Good morning my lovely friends, I wanted to start off this post with a quote that I read from a recent substack article this week that I really resonated with.
“In the U.S., the idea of having purpose is everywhere: in books, on podcasts, in LinkedIn bios, even in casual brunch conversations. There’s this constant pressure to align your job with your passion, your calendar with your goals, your time with your values. But what if your purpose is simply to build a good life? To raise kind children. To cook a little better each year. To read a few excellent books. To notice the seasons. To build meaningful relationships. To help others. To give time - and money if you can - to causes you care about.” — Pamela Clapp
You can read her full article here:
This is a thought I often ponder, and something I so very often feel whenever I travel outside of the US. We put this constant pressure on ourselves in every single aspect of our lives: relationships, career, social life, health. Even when we do give ourselves time to relax, we either feel guilty for relaxing or are frustrated with ourselves for not relaxing enough. The little things we do enjoy, we feel we need to exploit for monetary success. It’s this constant race, with no opponent but ourselves. Maybe we don’t need to have it all figured out. Maybe we need to be okay with just being.
It makes me think of the Anthony Bourdain quote about traveling to Paris:
“Most of us are lucky to see Paris once in a lifetime. Make the most of it by doing as little as possible. Walk a little, get lost a bit, eat, catch a breakfast buzz, have a nap, try and have sex if you can, just not with a mime. Eat again. Lounge around drinking coffee. Maybe read a book. Drink some wine, walk around a bit more, eat, repeat. See? It’s easy.” ― Anthony Bourdain, World Travel: An Irreverent Guide
It is okay to let go. To truly live. To be. To enjoy. More and more I realize that is where true health lies, when we give up the control of trying to curate this perfect reality for our future selves, and instead be grateful for what is in front of us right now.
Some food for thought on this beautiful Sunday. These are reminders I try to tell myself all the time, and I often get caught up in life and they melt to the back of my mind, but coming back to it is always extremely refreshing and freeing. I hope you feel the same way. Don’t be so hard on yourself.
With that being said, let’s get into this months questions! If you are new here, hiiii! Usually around mid-month every month I post a Q&A thread in the subscriber chat for you to ask questions, then at the end of the month I answer all of your questions here! So let’s get into it……
Coping with symptoms — how to let go when you feel stuck
How to deal with health anxiety
Favorite books on holistic nutrition
List of grocery products you always shop for
Current favorite supplements + skincare items
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