Author’s Notes:

I spend too much time kicking myself over past mistakes. It’s hard to lean into that cringy feeling and celebrate the growth that’s happened since then.

As a kid, I used to be so self-conscious of what people thought of me that I would rather starve than to eat alone in a restaurant. One of the most freeing phrases I ever heard was, “Do it afraid.” Don’t let fear stop you. Just take it with you while you do the thing anyway. Darkness doesn’t flee until we actually step into the light.

I’m not naturally a worrier. But I am a very future-focused person. There are times I’ve let my thoughts about the future rob my joy in the now.

The most refreshing thing to my soul is when I take time to lay on a yoga mat and listen to a guided meditation. And yet I don’t go to that quiet stillness often enough to just be present.