Dear Graduating Jane…

by | May 4, 2021 | Bold in Life, Defining Success, The SundayMonday Tuesday Archives

It’s Grad Week here at The SundayMonday! Every day, we’ll be sharing content that celebrates, encourages, and empowers our newest worker gals as they take the next step into the world. Be sure you’re following along over on Instagram, where our lovely resident graduate, Lauren Niesen, and I will be posting all week!

Working on this content has me thinking about my own transition from UCSB to the working world four years ago. I was excited. I was ready. I was eager for a new challenge. But in the process of moving to a big city and trying to figure out the whole “full-time work” thing, my priorities fell by the wayside. A once-avid daily mass goer, I was barely making it there once a week, running up the hill for the last mass at 9pm. My bible study girls were scattered all over the country, and I didn’t know where to search for new connections. My own prayer routine fell to pieces, as I juggled the commute to and from work, and the expectation of being in an office all day, every day.

It was messy. I was imperfect. But if I could go back and tell that girl one thing right now, it would be this: give yourself grace.

Give yourself grace when it’s overwhelming.

Give yourself grace when you need a nap instead of Young Adult Group.

Give yourself grace when the longest, deepest prayer you can muster is “Help me, Jesus.”

Give yourself grace when it takes time to make new friends.

Give yourself grace when you’re feeling lonely.

Give yourself grace when you make a mistake.

Give yourself grace.

It’s a big transition. You’ll find your rhythm. You’ll find a routine that works. Keep your eyes on Jesus, ask Him for the grace to take one step after another, and enjoy the ride that is this major transition. He’s got you.

Yours in grace,

Jane


This Week on The SundayMonday Show

find us on iTunes Spotify Anchor

Episode Twenty-Two: Welcome to the Real World: Graduating Seniors Q&A Part 1

On this episode I’m joined by the wonderful Caroline Owens and Lauren Niesen to tackle a whole bunch of questions from graduating college seniors! From making friends to setting boundaries to building a community and finding a parish to creating a budget to carving out time for prayer and exercise, all the way to questions like “what if I’m bad at my job?” – we get open and honest with the goal of equipping you to make the most out of these first few years post-college.

FOCUS FRIDAYS: Michael Fuentes, Sales Manager

Our guest today is my good friend Michael Fuentes! Michael served for two years on campus at Columbia and George Mason University before moving into the world of sales. He shares his journey to faith and FOCUS, his transition process from mission to the secular workforce, and shares encouragement for anyone looking to make the jump!

Subscribe to The SundayMonday Show so you don’t miss an episode!


What we’re loving lately (on the blog and beyond!)

Live Performance of “Husavik” by Molly Sanden

If I said I have watched this six times in the past 24 hours, it would be a gross understatement. Literally the most beautiful song EVER and this performance is goosebump-inducing, even if you’ve watched it 20 times in a row. Children’s Chorus. Iceland. Fireworks. THE NORTHERN LIGHTS. Probably whales leaping in the ocean behind them. Why are you still reading this? Go experience it for yourself!!

Abide over Everything

Inspired by this past weekend’s Gospel, I wrote this reflection to call to mind how easy it is for us to strive, hustle, burn out, and grasp instead of abide in and with the One who gives us everything we need. Head over to Instagram and save it for the next time you need the reminder!

Have something you’re loving that you want to share with us? Respond to this email!


Walking with Mary Through May with Gabriela R.A. Doyle

This May, in honor of our Blessed Mother, we’re sharing weekly reflections by our very own Gabriela R.A. Doyle on the life of Mary! Enjoy!

Mary brushed away a stray hair from her braid, leaving a streak of flour across her face that she didn’t notice. Glancing at the sun from her kitchen window, she knew it was just about her favorite hour of the day. Rinsing off her hands and patting them on her apron, she covered the dough and left it to rise. Mary scooped up the first loaf of bread she’d made that morning and a small hunk of cheese, then headed out. She admired the strong handiwork of the door frame that her husband had built as she locked the door and waved at her friends as she walked the narrow path that led to Joseph’s workshop.

She could hear Jesus’s laughter before she opened the door, Joseph’s soft chuckle alongside it. Mary swept into the room to find Joseph putting the finishing touches on a new table for their neighbor and Jesus playing with a small wooden block on the floor, its edges worn smooth from many mornings’ love. Leaving Joseph’s lunch next to his workbench, she gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek and laughed as he brushed the flour from her face. Mary scooped up her baby for a cuddle, marveling at the simple joy all around her. This was love, plain and simple: a tiny workshop in Nazareth and her two favorite people in the world.


Words of the Week

“This is why humility, spiritual poverty, is so precious: it locates our identity securely in the one place where it will be safe from all harm. If our treasure is in God, no one can take it from us. Humility is truth. I am what I am in God’s eyes: a poor child who possesses absolutely nothing, who receives everything, infinitely loved and totally free. I have received everything in advance from the freely bestowed love of my Father, who said to me definitively: ‘All that is mine is yours.'”

// Jacques Philippe, Interior Freedom

 


Intentions for This Week

For those graduating! For all those looking for a job. For freedom.

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Jane was born in Australia, raised in California, and is overjoyed to now call NYC home. She graduated from UCSB with degrees in Political Science and Communication and spent the past two years working in criminal justice reform. She is currently an MBA student at NYU Stern, focusing on entrepreneurship and strategy.

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