Last night I couldn’t fall asleep. Having a bedtime routine (which I started while researching Rest Easy) has helped cut down evening stress tremendously, but every now then, on a day where I’ve had too much screen time or haven’t managed to fully wind down at the end of the day, the pre-worry begins. I’ll be lying in bed reading and then suddenly remember something I need to do. I’ll hop out of bed to scribble a (mostly illegible) note on my to-do list, and crawl back under the covers—only to repeat the cycle all over again as soon as I crack open the book I’m trying to read. Ah, the human brain.
But last night, the thoughts interrupting my bedtime reading were a little different. I kept thinking about how good I’d been feeling lately, and how relieved and happy I was. If you’ve been following along here you know my health has been less than stellar lately, and while I haven’t shared any specific diagnoses (I’m not sure how I feel about being any kind of ambassador or influencer for my various chronic illnesses at this point), suffice to say these are issues that have had a pretty big impact on my quality of life the past few years.
But last night, I wasn’t thinking about my various diagnoses, or about the latest test results, or about that one doctor who really makes me angry. I was thinking about how a medication I started five months ago is finally starting to kick in. I was replaying a promising visit with a new doctor who was kind, compassionate, and most crucially, curious and open-minded. I was smiling thinking about some new friends I’ve made in my journey to better health, and feeling a little bit like I’m emerging from my cocoon for the first time in three years. Most people don’t realize how much my life has been on hold—I’m not even sure I’ve fully grasped it—but now that I’m inching back towards something like normalcy, I feel so energized and happy about it. Like I’m walking around in sunshine and ✨glitter✨.
I’ve had to invest a lot of time, energy, and resources to get to this moment—to these three good things. It has not been easy—I had lots of doubts and challenges along the way. Which makes these three good things feel even more special. They feel to me like the beginning of new phase. Like a door opening onto something else. A period, I hope, of abundance. I am optimistic there are more good things on the horizon.
What are your three good things? I’d love to hear them in the comments and help celebrate with you.
✨ What I’m working on
I’m starting to do the hard but necessary work of figuring out how to get the word out about my next book, The Life Audit, in a way that feels true to me. Sometimes I long for the days when authors didn’t have to also be their own brand ambassador, book influencer, social media marketer, SEO expert, etc etc etc. Putting yourself out there is hard! But I recognize it’s part of the deal, and I don’t take it for granted that I get to basically do what I love everyday and read, write, and draw to my heart’s content. So here I am! I am really proud of this book and I truly think it’s a keeper. It’s an ideal gift for new grads, career changers, new parents, and anyone going through any kind of crossroads. Whether you’re at a crossroads or not, if you’re feeling introspective and want to tap into your deepest desires and learn how to architect the life you want, it’s for you, too. You can preorder a signed copy from Community Books, ask for it at your local indie, snag it on Bookshop, Amazon Prime it, or request it at your local library.) If there’s any part of the book making or publication process you’re particularly interested to learn about, I’d love to hear it in the comments.
I’m also working on TLA Journal (!) and it’s coming along beautifully (sneak peek below). It’ll be out in February of 2025 and I’m so stoked about it. So many good things!
🎧 📚 What I’m reading
I Hope this Finds You Well, by Natalie Sue. This book felt like the perfect bridge to summer reading season. Short and zippy chapters, great dialogue, compelling characters, and so many perfectly portrayed cringe moments that you just can’t look away from it… I finished it in two days. It’s a workplace novel with a lot of zany office politics, plenty of sarcasm, and a little bit of romance. Grab yourself a copy ASAP.
💸 Currently coveting
I tried to buy myself these lovely pintucked green linen shorts and they arrived in the wrong size and ofc now they’re on sale but I’m heading out on vacation and they won’t get here in time so I can’t order them and they’re probably going to sell out by the time I’m back and boy if that’s my biggest problem I am doing pretty OKAY!
📢 Coming soon
I hope you enjoyed the latest episode of my podcast, Rest Easy, with
. Our next episode will feature writer and author Mason Currey. Keep an ear out!
💌 Thanks as always for reading along and supporting my work. If you like what you see, hit the heart button, drop a comment, or share this with someone you think will love it, too. You can order my new book or book me for a speaking event here. 💌
Glad to hear you're feeling better! I was just saying to someone the other day how it's so much easier to notice what's wrong, what's not working, or how we feel off. You have to make a real practice out of noticing the abundance.