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Joyful by Design | A Weekly Newsletter

JOYFUL BY DESIGN

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Intentional down time. ⏳ It’s not something I mad

Intentional down time. ⏳
It’s not something I made much time for in the past. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely rotted here and there. But the rot would usually be the result of going too hard for too long and then I’d crash and burn.
I started introducing intentional down time into my day-to-day several months ago. It’s hard for me to do. In my mind, there’s always something more that needs to be done — that could be done.
But I’ve also experienced that hard crash of burnout enough times now to know that it’s not up for debate. We need leisure.
It’s not something to earn. It’s not something to prioritize “only if.” It’s non-negotiable.
Introducing this into my day-to-day is one of the hardest things I’ve done. I realize that sounds insane. But if you know who I am at my core, you get it.
It’s made such a difference in how I feel daily. How I sleep. How I show up in my various different roles. And also? Frankly? It changes how I experience my days.
It’s not always much. But it is always there.
I can’t say that’s always been true. In fact, I’d argue, it’s likely untrue for most. We fill dead space with doom scrolling and wonder why we feel so empty.
What are you doing to intentionally pour into yourself daily?
My favorite leisure activity these days is diamond painting! (Obvi reading is always on this list — but I’ll share how I make time to read every day another time).

"You've always had the power, my dear. You just ha

"You've always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself."
My big sister, who is also my editor, gifted me a mug with that Wizard of Oz quote on it when my first book became an overnight Amazon Bestseller in 2023.
I say overnight. And while technically, yes -- I went to bed one night and woke up the next day to BOOM: bestseller. It didn't actually *happen* overnight.
But does anything, really?
So much fear, doubt and insecurity circulated my system in the 9 years that filled the space between hitting "publish" and reaching bestseller status.
That gentle little reminder from the one who has been standing in my corner the whole way through, working to help me make this life a reality, were the exact words I needed to hear.
So I share them with you today in hopes they offer you the same comfort they do me. "You have always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself." ✨🪄

High school was pretty brutal for me. 🫣 I had som

High school was pretty brutal for me. 🫣
I had some really good friends who have remained lifelong friends. But I also had a gaggle of girls who really enjoyed tormenting me.
I get asked a lot if I put anything real into my books. The party-line has always been no -- but that's not entirely true. There is one scene in "Yeah, maybe" that's almost entirely a moment-by-moment replicate of something I experienced first hand.
I've gotten bolder in owning my stories as I've healed, though. My next manuscript is full of "inspired by" moments. 👀
Anne Lamott said it best: “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
I don't think the girl responsible for the moment I retell in "Yeah, maybe" will ever read my books. But if she does, I sure hope she's proud of herself when she gets to that part. 🙃

When your only goal is to survive each day, you’ll

When your only goal is to survive each day, you’ll live your life in survival mode.
I know because that was me.
Don’t get me wrong — there are certainly seasons where survival is all we can manage. But once the threat passes, we have to recalibrate and intentionally move differently or we’ll get stuck there.
You’d be surprised how much difference one seemingly insignificant shift in what you do daily can transform your life.
Let me challenge you today: what’s one small thing you can do today that’ll bring you joy?
(I’ll be making myself a homemade mocha latte here in just a minute — and the rule is I get to read while I’m drinking it before diving back into work. That sounds pretty joyful to me!☕️📖)

Real life snapshot. Countless cups on the night s

Real life snapshot.
Countless cups on the night stand. A crooked lampshade (thanks to a cat who "loves lamp"). And everyone dog-piled on mom.
I have a beautiful office. I rarely use it these days. That used to bother me until I realized that a day will come where I'm sat in my quiet office working without interruption and I'll miss this.
This season of life is full. And challenging. And messy. But isn't that what life's supposed to be?

Some really hard and horrible things had to happen

Some really hard and horrible things had to happen to bring me to this point.
Sometimes when you think you're being buried, you're actually being planted. Grow, baby. Grow!
📸 @tayysphoto

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