Maria Shirver's Sunday Paper

I've Been Thinking...

This past Wednesday, I sat in my hotel room in New York and watched President Biden deliver his one-year anniversary speech. 

During his address, Biden spoke about what he felt he had done well during his first year in office (including passing the infrastructure bill, getting 63 percent of the country fully vaccinated, and reducing unemployment). He also spoke about what had surprised him (like Republicans not really wanting to help him at all) and where he felt he could do better (including communicating with the American people, getting out of D.C. more, and reducing inflation). 

Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper: What Are Your Wildest Dreams?

I've Been Thinking...

I woke up Friday and went about my usual morning routine. My house is quiet in the early hours, which means I can hear every creak and crack as I make my coffee. 

“It’s going to be a good day,” I whispered to myself. “My essay is done. My schedule isn’t packed. I’m looking forward to my morning meditation and the day ahead.”

Then about 30 minutes later, just after this feeling of ease had set in, I picked up my phone. My eyes scanned my morning email newsletter from The New York Times and fell on the headline of David Brooks’ latest column: “America Is Falling Apart at the Seams.”

I've Been Thinking...

“At this moment we must decide what kind of nation we are going to be,” said President Biden in his speech on the first anniversary of the January 6 insurrection. “Are we going to be a nation that lives not by the light of the truth but in the shadow of lies? We cannot allow ourselves to be that kind of nation.”

Bam.

Decisions can be hard to make. Yes, some are easier than others. But making the decisions that will change your life? Well, that can be pretty difficult. You have to be brave to make hard choices. You have to be willing to push through the discomfort. You have got to stand in your truth and be willing to see it through.

The Sunday Paper

For many of us, the holidays are a complicated time. So many emotions come up. So many memories flood our brains. It almost requires a daily practice to keep them all in check and from bubbling over.

I’ve found that this time of year requires a delicate dance. You may be feeling festive, joyful, or celebratory one moment, and then all of a sudden feel flooded with emotions from holidays of the past. You may find yourself missing people who are no longer part of your life, longing for traditions you no longer have, or struggling to implement new traditions. You may find yourself caught up in the madness and then find yourself trying to do your part to do less and keep it simple.

I find myself really cognizant of people’s swirling emotions at this time of year. Some fear that they can’t give what others are giving, others are anxious about not being able to keep up or keep it all together. I’m also mindful of my own emotions. One moment I’m decorating the tree with my granddaughter, laughing and dancing to Christmas songs, and the next moment I’m overwhelmed by memories of my kids when they were little and tears fill my eyes.

Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper

I've Been Thinking...

Who knew what, and when?

That’s the question swirling around Capitol Hill in regards to the January 6 insurrection. In a court of law on Thursday, former President Trump lost again trying to claim presidential privilege when it came to his actions on that fateful day. The judge ruled that, as it turns out, it actually is in the public interest to know who knew what, and when.

That’s good for all of us. It’s good for our country to know who is trying to undermine it, as well as who is trying to protect it. On Monday, the January 6 committee will decide whether or not to hold former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in contempt. I hope they do. He is in contempt, and he should be called out for exactly that.

The anniversary of January 6 is less than one month away, and what an anniversary it will be if we actually wake up to what that day was and is all about. It’s about who we are. It’s about our elections. It’s about our democracy. It’s about what we cherish, what people have fought for and given their lives for. It’s also ultimately about who we want to be moving forward.

Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper

I've Been Thinking...

I must confess, this week I found myself thinking again and again, "What the heck is going on in our country?"

What is going on in our schools? In our families? In our Supreme Court? In our media? In our cities? In our stores? Here we are in the thick of the holiday season, a time when we're supposed to feel joy and gratitude, and yet it's hard to focus on feeling those positive vibes when everything around us seems completely upside down.

It’s maddening to think that we now live in a country where kids go to school and learn active shooter drills alongside lessons in math and science. It’s hard—impossible, actually—to understand how a 15-year-old could walk into school and start shooting his fellow students. It’s hard to understand why he would show off the gun on social media. It’s appalling that his parents bought him the gun. It's hard to comprehend that when one of his teacher's found him searching online for ammunition, the boy's mother texted him: “LOL I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught.” The boy's parents have now been charged with involuntary manslaughter and one can only hope that other parents will now make more of an effort to ensure firearms are securely locked away.

The Sunday Paper

How was your Thanksgiving holiday? Rushed, stressful, or just right? Do you feel like you got a break, or was it all too much? The travel, the food, the emotions.

Now here we are looking ahead to what is described as “holiday madness.” We are inundated with messages to “buy, buy, buy,” lest there be nothing left. We are bombarded with images of gifts that are out of reach, trips that others are taking, and picturesque family gatherings that leave many feeling alone or less than.

I've Been Thinking...

I love Thanksgiving. I also love the week that leads up to it. This has always been my favorite holiday and favorite time of year.

I love Thanksgiving not just because it focuses on food, family, faith, and football, but also because it is steeped in gratitude. Gratitude is always in the air at this time of year. I can feel it, I can sense it, and I love expressing it to the people in my life. I also love being on the receiving end of it.

Maria Shirver's Sunday Paper

I've Been Thinking...

I just had one of those weeks, but I don't mean what you think.

Usually when someone says “I had a week,” they mean that things were tough, overwhelming, or stressful for them. And Lord knows we’ve all experienced a lot of those feelings lately. In fact, if you were glued to the news this past week, you probably felt all those things as you were inundated with stories about supply chain woes, the devastating news from the Astroworld Festival, record inflation numbers, and yet more stories about our fragile democracy and the former president trying to block his records from going to the bipartisan committee investigating what happened on January 6, 2021.

I heard all those stories this past week as well, but on my birthday last Saturday, I told myself that whenever I get anxious about the news of the day, I need to stop, pause, and listen to myself instead. Listening is an art, and for decades it’s been my job to listen, learn, and share what I’ve learned. But it wasn’t until late in life that I afforded the same listening skills that I brought to my journalism career to myself.

Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper: Let’s Light the Way

I've Been Thinking...

It was my birthday yesterday, and I've gotta say, I feel so blessed this year. 

I feel blessed to be alive. Blessed that my children are healthy and that they all came home to celebrate with me! Blessed that my granddaughter lights up when I walk into a room! Blessed to have friends who have stood with me through the years and who have guided me, laughed with me, held me when I’ve fallen apart, and picked me up when I couldn’t get up. They have reminded me more than a few times of my value, my worth, and my love.

I am also blessed that my work feels meaningful. I feel like I have a purpose bigger than myself, and part of that feeling comes from being in community with each of you each Sunday. That means a lot to me.

I've Been Thinking...

Halloween used to be one of my favorite holidays. When my kids were young, I loved dressing up with them and going trick-or-treating. I enjoyed watching the looks of amazement on their faces as they ran from house to house in our neighborhood. They alternated between looks of terror when they encountered scary decorations, and then looks of thrill beyond belief when they scored a Kit Kat or Reese's peanut butter cup. 

Fear and joy all in one night! That’s what Halloween represented for our family.

I thought about that this week as we approached this holiday. I experienced great joy a few days ago as I got to watch my granddaughter dress up as a daisy for her very first Halloween. It was beyond adorable. I felt so much joy getting to share this experience with her.

I've Been Thinking...

I was talking to my brother Bobby the other day when he mentioned that a few people had told him that they listened to the podcast I recently recorded with my friends Hoda and Oprah. 

On the podcast, both of them talked about getting what they called the “truth talk” from me. I think Hoda even asked Oprah, “Have you ever had one of those conversations with Maria where she just gives it to you straight, and you are like, ‘What just happened?’” 

“You bet I have,” Oprah replied.

Bobby told me that he laughed when he heard that because he, too, has had those types of conversations with me. But then he said something that really got me thinking.

“You know, Maria, you have to be careful who you tell the truth to.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Because most people don’t want the truth,” he said. "We want the lie. It’s more comfortable. We can’t handle the hard truth, and we sure don’t want to deal with the truth. I’m like that sometimes. And so are you!”

I've Been Thinking...

I'm a journalist and my beat is life. I’ve always been a curious person, because I want to discover how one can build a life of meaning, joy, purpose, and love. I’m curious how we are meant to survive all that life throws our way without losing hope, joy, and ourselves along the way. I'm curious how we can build lives that stand on solid ground and that are capable of responding to the moment, whatever that may be.

I think about this a lot. I think about building my own meaningful life, one that is spiritual, purpose-driven, connected, loving, and joyful. A life that makes me feel full, happy, and hopeful about myself, my loved ones, and my country. I apply those same values to this publication. Its focus is on helping guide you to a place where you feel safe, seen, and supported on your path. Its focus is on making sense of all that is going on around us with an eye to the future. It’s about now and about what’s to come.

Every week when I sit down to write, I think about that. I think about what is going on in our world and how to make sense of it in a way that makes sense. I think about you reading what I write and how I want it to bring value to you. I want it to make a difference.

Sometimes I don’t know what to write. I sit and nothing comes up for me, or too much comes up at once. Usually when I’m unsure what to write, I walk or I talk to someone. And then, for some reason known only to God, I find my theme.

This week’s theme comes from a conversation with my friend David.

Maria Shirver's Sunday Paper

I've Been Thinking...

Today is World Mental Health Day. Before you read further, I'd ask that you take a moment to check in with yourself this morning.

Check in with your mind. Sit with how you feel for a bit and don't judge. Think about all your mind does for you. Think about all it keeps track of for you. If you are like me, you probably drive it too hard. You probably put too much on its plate. You more than likely berate it for not being what you think it should be.

Pause.

The truth is, your mind is extraordinary and uniquely your own. Sure, it may drive you nuts at times (I feel you). You may wish it were different—maybe smarter, quicker, or better at retaining everything you want to remember. Maybe, like me, you wish your mind were less dark. I get that. But remember: your mind is yours and yours alone. Today, my wish is that you honor your mind's beauty. Honor its unique abilities, its perseverance, how extraordinary it is, and all it does for you. 

My friend Steve sent me an article the other day that I couldn’t get out of my mind or my heart. It didn't make me just pause and think for a moment. It made me do a full stop in my tracks. 

The piece I'm talking about came out in early September, but it still resonates a month later. (You can read it here). One of the lines that really struck me was this: “We're going to need more good people becoming louder about what is and isn’t within the bounds of civilized society. We are going to have to name what is unacceptable and demand decency and safety for all of us.”

I couldn’t agree more. Dignity, decency, and safety have got to be the mission of each and every one of us, and we have to get louder about proclaiming that to be the case. There is no doubt in my mind that everywhere we look, we are up against rage, hate, division, and fear. We are up against our fellow citizens behaving in a way that I never thought was possible in the public arena. We are up against public officials who lie, demean, and are trying to ruin the very fabric of our democracy.

I've Been Thinking...

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine who studies politics for a living. Networks, podcasts, and political junkies seek him out for his judgment. My friend and I were both bemoaning the state of politics and the state of our discourse and divide today when he said something that really hit home. 

“We need a Ted Lasso in our political world,” he said. 

Amen to that. I love the TV show Ted Lasso, and I recommend you give it a watch if you haven’t yet. (It’s on Apple TV+ and won the Emmy for best comedy this year.) I love Ted Lasso not only because I watch it with my son Christopher, who turned me onto it last year. I love it for the reason so many other people do: because it’s a show that inspires, makes you feel good, and offers a sense of hope.