Now Is the Time

 "Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. 
Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God." 
(Mary Manin Morrissey)

Hello, my lovely friends!

    We’ve officially reached that awkward mid-to-late January slump where the "New Year, New Me" glitter has lost its sparkle and mostly just looks like a mess on the carpet. If you’ve already abandoned that 5:00 AM Pilates habit or if your "dry January" ended abruptly on a random Tuesday because, well, Tuesday happened, give yourself a high-five. The honeymoon phase of the calendar year is over, the gym is starting to thin out again, and honestly? We can all finally breathe a little easier now that the performance of perfection is starting to crack.


I’ve never been one for the January 1st sprint. There is something so unnecessarily aggressive about trying to overhaul your entire existence while you’re still recovering from a holiday cheese coma. I prefer to treat the first couple of weeks like a soft launch—I sit back, observe the chaos, sip my coffee, and see where my head is actually at once the dust settles. It turns out, where I’m at right now is standing on the edge of a very big, very transformative year. The roadmap for my next twelve months is looking less like a straight line and more like a wild, winding mountain pass. It’s thrilling, it’s vibrant, and if I’m being completely honest, it’s scaring the absolute daylights out of me.        


But here’s the thing about that fear: it usually means you’re actually onto something real. We spend so much time trying to curate lives that look balanced and "correct" on paper, but life is meant to be a collection of the things, people, and places that actually make your pulse quicken. I’m a recovering perfectionist—trust me, I used to have a gold medal in overthinking and a PhD in "What Will People Think?"—and I can tell you from experience that perfection is the most boring goal you could ever chase. It’s a cage with very pretty bars. This year, I’m trading in that polished facade for a bit of productive messiness, as long as it leads me closer to what makes my heart sing.    


    So, if you’re feeling the weight of those "forgotten" resolutions, let this be your permission slip to just drop them. Put down the heavy expectations and pick up something that actually brings you joy. Whether that’s starting a new project, traveling to that one spot that’s been on your bucket list for a decade, or simply learning to say "no" to things that drain your battery—do it. We don't have enough time on this planet to live according to a checklist of "shoulds." Lean into the scary changes, embrace the "wait and see" approach, and remember that being a work in progress is much more interesting than being a finished product.    

 I’m so grateful you spent a bit of your day here with me. I hope the rest of your morning, afternoon, or evening is filled with little moments of joy and a whole lot of cozy.  Take good care of yourself, and I’ll be looking forward to our next chat!