Keep Your Hoping Machine Running

Wow. December 19, already. The first day of "Jeffica," the two-day celebration we inaugurated when my younger brother reconnected with his birth mother and discovered his birthday was actually December 19, not the 20th as marked on his birth certificate. Why not commemorate it as a two-day festival?

So, here we are in the season of celebration, short days and dark nights, introspection, reflection, and resolution for the upcoming New Year.

Each December I revisit resolutions penned by Woody Guthrie on New Year's Day, 1943. I find them poignant and inspirational, roots-level basic yet aspirational in their reach for self-actualization. Warm, human, and humble, they give me a touchstone that reminds me of what's important – and serves as a spark for me to think long and hard about my own resolutions.

There are 33 resolutions in all. The email version of this newsletter doesn't incorporate images; if you'd like to see Woody's original handwritten resolutions, complete with doodles, they are on the Godspeed website or here on this site dedicated to the life and work of Woody Guthrie.

Here are three of my favorites, as relevant today as they were back in 1943. Hopefully they will entice you to take a moment and look at the list in its entirety. Worth it!

• KEEP HOPING MACHINE RUNNING
• LOVE MAMA
• WAKE UP AND FIGHT

Well, time to wrap up. Since last spring I've now published 43 issues of Godspeed. Whew! I think that'll about do it for this year. Happy holidays to you. See you in 2024.

Godspeed, friends 🎄

Russ

💥 Quick Hits

• Holiday demon "Crampus" tackles period poverty - Check out "Deck the Stalls," a fab holiday campaign from our friends at fellow B Corp Public Inc to raise awareness and funds for PERIOD.

• The state of impact reporting - Ah, she arrives soon, the impact reporting season. Check out this research to learn what's going on with current state of impact reporting from Unit Co. (Full disclosure - I'm a co-founder of Unit Co.)

• The Poetry Issue Scores - I was concerned that last week's poetry issue would be a turn-off, but turns out it was a turn-on; it measured the highest open rate (72%) and engagement (click-throughs, 15%) of any issue this year.

• Raves for Faves - Our partner One Work just listed its 30 Favorite Employers of 2023.

🤔 Trivia Time

Many of you know we love flags here at Godspeed - for their design, for their symbolism, for their flights of fancy with the wind. We even featured Michael Green and Flags for Good in the Let Your Freak Flag Fly issue earlier this year. So, with that introduction – and with acknowledgement this trivia was inspired by the Morning Brew newsletter, here's your question.

There seems to be a trend – and it's a good one – of cities and states redesigning what many would consider to be "sucky" flags. (Sucky – that's a technical design term.) Which state recently considered these five designs for its new state flag? And which version do you think this state selected?

Today's trivia answer can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.‌‌‌‌‌

Find the Most Meaningful Work of Your Career

Our partner One Work has you covered with meaningful work that goes beyond a paycheck, a cubicle, or a weekly team Zoom call. You'll find purposeful jobs like those below, along with many more at the One Work job board.

• Twelve - Make it a Baker's Dozen by adding your talents to this Certified B Corp that combats climate change by converting carbon dioxide into plastics and fueld for other uses. Supply Chain Analyst, Berkeley, CA.

• Emerson Collective - Help refine the impact recipe by combining the ingredients of philanthropy, investing, and advocacy at the Emerson Collective, which was founded by Laurene Powell Jobs. Climate Migration Analyst, Washington, DC.

• United States Digital Service - Here's a cool opportunity to use your digital chops to strengthen our country by serving its citizens. If that resonates with you, hit this link to learn more about opportunities including engineering, design, UX and more.

Trivia Answer‌

The official motto of the state in question is “L’Etoile du Nord” (The Star of the North). You might better know it as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." Yah sure you betcha, go ahead and strap on your ice skates if you guessed Minnesota. It selected the design in the lower left-hand corner: a star with three stripes.

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