The very last time. Because it’s been 50–11 times now, so really, really… this is the last time. I love not only thinking about growth, but also actually growing. It’s not, nor will it ever be a perfectly straight path, but in my Big Age, the path is less curvy, less wobbly, and less riddled with self-inflicted obstacles. Paid to Learn, Paid to Leave “Lessons learned” at work is one thing. There’s more clarity there. You’ll do better with the time, budget, scope creep foolishness, or switch out the drama queen who contributed to the downfall. Simple. And believe me, I know there are those projects that will absolutely test…
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What Do You Love About the Way You
LookThink?I’ve been watching my brain lately… OK, wait… wait… hear me out. I haven’t completely lost it. I know you can’t literally watch a brain like how I watched—well, serial-inhaled—season 4 of Bridgerton, but honestly, I’m paying a heck of a lot more attention to my thoughts, and the way they feed into my reactions. And I’m loving it more and more. Too often before, my brain felt like a noisy, messy roommate that I couldn’t escape while we both worked from home… at the same company… on the same project. Now, in Big Age (and with nothing perfect, obviously), my brain is more like an enemies-to-lovers rom-com. Our beef has lessened, we…
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20 Sayings That Hit Different When You’re Growing Through Life
I hear quotes, sayings, words, and all the things any —and everywhere—in books, online, passing conversations, and some just land like solid 10. Think an Olympic gymnast who stuck the mat to screams and cheers. These sayings aren’t about hyping me up or giving me a big, gloating, bobble head. They’re more like nudges. Right-on-time ah-has, reminders, prompts, and a sprinkling of reality checks that stop me from derailing (too much), overthinking, or worse, shrinking when I shouldn’t. Spring is here. Homegirl finally parked the struggle bus, but she still needs a minute to fully step out from behind the curtain, and take center stage. We’ll give her a few…
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From 80 Degrees to Snow: The Audacity of Spring Weather
Right now, the weather has one job: pick a season.Oh, and the one to pick is spring… not extend winter, sashay into spring!Yet—here we are. Two days in a row, it was in the 80s. The very next day, literally 24-hours later, it snowed—I kid you not! Snow! Somewhere between soon-to-be blooming flowers and out-of-nowhere wind chills, winter and spring clearly have beef… and the rest of us (and our outfits) are just collateral damage, begging for the madness to stop. Meanwhile, then there’s me, outside the second the sun peeks out, acting like I can personally convince spring to woman up, clock in, and take over like the Bad…
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The Labels We Carry Need to Be Disrupted For Good
Spring is springing, people! Now, minus that day-snow storm we had the other day, the one right after the back-to-back 80+ degree days, yeah that one. But old man winter is being given his eviction notice, after the audacity he had to just bum-rush his way in mid-week like that. Spring, you delicious Babe you, stand the hell up, show up, and stay up! Pretty please. And I don’t know how many times I have to say it but I’m not reinventing anything about me. Growing? Yes. Exploring, being more daring, stepping into things my former self would have thought I didn’t have the whatever to do it, yes. But…
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The Clocks Moved Forward. Now Let’s Hope the World Does Too
The clocks went forward on Sunday. Spring is coming. And the promise of spring isn’t just inching closer anymore. I’m ready, set, and going to revel in the longer days and warmer air on the horizon. Plus that itch to start planning good things again? It definitely needs a good scratch. And yet somehow, at the very same time, it feels like the world has taken 50-gabillion giant steps backwards. Tumbling into old, destructive patterns. Creating waves of chaos, fear, uncertainty, and tragic loss. With 24/7 social posts and news headlines making my head spin, my words curse, and all of us wondering how in the hell we ended up…
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How To Wait for Beta Reader Feedback Like A Lunatic
I would like to begin by saying: I bloody love my beta readers! I love them deeply, respectfully, and with tons of gratitude sprinkles, smothered in whipped cream, strawberry syrup, and more sprinkles on top. And yet, I am a monster. Not only did I ask them, but I chose them specifically for their brilliance. They’re a bunch of well-rounded babes. Frequent international travelers, educated, fun-loving, solid readers, deep-thinkers… all the things. And they are reading my paper-baby for the grand total of free-99. And why? Because I am both on and driving the struggle bus in this newbie author process — aka I’m poor. They’re doing it on the…
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A Love Letter to Snow (Kidding, I Bloody Hate It!)
“Bread, milk, and eggs” by IreneB. An ode to winter, because snow makes me unhinged. Bread, milk, and eggs The stores are packed again two days before the next snowstorm hits.Breathe.You can’t even pull in for some petrol because the car line is wrapping around the nearest Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi’s for the head-scratching, comfort trio: bread, milk, and eggs.What the hell are you people making?Those viral TikTok flatbreads?If so, you forgot the cottage cheese.Or is it Greek yogurt?Or maybe both? Bread, milk, and eggs The rain a few days ago finally cleared away the last 400 feet of stank-grey snow and ice.Nice.I had just gotten used to seeing…
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Wintering Through Life: Planning, Pausing, and Unexpected Growth
Unless you’re lollygagging somewhere tropical and smug (you know who you are!), we – the rest of us are still wintering. The snow that got dumped on us these past weeks is still here. Move, Bitch, get out the way! Winter Is Still Winning So I cannot lull myself into letting one semi-decent, sunny day trick me into a fake emotional spring after ice-gate. Sure, the sun popped out a little longer than five minutes. High enough to shine but not heat anything up, so relax people, put your big coat back by the hook by the door, and humble yourself. That was just a teaser trailer of things to…
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Take Five Minutes for the Best Case Scenario
You know what we’re exceptionally good at as humans? And I am 1000% speaking to myself on this one too: I prepare for the absolute worst. Not always successfully, mind you, but still. And I don’t just mean casually thinking about it either — I mean fully preparing. Like studying for it, taking copious notes, then taking the metaphorical exam over and over until we ace it. Like that crazy-cakes level of preparation. Brace for Impact: Our Default Setting We mentally rehearse every possible outcome where things spectacularly and catastrophically fall apart, roll off a cliff, or land somewhere between going sideways and being hella awkward. At too many points…
