The Blog

The gap between where we stand and where we want to be is often measured in fear. This fear energy is so elusive and effective at stopping us in our tracks, it’s difficult to diagnose correctly. We call it procrastination. We call it perfectionism. We say we don’t have the time or the energy or the right notebook. We don’t … Read More

One of the ongoing debates in my household growing up went something like this: Me: “But Mom, all the other kids are doing it!” My mom: “If all the other kids were jumping off a bridge, would you jump too?” Of course, this is not a question meant to invite an answer–it is intended to interrupt an unreasonable request with … Read More

How’s your budget as the back-to-school expenses come rolling in? Because I’ve been using You Need a Budget for a while, I had the money I needed saved in advance for the first time. A life-enhancement enthusiast, I’ve been delighted to discover that consciously spending and saving is core to my self-care. For my son Theo’s first eight years, I … Read More

How are your last days of summer treating you? Back-to-school season always puts an extra skip in my step. As I’m readying my son for the fresh, unwritten pages of fourth grade, I’ve been contemplating one of my own primary school memories. Reproductive education started in 6th grade in the suburban New Jersey public schools where I grew up. Not-quite-ten-years-old, … Read More

The essential guide for your writing career is here! The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman), recently released by The University of Chicago Press, delivers comprehensive insight from my favorite thought leader about successfully navigating today’s publishing landscape. About a decade ago in her role as editor at Writer’s Digest Books, Jane acquired my first creative companion Writing the Life … Read More

One of the ongoing debates in my household growing up went something like this: Me: “But Mom, all the other kids are doing it!” My mom: “If all the other kids were jumping off a bridge, would you jump too?” Of course, this is not a question meant to invite an answer–it is intended to interrupt an unreasonable request with … Read More

These are unbearable times for so many of us. With the natural world and human landscape full of turbulence and terror, many of us feel out of control and unsafe. I believe that in times of deep difficulty, we have an opportunity to both soften and strengthen, and that both are essential. I believe that feeling it all is, paradoxically, … Read More