Newsletter: Build up, take down
Happy Sunday!
Here's a question that I'm pondering this week: what's Future-Me asking Current-Me to do today?
The answers are always instructive: Stretch. Slow down. Eat something delicious. Be a little bit braver than I want to be. Ask for what I need. Spend more time doing nothing.
What's your answer?
Have a good day,
Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy
This Week
Feeling stuck is something that happens all the time to all of us. That's why we need to have good tools handy. Here's one of my favorites.
Try This
There are two common ways we get stuck:
#1. You know what you really want, but you don't know how to get there.
#2. You don't know what you really want.
It's so important to figure out which type of stuck you are because they require different strategies for getting unstuck. In #1, you need to build towards what you want; in #2, you need to dismantle what is blocking you from seeing what you want.
Which type of stuck are you right now?
If you're #1, here's your next step: set a timer for ten minutes and do anything that moves you a little closer to your goal. When it goes off, give yourself a little reward: a celebratory snack, a physical pat on the back, a star or a checkmark. Tomorrow, do it again.
If you're #2, ask yourself what you would do if you had unconditional positive support from the world around you. List out anything that comes to mind, no matter how silly or embarrassing it might feel. Then, list out the reasons why you're not doing it. Interrogate them: are they real, or have they been built up in your head? What could you do to minimize their influence? These questions will help give you clarity on what matters most to you.
More Tips and Tools
1. Open to possibilities (Instagram, TikTok)
2. What are you missing? (Instagram)
3. Knowledge vs. wisdom (Instagram, TikTok)
4. It's possible (Instagram)
Community
What's something you've been building lately?
"I outgrew some friendships, so I'm building new ones."
"Learning how to be a better driver."
"Independence!"
"The courage to believe that I'm safe to dream my dreams because they will work out."
"A set for a concert next week."
"A fall garden."
"Ease in the moment, agency to build the life I want, optimism for the future -- and community, always."
"Softness. With myself first so that can then spread to others."
Read more
Inspiration
1. Meet the meteorite hunters (Atlas Obscure) — Do people call you a Space Cowboy?
2. Why are pets so weird? (Washington Post) — Tell me about your pet's quirks. My dog hops like a bunny when she's excited.
3. How to operate the Big Bird Costume (Instagram) — A tear-jerker.
Before You Go
Thank you for reading
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