📨 Friday Report XXIII — 6.11.21

Quote of the Week

“I try not to surround myself with people who I have to be defensive around.”​

-50 Cent on The Breakfast Club

Back to liiiife, back to reality!​

I’m back home in Playa after the best week ever con mis chicas in Maexico City. I knew I needed this trip when booking it and I was entirely right. I got to rest, spend time with loving (and crazy) humans, explore a new city and still get work done.

I have a very ambitious weekend to-do list, but one of my talents is beasting out work so that Future Me can relax so leggo! (Shout out to everyone doing a Power Hour with me right; you’re my motivation!)

Last year was rough for me in so many ways and as I work on healing from the experience, I get to uncover new things that need to be healed. Yay!

A recent revelation is that I haven’t mourned the friendships that I released last year. I let go of several decade(s)-long friendships at once and while I feel at peace with my decisions, it makes sense that I’d need to mourn these losses.

I’ve particularly noticed that I often seclude myself because it’s just easier that way. And high-key, I’m scared to love and be loved. It’s so much easier for me to detach because I can’t disappoint myself the way humans can have.

But that’s no way to live. And disappointment is a part of life. Others will disappoint me and I’ll be fine. Eventually. I’ll disappoint others and that doesn’t take away from my worthiness of love.

I used to have to constantly be in defense mode around friends and now I feel so free, comfortable and calm with the friends I have in my life now. If that’s not growth, idk what it is!

And the love I’m surrounded with has helped me create and enforce boundaries. I have no tolerance for anything but love in any of my relationships whether they be professional, romantic, platonic — all of ‘em!

I’m not one to push unsolicited advice so take this as a suggestion. If you have any relationships where you feel the need to constantly defend yourself or that your wrongs/flaws are constantly being thrown in your face… If you’re constantly being forced to show up in a way that you’re not comfortable with or able to, let that shit goooo. It’s not worth it.

And by releasing what doesn’t serve you, you’re creating space for all of the things that you truly deserve.

My life the past year is the epitome of being rewarded for taking a risk on yourself and choosing growth over company.

So on that note, give thanks to the humans who love you the way that you need to be loved and…​

Let’s dive in!

• Keeping Up with the Kardashians is done after 20 seasons! I’ve pretty much watched every episode and although some seasons were hate-watches, it’s undeniable that they changed reality TV (Remember when they created the trend of breaking the fourth wall after Kim was robbed in Paris?). Business-wise, I admire them so much and think of them often as I create my empire. Also, Kris Jenner is the greatest momager to ever do it. (She even trademarked the word momager — iconic!)
• As Vince Staples said, everything starts with Ray J — even the Kardashian empire. This interview with Ray J + Bow Wow on The Breakfast Club this week is comedic gold. And very fitting since a Ray J interview is how The Breakfast Club popped off in the first place and now it’s the greatest radio show to ever do it.
• ​Anonymous is coming for Elon Musk and it’s making me wanna watch Mr. Robot from the beginning for the 57th time. Here’s a quick summary as to why they and many others are over his market manipulation.
• Remember the pipeline hack? The government got the ransomed Bitcoin back.​
• ​In the same podcast they discuss why Black remote workers don’t want to go back to the office and man, if this isn’t my past life. I literally was inspired to transition to working remotely just so I didn’t have to deal with all white coworkers. My friends look like the United Nations and after growing up in Providence, going to a predominately white college and then entering corporate America was soul-crushing. Going remote meant that while I was the only person of color in the ENTIRE company, I at least didn’t have to be the only person of color in the room because I could work from any room I wanted.
• On that note, “some Black L.A. parents see less bullying [and] racism with online learning and are keeping kids home”. Being Black in Amaerica is so exhausting that it’s easier to just stay home. Think about that for a bit.
• Kleenex, Vaseline, Q-Tips, Uber and now Zoom! While I agree that Zoom has quickly become a household name (Lovell and I have been having Zoom watch parties since 2018 in Cambodia tho), I can’t recall a time that I used Zoom as a verb.​

What’s up with me?

• I had the adventure of a lifetime yesterday getting home from CDMX. I hadn’t seen my house keys the entire trip and after looking everywhere multiple times, I messaged the last taxi driver that I used to see if he had them. He never answered so I figured he didn’t. I’ll continue the rest of this story below. I learned so much through my experiences like:

1. There are actually great, friendly, non-creepy men out there.
2. I gotta slowwwww down. I don’t often lose things and when I do, it usually means that I’m stressed, anxious or moving too quickly. All of my struggles yesterday could have been avoided if I took a moment to slow down.
3. Tranquiloooo. My favorite takeaway from the whole day was that, per usual, I was chillin. If I chose an alternative career it would be a crisis manager or some shit because I am great at riding a crazy wave with a smile.
4. I am SO protected. Sometimes I think back to different instances that could have gone entirely left and just sit back like wow. To all of the powerful Black women watching over me, I see you. I hear you. I appreciate you.​

Track of the Week

I linked to Alex Isley’s Wait last week, but didn’t give it the proper shoutout that it deserves especially considering how much I play it on repeat. Listen to it on…

​Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube​​

ICYMI

• Here are 3 Tips for Setting Sustainable Goals + Habits 🎯​
• This Beginner’s Guide to Notion has been LME’s best-selling passive product the last month or so and I love seeing so many humans get organized on their own terms. 😩

I’m looking forward to a productive and restful weekend because I deserve both. I’ve been facilitating a “nomad mentorship” and I love it! Our second session is this Sunday and I’m genuinely so excited.

I feel so ready for the projects that I have in the works and I’m a bit nervous tbh which lets me know that I’m doing something right.

I’ve been putting myself out there professionally, platonically and romantically and it feels good to see that pay off. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable is my mission. And it always pays off in the greatest ways.

​

Stay uncomfortable,
Maegan

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Subscribe to the Friday Report, a biweekly rundown of pop culture, current events and happy moments as well as my nomad adventures, maepiphanies, business lessons and life hacks.​

ALRIGHT. Let’s dive back into my adventure home. If there are any lessons that you gather and I haven’t mentioned them, please enlighten me. I’m very good at learning from my mistakes and I welcome the feedback.

• I wasn’t able to get on the same flight as my friends and the earliest available was 4 hours after theirs so after chugging Maezcal with them in the park, I found a capsule hotel in the airport and had the most glorious nap.
• I messaged my landlord before my flight to ask for a spare set of keys. Since she lives in Cancun, I figured I’d just get a hotel there for the night even though all I wanted was to be in my own bed.
• In a haste to escape the airport and look one last time for my house keys, I grabbed someone else’s bag. NO ONE ever has my backpack in the same color. Until last night. I got outside and started rummaging only to discover that all of my possessions were missing because it wasn’t my bag.
• Then I went to try and reenter the baggage claim which obviously was not gonna happen. She was there looking for help so at least I got to apologize for being a thief.
• Then I waited 2 whole hours for my bag with Jesus, one of those airport information guys. He drank coffee while I drank Maezcal. We actually had a great time getting to know each other so I tipped him heavy for being my road dog.
• Then as I was about to book a hotel in Cancun around 10pm, Benito, the last taxi driver I used lets me know that he has my keys. He agrees to come get me from the airport and bring me home.
• Then after securing my bag after they did not bring it to me (of course), I say bye to Jesus and instantly some young dude starts hounding me to get a taxi. Jesus appears out of nowhere and I peep him intervene and basically tell him to leave me tf alone. (This is why I stay kind to people and tip generously.)
• So THEN in an attempt to find Benito somewhere in the cut because it’s illegal for non-federal taxis to do airport-pickups, the young dude spots me. Hops out of his car and starts hounding me to take a ride with him and some woman. I’m like chill bruh, I told you I’m good.
• Young dude sticks around and is literally watching me like a hawk in the sky because this is what they do Benito rolls up, I attempt to hop in the cab and homie comes running to the taxi like NO, NO, NO! So Benito drives off to avoid a $500 fine and I walk about 10 minutes down some airport road to try and meet up with him outside of the airport.
• During this time various cabs and shuttles are asking me if I need a ride. I’m either ignoring them or telling them to fuck off.
• I stop to take a sip of water, Benito rolls up like “Maegan! Hop in!” I dive into his backseat with a suitcase, my day backpack, my huge backpack and an open bottle of water.
• Benito, his wife and cute ass baby take me home. My laundry room light is on and while I’m pretty sure that I left it on to make it seem like I’m home, Benito kindly scoped out my apartment for me.
• Then I chatted with some guy on Hinge, took a beautiful shower, binged season 3 of RHOA and smoked the world’s most deserved joint.
• And here we are. I have journals full of past experiences like these. Let me know if you’d like to hear more about my travel mishaps. There are many.