Permission to start over

Learning to embrace uncertainty, wellness non-negotiables, Brussels sprouts where you least expect them, and the most relatable tweet I've seen in a while.

I used to think revision was my favorite part of the writing process. 

The appeal, at least for me, is that the thing you’re working on actually exists. It might be a complete mess and nearly unreadable, but at least you can print it out and hold it in your hands. You can admire the word count, move whole chapters from beginning to end, delete an entire subplot and still have plenty of other pages to fall back on.

A first draft, no matter how terrible, is a security blanket, a boost of confidence. You got to the end once; you can do it again. 

Compare that to the beginning, when certainty and security are scarce. Maybe this is your next book, maybe it’s a harebrained idea that’ll fall to pieces next week. Despite your time and effort, your hopes and dreams, it might be destined for the desk drawer, or abandoned for a new idea with just as little potential.

I’ve never been great with uncertainty. I like knowing the next step, having a plan, organizing my color-coded calendars (yes, I have multiple). Yet here I am, toying with an idea for a book, no idea where it will go, but somehow I’m not consumed with anxiety or worry. Unlike every other beginning, this one doesn’t feel like a referendum on my abilities, a high stakes test in which I must prove my worth. It feels, instead, like an opportunity to try something new, to explore some interesting ideas. Some of those ideas have already been discarded, others have been put on hold, and a few have potential. (This is why an outline is great—I haven’t technically written anything yet, but I’ve already identified at least three plotlines that won't actually work.) 

I’ve been equally zen about the non-writing parts of my life, which are also going through a lot of beginnings. My husband’s new carer, changes at my company, new nephew, new decade, new classes at the YMCA. In the past, so much upheaval (even when it’s positive!) might have sent me spinning, but this time I feel fine. For once, change is energizing.

I don’t know why things feel different, but I have my suspicions. Change is inevitable, but I’ve learned that it almost always leads to growth. Nothing is a mistake, and no effort is wasted. It’s all part of the process, just another little twist in the story of your life. Sometimes, especially in the beginning, you have to erase a perfect sentence or scrap a whole scene, and that’s okay. You’ll write another one.

You always do.

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Snack Break

Last weekend I went on a lovely date with my dear friend Kat. We walked to Block Taco, where I devoured the mushroom and Brussels sprouts tacos pictured above. (Yes, you read that right. One bite of those Brussels and you’ll be obsessed for life.) Then we walked to Greenfield Lake Amphitheater for a bluegrass show. A fun, full evening of good food, good music, and good company, AND I was in bed by 10:30pm. Truly a dream come true. 🌮

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scott thiede @swthiede

Love to touch computer all day for money

Relatable Reads

The Little Rituals That Keep Us Going

This is a charming round up of the “wellness non-negotiables” that help people anchor their days. Mine include: checking my budget (I love you, YNAB), morning pages, and an extremely slow walk with the dog. (Most of which I do by 8am.) Reply and tell me yours! 🌻

How to Make Life More Transcendent

I’ve always been drawn to Buddhism, but felt like I needed a list of rules and practices to properly incorporate it into my life. (Ex-Catholic problems.) The three steps in this article were a nice reminder that starting is much easier than I think. 🌈

‘Romanticizing Your Life’ Can Be a Legit Form of Mindfulness

“Staying fully present isn’t always easy when you live in a go-go-go society that can make reading alone in a park with your notifications muted feel like a rebellious or even guilt-inducing act… [T]he ultimate goal of romanticizing your life should be finding your own ways to stay present, ones that are authentic to you—not the life of another TikToker who is luxuriating in an Italian villa or ‘noticing’ how good it feels to apply their $300 skin care routine.”

I didn’t realize this week’s links would be so similar, but the universe is clearly trying to tell me something. I’m listening! ✨

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Coffee Club

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