UPDATED: Your Special Invitation: The ABG Shop is OPEN!
updated 12.6.20
Remember the scenes of the newspaper boys in the old movies who stood on a street corner busily hawking the headlines of the day’s news?
“Get ‘em while they’re hot!” they’d yell, along with whatever attention-grabbing headline they thought passers-by would want to read all about.
It’s an odd one! But that’s the image that came to mind as inspiration for this week’s post. There are two main reasons why.
First, because we’re sharing the most up-to-date news. That the ABG shop is now OPEN, I mean, particularly for loyal readers of this newsletter. The ABG store is an indicator of the growth of this community and the evolution of Beck’s vision for what we’d like to provide.
Second, because you may indeed want to “get ‘em while they’re hot.” The merchandise, that is, namely masks (in black and a limited edition 'Decanter' design in red), reusable water bottles and a large cotton tote. Bundled offers and the classic ABG pins are also available, and all information is available on the ABG shop page. ABG has been thriving this year like never before but we are still a small organization, and haven’t gone overboard in ordering mass quantities of these items. They’re available in limited quantities so yes. You’ll want to get ‘em while they’re hot!
Also, ABG has always been about community, and we want to support those who have supported and nurtured us. So consider paying it forward. Buy a mask for a fellow hospitality professional and please let us know at hello@abalancedglass.com so we can adjust the order. If you have someone in mind please provide their name and shipping address, and we will take care of it and send the mask along in your name.
There’s a team of helpers and friendly faces in the ABG community around the world who are coming together to help get this merchandise into your hands, or your gift recipients’ hands, before the holidays. Sincere thanks to Jenny Hopkins (Beck’s Mom! Hi Mom!!) who will handle distribution of ABG merchandise in Australia, along with Reka Haros in Italy and Europe. Here in the US, Alicia Laury and Tyke Jones in San Francisco have been logging overtime hours in the ABG “workshop” to make the merchandise and its delivery happen efficiently and on time.
We want to thank you for your ongoing encouragement for ABG. Please consider this your special invitation to be the first to access ABG merchandise which is, above all, consistent with our mission of wellness and support of a healthy lifestyle.
The offerings are a small list of high quality items that we have road-tested and reviewed, and hope they help support your self-care, while staying hydrated, safe, and stylish!
If you have a question, drop us a line at hello@abalancedglass.com and we are happy to help.
Happy online shopping!
Namaste,
The ABG Team
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
Meditation Up 2,900% Globally During Pandemic, According to Fitbit Data by Beth McGroarty for the Global Wellness Institute
The data shows that people are desperate for stress relief. Meditation saw a massive 2,900% increase globally.
I’m a Survivor! How resilience became the the quality we all crave by Emine Saver for The Guardian
During the pandemic it has become a buzzword for successfully steering through adversity. But what exactly is resilience, and can you cultivate more of it?
10 Habits of Highly Resilient People, by Bryan E. Robinson for Psychology Today
And how you can develop these traits if you don’t have them.
We Expect Too Much from Our Romantic Partners, by Olga Khazan for The Atlantic
How marriage has changed in recent years, and why staying married has gotten harder.
This Week's Reminder:
Keep these short meditations and inspirations bookmarked for when you need them.
Joseph Goldstein - Wisdom for Troubled Times - dharma.org
In this three-minute talk, renowned meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein discusses the two qualities of mind—equanimity and compassion—that enable us to unhook from reactivity and engage the world with purpose and hope. A particularly useful reminder in this current 24/7 cycle of news and heightened tension and anxiety.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet some of the talented folks who make our community and profession so dynamic.
Alicia Towns Franken, Wine Educator, Board of Directors, Wine Unify, (Boston, USA)
Years In Industry:
I have been in the hospitality industry since I was 19. I just did the math, it’s been 35 years! Starting as a server during my undergraduate years, transitioned to wine director, currently working as a Wine Consultant & Event Planner.
My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:
If 2020 has revealed anything to me, it’s that I had been coasting on fumes for years. Hospitality people like to make everyone happy - family, friends, clients, community organizations and even complete strangers. It's always been difficult for me to say no to anyone asking for my help, whether it was to donate my time or my expertise or just facilitate a connection. But when we were all forced to slow down in March, I realized that I was completely exhausted.
I had overextended myself, spreading myself to the point of almost breaking. My body hurt (couldn’t find time for yoga), my head felt disconnected from my body, (meditation no longer came easily). I literally felt like I was running on a treadmill but not getting any traction. So this year was the birth of NO, for me. I took inventory of where and how I was spending my time, and made difficult decisions and brutal cuts.
How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
Reclaiming my time! I have stopped living my life on autopilot. I want to be there fully for the people and the organizations I truly love. I am trying to simplify and live more intentionally, finding joy and peace, in the smallest of things.
Exercise is key for my mental health. What helps me keep it together are yoga, meditation, boxing and acupuncture. Not having to be in person at the gym and the increase in online access has afforded me more flexibility and less excuses. I should also mention dance parties with my husband and our teenagers are a great mood elevator. Oh and bubbles, because who can be sad with a glass of champagne in their hands, its like popsicles for adults!
Lastly, identifying and staying involved in a select group of organizations and causes feeds my soul. In June, I helped launched Wine Unify, a non profit platform that champions diversity and inclusion for underrepresented minorities in the wine industry. I also serve on the board of The Esplanade Association, the Advisors of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Leadership Council of The Posse Foundation. Diversity, equality, inclusion, land conservation, museum and education, family and friends - check, check and double check.
You can connect with Alicia on Instagram for her personal page and Wine Unify, on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Join the Community.
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If someone has passed along this weekly news, you can receive your own copy by signing up on the website here: Join the Community or at the A Balanced Glass Facebook Group. You can also connect through Instagram @abalancedglass and Twitter @abalancedglass
