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Lighten Your Load, friend
I want to take a moment to acknowledge how rough the road is right now. I've been listening to your stories, noticing what is happening in the world, and witnessing the challenges many of you are carrying.
And while one can argue "times are always hard!" (okay, sure)...
Lately, I've been watching people in my circle getting obstacles planted in their path like it's a game of Mario Kart.
Hit after hit.
In seasons of this, I notice how we can so easily slip into the blame game.
Pointing a finger at someone else who has done wrong.
Blaming systems that have failed us.
Accusing ourselves of not being "enough".
Questioning God, Universe, Spirit (or all the above).
It makes sense.
Blame is sometimes a way to feel in control again - protect ourselves from what feels threatening.
And unfortunately, from what I’ve seen, it often adds friction and fatigue to an already difficult battle. It adds rocks to an already heavy backpack.
If you see yourself here in any way – consider this your invitation to pause.
Instead of trudging forward in survival mode, carrying it all:
Slow down, check in - What do I need right now to feel whole?
Then consider - Who can I call in for support?
In times of hardship, there is healing in receiving.
We are not meant to do this life journey alone - drop your armor, call in your people.
When we open up and let others walk beside us, even the hardest seasons begin to feel a little more possible. 💕
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Death By Perfection
Want to know a great way to destroy something you create?
Make it perfect.
Put so much time and effort into perfecting it that you absolutely kill it - snuff the life out of it. 💔
As a recovering perfectionist, it's hard for me to admit how often I live in this creative limbo:
My office is a graveyard of overworked art.
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I've got pages and pages of writing drafts that have been reworked so many times they are flat and useless.
Lists of project ideas collecting dust because - there isn't enough time/energy to perfect them, so why start?!
Maybe you've noticed this in your life too - this threshold where a project crosses the line from beautiful creative flow into an overly-done, flat energy drain.
In a world increasingly flooded with digital perfection, we need to preserve the humanness of our creative work.
And what makes it human? Um.. well.. imperfection. 😱 |
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I took a watercolor class with my sister a few weeks ago with Ryann Carey. She said something that stuck with me:
"Before you pick up the brush, know when you are going to stop."
It's not hard to murder a watercolor painting. Especially for those of us who are impatient. 👋
The second you ignore that little instinct to put the brush down - bye bye painting.
Ryann's advice here is potent and transferable to all of our creative practices...
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Commit to the letting go before you even start.
Give yourself permission to be in flow and then respect your capacity.
Allow it to be human.
The world deserves to see your unvarnished creation,
not your airbrushed lifeless perfection.
And with that - I will pause right here 😉 |
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Do you live the days you go through?
Yes- that's a line from the Third Eye Blind song "Graduate" 😂
What can I say? I was a teenager in the 90's.
I heard the song recently and that line has really stuck with me... "do you live the days you go though?"
It's a provoking reminder that feels relevant to drop here as a grounding reflection moment:
Where in your life are you going through the motions - and when do you feel most alive? |
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I've heard from many of you that want to feel more awake and engaged in your life. Savor your time left on earth and live with purpose and meaning.
That's a goal of mine, too.
Let's be honest - the current of our fast-paced world is strong and it's easy to slip into mindless hustle - lose track of days, become overstimulated, and find ourselves disconnected.
I mean, two days ago - I said out loud to Andrew- "Uh, what day is it anyways?" (at least I think that was 2 days ago 😝)
A loving reminder for all of us who are on this path:
Living in the present moment is a practice.
Feeling alive requires participation - it asks us to show up.
Here is one of my favorite pocket mindfulness tools to practice this:
Pause and tap into the senses - simply observe and focus on what you are seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, or tasting.
You can step into this awakened place anytime by just slowing down and noticing.
Want a guide? Check out this awesome video from Somatic Skills with Emily
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Breaking Stride
And on the subject of change...
After nearly 4 months of being anchored in Raleigh - we are taking the show on the road once again. And we have ambitious travel plans, folks. 😮
In a lot of ways, this time at home has felt really healthy. I have solidified routines that have kept my work flowing, my body moving, and daily life operating at high-level efficiency.
We have spent quality time with family and friends - given lots of love to our home and our city.
With camping season upon us - I'm bracing for all this routine to get flipped on its head.
Living and working full time in a 25ft travel trailer with 2 large-framed adults and 2 dogs does not come without it's challenges.
In this phase of preparation, I'm finding myself slipping into a familiar worry:
How the hell am I going to pull this off? |
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The reality is - this worry comes from a place of narrow thinking.
There is no way I can keep this pace of work and life while living in a camper.
Exactly.
The pace needs to change. My relationship with work and daily life needs to adapt.
Not only is this actually possible, it is also really healthy.
Sometimes the routines that support the hustle become the ridged framework that keep us stuck and exhausted. |
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Being on the cusp of this change feels a lot like a big exercise in letting go.
Releasing attachment to productivity.
Trusting future me with whatever challenge arises.
Allowing something new to take shape.
I'll let you know how it goes 😇 |
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Worth Sharing
A few things I've been enjoying, learning from, or coming back to lately: |
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