish is Not a Bad Word

I was raised in a household where being called selfish usually resulted in a time-out or a seat in the corner to “think about” what you had just done.

Selfish was defined for me as not sharing or putting one’s needs in front of others—or generally terrorizing my sister with a childhood prank.

But what I have learned through smart therapists, coaches, and the wisdom of time, is that being selfish is actually practicing self-care.

Feeding your soul and taking private time for reflection, rest, and restoration is not wrong... it is essential.

Part of my authentic leadership journey is embracing all of me, but it is also setting boundaries with what parts of me I use or show in professional settings.

Being authentic does not mean oversharing—it’s beneficial to be selfish with parts of yourself, and practice self care in how you put yourself out there.

LinkedIn is a perfect example: I use the platform as my professional social media community and enjoy the updates and posts from my network. I do not use it to share updates about my personal life; I see a very clear boundary there.

I hope you take this as a reminder to take care of yourself and your needs, and set boundaries where you need them.

Keep yourself in balance and maintain realistic goals. You will be happier and more productive with this focus.

Let them call you selfish and wear it with pride.

?? Leader Spotlight: Dr. John Weinstein

"May we leave our corner of the world better than we found it."

Dr. John Weinstein is Provost and Vice President at Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, MA. He is also an Associate Professor of Chinese and Asian Studies. He first joined the Simon’s Rock community in 2001, teaching his first Writing and Thinking Workshop on campus before serving as founding faculty of the first Bard High School Early College in New York City, where he established the programs in Chinese language and in theater.

He then returned to Simon’s Rock as faculty in Chinese and Asian Studies, teaching courses in Chinese language, Asian studies, Asian and Western theater, women’s studies, and queer studies for nine years.

His primary area of research in Asian studies is modern Chinese theater and performance, with publications focusing on Republican period comic drama and contemporary Taiwan theater, as well as numerous conference presentations on various aspects of Asian theater. Dr. Weinstein has directed numerous Chinese plays in both Chinese and English. A longtime member of the Association for Asian Performance, he served as president of the organization from 2006 to 2011.

John is currently leading the exciting new Bard Queer Leadership Project, which you can read more about below!

?? Philanthropy Spotlight: The Bard Queer Leadership Project

The Bard Queer Leadership Project (BQLP) is a revolutionary new Bachelor of Arts degree program based at Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, MA.

The program is designed for, and by, LGBTQIA+ college students to elevate LGBTQIA+ students and college graduates into leadership roles in school and across the workforce, while serving as a space for actualizing educational practices designed for students to thrive.

Applications to become a founding member of BQLP's first-ever cohort are now open for high school seniors, transfer students and nontraditional students.

Please email me directly if you might be interested in becoming a Founding Donor of this fantastic program!

Learn more

?? What I'm Loving

• Meet the dad of a trans son running for his local school board to protect ALL Ohio youth: "I don’t know how a kid’s choice of a pronoun harms anyone else. It affirms that child. It reduces the risk of self-harm. If you care about kids, I think you have got to meet them where they are and try to figure out what’s best for them." Read more.
• Take a fantastic deep-dive into the history of LGBTQIA+ terms and identification. "History isn’t a mirror. It’s a window, and through it I can see the long past leading us right to this moment. I can see where we are now, and how we got queer." Dive in.

? What's Worth Fighting For

• Understand how more LGBTQ rights could help Asia financial hubs draw global talent: “Business groups in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan have become increasingly vocal in making the case that Asia's leading economies must do more to encourage diversity.” A step in the right direction to more widespread acceptance across the globe and industries! Learn more.
• Support the growing solidarity between labor and the LGBTQ+ community: “It’s ingrained in our own culture, going all the way back to Stonewall.” Workers' right are queer & trans rights! Read more.

????? Read All Pride, No Ego. Out Now!

Love the book?? It would mean so much if you would leave a review .

?? Book News & Events

Saturday, Sept. 23: I'm coming back to Los Angeles! Join me at the LA LGBT Center for my book conversation (and brunch!) with Brad W. Ong .

Seats are limited, so please RSVP here.

I'd love to hear from you. How do you practice self-care and setting boundaries? How do you lead authentically in your space?

Take care and be true to you.

Until next time...

Jim