Guesting

Guesting.  Such a funny term. 

Another one of my favorite authors, Priya Parker, wrote about intentional guesting in her most recent newsletter.  Her book, The Art of Gathering, is one of my all-time favorites which then led me to her TED talk, and then her newsletter.  

So guesting. This time of year, especially post-pandemic, we are inundated with requests to meet, connect, party, Secret Santa, after-work or before-work get-togethers ... and the list goes on. How do you prioritize to whom you say yes and where and when you say no? 

In her latest newsletter, Priya does a wonderful job walking through some of the ways she suggests building discernment muscles.  

But first, a definition: Intentional guesting, you ask? It's the act of choosing whether, why and how one attends a gathering. 

When an invitation arrives, this question is key: Underneath every invitation lies a deeper question: How do I want to spend my time? And with whom?

As our invitations come in this season, this is the question I ask before committing to gatherings.  

Happy holidays from the city.