Member-only story
This Isn’t Burnout. It’s Awakening.
Bend, don’t break.
If you’re reading this with tired eyes and a stretched spirit, I want to begin by saying something that too few people do: You’re not weak for feeling worn down. You’re awake.
In a world spinning faster than ever — with war in one window, climate crisis in another, AI racing ahead, and your inbox never empty — exhaustion isn’t a personal failure. It’s a completely rational response to an unsustainable pace.
And maybe that’s the first truth to lean on when you feel like there’s nothing left to give: you are allowed to pause without quitting. You are allowed to go still — not because you’re giving up, Rest isn’t laziness, and silence isn’t retreat — sometimes, they’re resistance.
This email should have reached you yesterday, but a huge storm came through our local area, and knocked power and internet out for a good portion of the day. And the evening was spent recovering.
How do you recover?
You don’t need to light a candle or journal or go on a retreat in the woods (unless that genuinely helps). Sometimes just doing one thing slower is all you need.
- Say no without apologizing.
- Choose a shorter to-do list on purpose.
- Do something that actually matters…
