Issue 5: Is the character you play for your business different than the one you embody in your day-to-day life? Yes or no — and why?
Please note that this newsletter will be shorter this week due to my current traveling schedule. It’ll be back to normal next week.
Letter by the Editor
Dear Collective,
I’m writing this the day before I leave for Vietnam for the next two and a half months. And I have to tell you, the entire time I’ve been prepping for Vietnam, I’ve been playing the character that I’ve been embodying for the past seven years of my life. If you don’t know, I’ve been working and living in Denver for the past seven years of my life. I’ve worked in political comms for the past six and a half years.
My personal life in Denver has largely been a reflection of my work life. The majority of my friends work in politics, and the majority of my time has been spent embodying that identity. So to answer this week’s theme, the character that I play in my work life is the same as the one that I embody in my day-to-day life. In both worlds, I am Bethany Morris, the political communications professional who has been in the game for long enough that she knows what she’s doing.
And now that I’m leaving for Vietnam, I want to embody a new character in both my work life and day-to-day life. In every way, Vietnam is a new beginning for me and the life I want to live moving forward. And the thing about new beginnings is that sometimes a fresh start seeks you out, and sometimes you seek the fresh start.
My mental health crisis late last year is an example of a fresh start seeking me out. Sometimes, life has to nudge you to change. And if you don’t listen to the nudge, it’ll force you to change. But sometimes you’re the one seeking out the fresh start, like I did when I first decided I wanted to backpack around Vietnam at the beginning of the year.
The new character that I want to embody—Bethany Rose Morris—is one that I’ve been building before I even knew I was actively building it. A lot of times, it seems like life happens to you. But if I leave you with anything today, it is that you can also choose to change the character you’re playing at any point in time. Too often, we get stuck thinking that we have to wait for change when, in fact, the character that we’re supposed to become is waiting for us to claim it.
Wide Awake, Now What?
Bethany Rose Morris
Current Obsessions
Cotopaxi Allpa 42L: This is the main backpack I’m bringing with me to Vietnam. I love all of the various compartments to hold your things, the way that it opens flat like a suitcase, and the fact that it came with a rain cover. Not to mention all of the different colors that it comes in, which makes every bag feel unique and quintessentially yours. I got mine off of Facebook Marketplace for half the price of retail!
Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs: TikTok got me again. Since I’m going to be staying in hostels during my stay, I wanted earplugs that don’t hurt the inside of my ear, as standard earplugs do. The extra small size tip of these earplugs fits me perfectly and quiets the ambient noise around me significantly.
Handwritten Letters: I love writing handwritten letters to my friends. I get into flow state when I’m writing them, and I find that the things you feel awkward saying in person flow better on the page. Not to mention, everyone who receives them loves the personal touch and intimacy that only a personalized handwritten letter can create.
Collective Submissions
Please note that there were no submissions from the collective this week.
Closing
I want to leave you with this before I leave for Vietnam to live the life I’ve been dreaming of living since I was a very little girl. A character is just that, a part that you’re playing—for now. Don’t let the character that you’re playing during this season of your life define who you are for the remaining seasons of your life. As TI said, “You can whatever you like.”
-Bethany
