You can’t give your best at all things and to all the people. That’s exhausting. And a real joy-killer. — Last December I wrote a newsletter about intentionally failing at some things so that you can be good at others? I had to remind myself of that a lot these last two weeks, recovering perfectionist that I am. And then I listened to a German podcast episode in which two…

Being content with what you already have, does not revoke your permission to want more. Contentment is a necessary condition for getting more. — Last Friday, we took our raft out for the first time this year. The wind picked up about a mile in, and some gusts pushed the boat upstream. Because I learned long ago not to row against the wind, I kept my oars in the water, using them as sails…

And only you know what that ritual is. — “New days should be greeted like new lovers and babies toddling along a table looking back to make sure we’re watching.” ― Darnell Lamont Walker Our heater stopped working sometime last Wednesday. We can’t be sure what time precisely because my hormonal state makes it so that I am almost…

The one about perseverance that turned into the one about shame that turned into the one about love. — Sometimes, when I want to write and don’t know how to start putting words on the page, I pull one from a jar. When it comes to my newsletter, I sometimes use my husband as a word jar. Today he suggested: “Perseverance.” I used to put words back in the…

You cannot become who you are not, anyway. — I have been listening to a lot of German music lately. German hip hop, German pop, German rock, German singer/songwriter. And I smile a lot while I sing along because I just ADORE the lyrics, the poetry, the wit, the beauty of weaving words and music together into intricate pieces…

The one new year’s resolution I still want you to make — Did you make any resolutions for 2022? If no, congratulations on not falling under societal pressure to pick a date that is completely random for YOUR stage in life to make significant changes! If yes, how’s it going? If well, congratulations on picking something that was realistic! If not well…

Rest is Love. Love is Joy. — This weekend I made the annual photo calendar for our families back home. I hiked with a friend, had a dancing session with my Self, a breakfast date with my husband, a movie night, a conversation about our 2022 financial plan. I wrote this. …

What to do if your brain, like mine, doesn’t do well with setting outcome goals. — Two weeks ago, I spent a whole afternoon trying on vintage fashion. It was part of my birth month celebrations that I couldn’t fit into the actual month. As I was presenting yet another outfit to The Lady Baltimore, somehow the conversation turned towards a topic that fires up my…

When I started working part-time in my early thirties, I listened to Joy. And my career took off from there. — I shouldn’t have started working part-time at barely 30 — could have been bad for my career. I shouldn’t have hiked the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim with a group of people I had never met — could have been dangerous. I shouldn’t have gone on vacation with my boyfriend, my ex-boyfriend…