Reader, I tell you this from experience. Reinvention sounds sexy ...until you’re in it. Truth: Change is Messy. My sister trip is winding down here in Texas. I fly back to France on the 29th. The visit has been both wonderful and a tad confusing. Familiarity is a drug. The familiar is comfortable, like a soft blanket... even if the blanket has a few thorns and stickers in it. The discomfort of the known is still hard to let go when the unknown is so ...well, unknown. I'm feeling it now. As...
9 days ago • 1 min read
It’s Time to Toughen the Talk. Reader, over the last few weeks, we’ve covered why you might feel stuck after retiring (or after a divorce, the death of a loved one, or any other lifequake event). We’ve also talked about the core truth: Mystical moments of clarity that magically illuminate your path forward aren't waiting for you. Here’s the next truth bomb: Your happiness is absolutely, 100% your responsibility. You don’t get to use your husband, your aging parents, your kids or grandkids,...
16 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, You know it's true—staying stuck is f *cking expensive. Not in dollars, but in time, energy, and sanity. You tell yourself that waiting for clarity is the “smart” thing to do. That if you just sit tight, research a little more, and think it through one more time, then you’ll know what to do. But here’s the truth: Waiting isn’t harmless. It’s actively draining you. And the longer you stay stuck, the more it costs you. Two Things It’s Costing You: #1 Time You’ll Never Get Back Every...
23 days ago • 1 min read
Hi, Reader. Here's something you can probably relate to. You're finally retired!! 💃🏻 🥂 🥳 You know you should be excited and grateful. You have the time and you're healthy, for the most part. Now is your time, right? But instead of excited, you feel a bit down, unmotivated, or maybe even a little depressed. To top it off, you know how crazy it is that you feel this way, so you beat yourself up with guilt. What the hell is wrong with you? You’re not alone. And it isn't fear or uncertainty...
30 days ago • 2 min read
Hey [First Name], Does this sound familiar? You know you want more in life than a new hobby, but no matter what you do, you just can't get out of your own way. You’re stuck - but you're not alone. This week, let's dive into WHY you stay stuck (why I stayed stuck) and how to finally move forward (what I learned that helped me finally be able to move forward). There's a lot to unpack, but here are the 3 biggest reasons WHY: 🔥 You want certainty and wait for clarity before acting—Clarity only...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader It’s been a long time! And it's been a whirlwind. 2024 started out with a massive shift -- LifeQuakes hit hard and often. By mid-year I found myself in a place that demanded more than just a pivot. It required full-on transformation. Here’s the quick version: ✅ I got divorced. ✅ I lost two beloved souls—my dear friend Albert and my 15½-year-old best boy, The Littlest Pablo. ✅ I sat with the grief, uncertainty, and messiness of it all for months. ✅ And then? I did something...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Well, Reader, it's a big day. Today the movers came and collected my belongings to be shipped to France. As a backdrop, I moved out of a 2400 sf home and, via a 10 x 20 storage unit and then an 8 x 16 POD, what's left has been boxed up and placed into a 7 x 8 foot container. As much tossing, sorting, selling, donating, hair pulling, and crying that has been done, I'm shocked at the amount of stuff that's left. I'm sure when I start to unpack in in France my thoughts will be "What the hell was...
10 months ago • 2 min read
Hi, Reader. Endings are rough, even the endings you know are good for you. It can feel like a forest fire, consuming everything familiar and leaving us in the ashes of what used to be. My experiences in the first 5 months of this year have brought this truth into sharp focus. In just these few months, I've navigated the end of a marriage, mourned the loss of my best fur-boy, the Littlest Pablo, parted with my car and furniture, and sifted through photos, souvenirs, and memorabilia going back...
10 months ago • 1 min read
Pigs Are Flying What's Your France? It's just you and me, Reader. If you could, without any risk of loss or failure, what would you do differently tomorrow? That's Crazy Talk There's risk in anything you do, so the "without any risk" thing isn't real. BUT, understanding the risks and your boundaries makes the risk calculated. It's not some terrifying monster ready to kill you and all your kittens. You're not crazy to be aware that there are risks in stepping out, doing something new,...
11 months ago • 1 min read