Yesterday, we had our second of five (5) book club sessions together. A few people mentioned it is quickly becoming their favourite part of the week. Now that we are living with further restrictions here again, where we can’t socialize with anyone outside of our household, I would have to agree. It feels good to be able to gather online and connect over similar topics. This week, we:
- read the introduction to Section 2—The Viewpoint (pages 65-100 in hardcover) in ADVENTURES IN OPTING OUT
- outlined the four main themes in this section (starting slow, seeing the signs that you’ve made the right choice, enjoying the early benefits of opting out, and figuring out what will motivate you to keep going)
- shared some of the things we are currently/thinking about opting out of
- shared some of the early signs that we’ve opted out of the right thing
- and then I answered questions posed by the group!
A few of the questions that were asked:
- How can I talk to friends about this without making feel as if they have to justify their choices?
- Do you have common reference points that you use to gauge changes in yourself as your progress on your journey? The subjectiveness of “am I happier?” feels insufficient.
- I’m having trouble enjoying it because I’m afraid of when I’ll inevitably relapse or at least that things will get harder. Did you have that fear when you worked to be healthier/quit drinking, and how did you push through?
- How do you feel about opting out for a shorter time, not forever? For example, opting out of a particular friend or activity for the meantime. For context, my boundaries have become much more delicate and stricter since COVID. What’s the difference between opting out and adding more boundaries?
A reminder that if you are registered but missed it live, you can watch a replay here. You will have access to replays of each session from now through to December 31st. This conversation was much lighter in subject matter, which felt supportive this week—and especially before leading into next week’s topic. We will discuss Section 3—The Valley on Sunday, November 29th at 11am PT. You can still register at this link!
Between now and then, don’t forget that you can connect with other readers here + on social media:
- If you use Instagram, you can follow the #adventuresinoptingout hashtag + also use it on your own posts, to connect with others! I’m happy to share your posts to my stories, so more people can find you that way. :)
- One member, Melanie, also kindly agreed to create a private Facebook group for other readers/adventurers. (A reminder that I won’t be in the group myself, but there are already 50+ people there!)
That’s all for now! See you again next week, friends. :)
PS – The picture at the top of this post is of the UK cover of Adventures in Opting Out. It was taken by author and friend, Laura Jane Williams. A note that if you’re looking for a little modern romance this winter, her latest books (Our Stop + The Love Square) really hit the spot.
The post Adventures in Opting Out Book Club: Week 2 first appeared on Cait Flanders.