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It’s official! We’ve entered the best month of the year!

Not because my birthday is tomorrow (Dec 02) but because everything amazing happens in this month.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch because, as you already know, I despise the cold and it gets colder in New York in December, but I refuse to dwell on the negative.

It’s the last month to enjoy yourself in a year that will become a memory very soon.

I’m not sure about you, but I want to remember the adventures and the unexpected things that made me think differently, and all the risks I was afraid to take but did anyway.

I know when I’m going through a rough time, I declare to the universe that I never want to remember any of the pain (or anything about the situation), but the pain always fades. The emotion lingers a little while, but truthfully it’s the lesson that lasts forever.

I’ve gone from despising a situation and never speaking about it to thanking that same situation for pushing me to grow so I can find my path.

This year was really heavy emotionally, especially through summer — which was a shocker to me because I thrive in the summertime — but I learned (and keep learning) that I can never give in to the feelings that will drag me even lower.

That’s why I made a promise to myself, and I’ve been keeping it no matter how cold outside was.

Turns out, challenging yourself to do irregular things is also challenging yourself to trust yourself more. (So many yourselves lol)

Here’s my suggestion, if you want, of what you should probably do this month:
Challenge yourself to do something you’ve never done before at least once a week.

Doing this simple task will break the routine you’ve built, get you out of auto-pilot mode, and bring you into the present.

So, if you’ve never gone walking in the neighborhood before, go for it and count the different leaf colors you see. Or if you’ve never tried having a coffee date with your friend before, go for it and order tea or matcha.

Send me what you saw on your walk or ordered on your coffee date, or just tell me what you did that was different:

Do something that, when it’s all over and all you have are the memories, you’ll enjoy thinking about all the details that made that moment special.

Things I’m Exploring

I got this idea from Tim Ferris. He sends out a newsletter every Friday called 5-Bullet Friday, where he shares what he’s currently pondering and exploring.

I think it’s a clever way of sharing what’s been inspirational, so I’m adopting a few points plus adding my own.

Book I’m Reading

Map of Dreams by M. Rickert
I thought this book was about one story following a mother on her journey to save her child, but it turned out to be so much more. It’s a collection of different dreams and they are very vivid. It reminds me of some of my own immersive vivid dreams I’ve written down over the years. I’m almost finished with it and I want the pages to magically continue.

A Quote I Saw

“Reclaim Your Time”
Sometimes YouTube thumbnails say the exact thing I NEED to hear to finalize a decision or change my path completely when I’m searching for a video to watch. I know this is technically not a quote in the literature sense, but it served the purpose of showing me that there are always signs subtly guiding us if we look close enough.

A Journal Prompt for You

What am I afraid of the most right now, why does it scare me, and what can I honestly do about it?

2 New Films To Watch

I mentioned above that I made a promise to myself and I kept it, but I didn’t say what that promise was. I reveal it in Episode 59:

This next film is all about the Thanksgiving week that just passed, but there’s something, that’s not included, that I wanted to tell you before you watch it.

Behind The Episode (Ep.60)

I had Thanksgiving with my mother and sister this year. We have not been together for the holidays in over a decade, so this was huge for all of us.

My sister brought out the family album she had, and we started flipping through the pages. Between the laughter at the ridiculous faces, poses, and unrecognized family members, I realized one thing:

Most of the photos of my younger siblings — especially in Jamaica — and some funny ones from when I lived with my mother were taken by ME! (I’m still shocked by this)

I didn’t have a fancy camera back then, it was just a disposable camera, but that didn’t matter. Turns out my journey documenting daily life is longer than I realized. I’ve been capturing daily life in photo form since before I can remember. A practice I still cherish to this very day.

It’s a case of: when you look back, you’ll see the pattern that was there all along, but you have to give it a lot of time before the pattern reveals itself.

On top of that revelation, I baked carrot cake from scratch!

Watch the video to see how it all went:

I know this one is a lot longer than my usual letters to you, but I honestly woke up in the mood to write and it all just flowed.

Thank you so much for being here with me. You are always appreciated.

Now go enjoy my creations! :)

This small act pushes everything to Monday morning. I wake up ready to start my day and tackle my list… and then it hits me. I immediately remember

why I shouldn’t have put off one simple thing.

The horrifying drilling outside on the building feels like they’re digging into my brain. I can’t think, I become disoriented, and the one thing I was planning on doing is now impossible — record audio.

The building I live in, in gloomy doom New York (the weather is only perfect in the summertime when it’s not trying to fry you alive), decided to fix the roof, a process that should last about six months if the weather decides to be nice. I think they forgot that winter weather doesn’t play nice with anyone, and their timeline includes all of winter.

So, I’m sitting in the furthest, quietest corner I can find in the apartment with earplugs in, writing to you.

There are a few things I could say about this situation, like you can’t control the environment so do what you need to do through the chaos, or don’t put off the easy things until a later date. But what I truly want to say is some days you have to seek out the bright side of everything because the environment can and will make it hard and drag you into the darkness.

Sometimes I think these things happen to force me to look at my present and decide if this is how I want to continue with life. But it’s also motivation in a way because I know that fully living in a place where the sun likes to play hide and seek for most of the year is not ideal.

I constantly dream of sunny days and warm weather, sand between my toes, and salty sea water in my hair. What does a perfect day look like for you? I’d love to hear it — send a message to let me know.

Now on to what I really wanted to tell you:

I’m in the process of leaving Substack. It’s the platform that I use to send you these newsletters. I started using Substack about five years ago and thought it was too much to add to my plate until earlier this year when I migrated from my old platform that kept restricting what I used to do with ease. It seemed a lot easier to have everything in one place, and it was for a while.

Even Substack has its limitations, and honestly, I’m not happy that I can’t use your name anymore. Sending newsletters always felt personal to me, and Substack doesn’t preserve that, so I’m currently learning a new platform that provides me with all the bells and whistles I need to make these letters to you feel personal again.

This transition will be slow because I refuse to rush the process, but I’m happy I gave myself the opportunity to explore something new to realize that it’s not for me. So instead of forcing it to work, I’m walking away. Growth!

I have to bring attention to this moment because it shows how far I’ve come mentally. I used to use a sledgehammer to get what I wanted out of things, but I’ve learned that most of the time it’s easier to just walk away. Everything doesn’t have to be a fight to the death for it to be worth it.

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Now on to the fun stuff:

Since we haven’t chatted in a while, I haven’t sent you the new films that have been published, so here they are and a brief summary of what to expect.

Ep 56
If you’ve ever thought that everyone else seems to have life all figured out, think again. In this episode I’ll tell you the truth about proven paths and fixed methods.

Ep 57
As the year winds down, I find myself questioning time, progress, and what it really means to appreciate how far I’ve come. In this episode, I answer a question I wasn’t expecting — one that reshapes how I see the days I have left this year.

Ep 58
The weather is changing really quickly and it brings seasonal depression, energy depletion, and gloomy doom days that force me to find myself all over again in all this change. If you’ve been feeling drained, unfocused, or unlike yourself… this one’s just for you.

Since you probably won’t be hearing from me again before the holiday (Thanksgiving is Thursday if you needed a reminder or if you’re not in the US), and I’m not selling anything for Black Friday or Cyber Monday, I want you to have the best week ever!

Don’t ignore your boundaries because some of your family members don’t respect them. Let them think you’re weird — it’s better to feel good within yourself than to feel like you’ve betrayed yourself.

I’m rooting for you always!

Pro tip: If you are indeed visiting family for the holidays, bring your joy with you. That could be anything from your running shoes, your journal, or a book. If it relaxes you, don’t forget to pack it.

Happy holidays and thank you for being here on my journey. I truly appreciate you.

Now go enjoy my creations. :)

It landed on 05.25.2021, so I started to read.

It begins with me talking about how sore I was from running on wet sand at the beach — which apparently is no joke when you haven’t done it in a long a** time. (Exactly how I wrote it.)

Then I got to a part I knew I had to share with you. It was inspired by a few tarot cards I’d pulled earlier that day with an amazing human. I wrote:

I’m becoming electric, so I should give no thought to what everyone else is doing.
I am becoming sane in an insane world and will be looked at as insane, but it’s okay — that’s normal for me.
I must do what I want, no matter how off the rails it might seem, and trust myself because everything will always turn out okay.

I smiled to myself while I continued reading.

Here I was being encouraged to be my authentic self no matter how I looked to other people.

Honestly, I used to be very skeptical of doing a lot of things because I feared how I would be scrutinized by strangers, but the more I’ve grown, the more I realize that fear was all in my head.

No one cared what I did — not then and not now. If what I’m doing doesn’t benefit them, they’ll look away. If it does, they’ll pay attention. Either way, I have zero control over what other people do.

My only job is to show up as myself without pretense — and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

A year and a few months after writing that entry, I started my YouTube channel (October 22, 2022), and that advice stuck with me to this day.

It’s okay if I look insane to other people — I’m doing what feels right to me.

I stopped holding myself back from doing the things I wanted and did them to the best of my ability. I’ve made mistakes, fallen into plenty of ditches, laughed, and kept going.

I’m just figuring life out as I go because no one handed any of us a handbook on how to be human.

It’s okay to feel lost. It’s okay to pivot a thousand times. It’s more than okay to keep trying new things. But what’s never okay is not doing what you want because it feels too difficult.

I celebrated my three years on YouTube on a very windy day, and even though the wind blew my candle out a few times, it made the moment even more special. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

In the episode, I celebrate the journey, the lessons, and the courage it takes to choose the things you love.

You can watch the film here:

When AI first became available to the public, it received very mixed feedback—mostly fear. But through all the noise, most of us still don’t fully understand what to do with it.

That’s why I’m hosting a talk with The Webby Awards (yes, you read that right!).

AI is here, and it’s not going anywhere. So the question is: what should we do about it?

You’re invited to join the conversation next Tuesday at 4 PM ET.

Trust the (Generative) Process: How the AI revolution is turning trust into the Internet’s most valuable currency, and making credibility the new gold standard for excellence.

Save your seat now — and don’t worry, I’ll remind you again so you don’t miss it.

Catch Up on the Films

Ep. 53
This episode is about “blah” days, safe spaces, and why familiar comforts should always be prioritized.
I explore how these simple things help bring me back to feeling like myself again.

Ep. 54
This week’s episode is about the shifts that change everything…the flow that returns when you stop overthinking, start listening to yourself, and honor what truly matters. The channel also hit a milestone! 500 Subscribers!! I’m incredibly grateful.

I’ll leave you with something I’ve been learning more and more lately:

Everything changes. Sometimes that change takes decades; other times, it happens in an instant. Learn to go with the flow and trust that everything is always working out for the best.

I hope you have a great day.

And as always, thank you for being here.

Remember to Save your seat for the Webby Talk!

Now go enjoy my creations. :)

You do a marathon!

That’s exactly what I did these past few days — except it wasn’t just binge-watching Interview with the Vampire on Netflix. (It’s a great series, I’m almost done with season 2) I edited and published three films back-to-back, so now you’ll have the pleasure of binge-watching them back-to-back too.

The last vlog on the list is a special one because it officially marks one year since I decided to create “a week in the life” videos and publish weekly.

Now, we both know the 52 weeks weren’t all edited and published on time, but the filming was done for every single one of them in their respective week. (I was seriously determined!)

I’m proud of this milestone, of everything I’ve learned, and excited for what’s to come next.

Start the Marathon

Let’s start with Ep. 49 - Don’t Visit Spain Until You Watch This

In this episode, I spend another week in Spain, wandering through Barcelona’s labyrinth streets, returning to my favorite vegan café, and exploring the breathtaking mountains of Montserrat.

In Ep. 50 I’m packing up and heading home - back to America and of course I also share my unfiltered thoughts about coming back to life here.

Moving on to Ep. 51.

Self-care is much more than just rest and reflection, and I’m guilty of avoiding this very important part for 6 whole years! (Please don’t be like me, I beg of you!) Also, this film got over 300 views in less than 24hrs!

Last but certainly not least, the milestone episode!

52 weeks, 52 vlogs. Countless lessons.

In this milestone episode, I reflect on the challenges, growth, and unexpected joys of documenting life unscripted.

I hope you enjoy this marathon and as always, thank you for being here. I truly appreciate you.

Now go enjoy my creations. :)

The words were flowing so quickly that there was no time to open the computer and record with my fancy mic like I normally do. So this time, I’m walking back and forth while recording, allowing the thought to unravel itself.

In the recording, I mentioned my time in Spain — here’s the link to watch that film: Barcelona Streets + Coastal Peace (Spain Diaries)

And if you’re wondering how and when I got to Spain, well, it started with a cruise. Here’s the full video: What They Don’t Tell You About Mediterranean Cruises

and this is how I prepped and packed to go on that cruise: Getting Ready for a Cruise | What Actually Happens Before I Travel

It feels great to have a space where I can chat share my thoughts, and creations, so thank you for being a part of this. I truly appreciate you.

Now go enjoy my creations.

5 years ago, I started a blog. 5 years later, I’m still publishing articles!

This is a dream I made come to life and it has changed everything.

I wrote all about it in this new article: 5 Reasons You Should Start Writing More (From Someone Who Can’t Stop)

Thank you for subscribing, thank you for reading my words, and thank you for your continued support.

Here’s to 5 years of Navigating This Space.

Happy Reading!

It seems like we’ve left summer in July.

I know that may seem a little dramatic since we’ve had some seriously hot days in August but once it turned August first, the weather shifted immediately.

The shift inspired me to jot down my thoughts and I saved it to share with you now.

Written 08.01.2025 - 3:30pm

This is the week where everything got pushed to the next day.

Start editing the previous videos?

Nope, I’m too drained, I’ll do it tomorrow

Cook a hearty breakfast?

Nope, I can only manage a simple one today, I’ll do that tomorrow?

Hmm, how about I write something for my newsletter subscribers?

Nope, I’m just going to finish reading this book, I’ll do it tomorrow.

The difference with this week and previous ones is that I gave myself the permission to choose what to focus on.

Normally, I’d honestly try to do to everything on the day it was scheduled but this week had other plans.

One thing I’m truly proud of is understanding that putting something off till tomorrow doesn’t mean I’m abandoning it forever, I mean these are normally the things that get repeated every week like clockwork.

I fully enjoy doing these things, however, my body asked for a break so I obliged.

Funny enough, I’m currently sitting in bed under the covers writing this on my phone while the chilly August breeze creep through the windows whispering, “summer is over.” Or for dramatics “Winter is coming!”

When it comes to summer days (not the too hot to function ones), I choose denial, I want it to last forever, (I was born in Jamaica, what did you really expect?)

But in truth, nothing lasts forever and what matters the most is how you choose to live.

So choose a life you’ll be proud to tell stories of to anyone who asks. Remember your chosen path with never be the same as someone else so don’t get caught in the trap of comparison, it’s simply a waste of time because no one can do it like you do no matter how hard they try.

Rest when you need to, laugh always, don’t stop learning, keep moving, eat and live well.

Life Lately

The summer has been a rollercoaster of emotions and the one thing that kept me moving through the days was being creative so that’s exactly what I did.

I documented it all in my Life Unscripted series on my Youtube Channel, here’s the link to watch, enjoy!

Cheers to the summers that are way too short.

Cheers to going outside and experiencing life.

Cheers to you and the stories you’ll tell.

Thank you for being here.

Now go enjoy my creations

Happy viewing!

It never fails—every time I sit at my little floor desk to write to you, my mind goes blank.

But somehow, the thoughts that make me second-guess everything are always screaming louder than ever!

What exactly do you want to hear from me today?
Will I help, or just be another voice in the void that’s ignored?
Why am I complicating this?

This is how my brain works:

Every week, I have a few tasks that I need to complete. And every week—after procrastinating forever, waiting on inspiration to hit—I sit down and stare at the computer.

After a while, I decide to start with the simplest thing I can do to get the ball rolling.

In the case of writing, I start like I’m writing a letter.

“Dear Jo,”

Like a floodgate that slowly gets cracked, the words start to trickle until my thoughts are firing way faster than my fingers can keep up.

This happens like clockwork.

Why?

I never know if what I say will be what needs to be said.

That’s an immense amount of pressure on someone who simply wants to share what she’s learned and experienced—so it can either entertain or enlighten you.

Now, there are weeks when I have no issues writing and everything just seems to flow effortlessly, but comparing those moments of flow to the moments that need a jump start is a wicked trap, one that I have learned (the hard way) never to entertain.

So as I sit here under the air conditioner that’s set to a comfortable 78 degrees Fahrenheit, I type away to tell you that it’s more than okay to not always know where to start—that’s actually part of being human.

And most importantly, not knowing does NOT (and should NOT) dictate how worthy you feel.

Allow yourself to simply be.

Remember, there’s no one else like you, and being too hard on yourself is never good for your mental or physical health.

So give yourself a break, go enjoy the outside (I mean, it’s summer!), and when you’re ready to relax and watch a film, here are two I made for you:

Still from Slow Living in a Heat Wave | Feeling Worthy, Journaling + Making Jamaican Food

Click here to watch the episode 👉 Slow Living in a Heat Wave | Feeling Worthy, Journaling + Making Jamaican Food

Still from Why We Wait for Inspiration (and Why We Shouldn’t)

Click here to watch the episode 👉 Why We Wait for Inspiration (and Why We Shouldn’t)

Thank you for being here.

Now go enjoy my creations

Happy viewing!

I started my day crouched over the computer, researching hashtags and fighting with ChatGPT to give me a description for the Life Unscripted episode I was about to publish.

When did asking for something simple turn into a fight and a race against time?

I had a specific time I wanted the episode to go live, but the metrics—the title, thumbnail, description, tags, and more—had other plans.

Eventually, everything decided to work together, and I hit publish just in time to head out for a brisk morning walk.

3.10 miles later, I rushed back home to jump on a Zoom call that, at the time, I didn’t realize was about to change my life.

The Moment It Clicked

Three hours later, after a very long, hot shower, I decided I needed to take a break.

Why?

I learned so many things on that Zoom call that I knew I needed time to absorb it all, so I went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

A few hours later, while I was busy working on something else, the thought hit me—I know exactly what my thing is!

The Thing I Thought Was Too Easy

How could I have been so blind?

The thing I had been dismissing all along was the thing that made the most sense.

By the way, when did ease become the reason to eliminate something immediately?

Seems crazy, right? But it’s something I consistently did.

I’ve written off so many things I did really well simply because I convinced myself it was too easy to be valuable.

Why on earth did I convince myself that I had to struggle and fight for something to be worth something to me? Why can’t it be easy?

The thing is, it was easy all along—and I didn’t value it because it was easy.

What is that thing?

Journaling.

Even though I did it almost every day and loved doing it, I still overlooked it.

When I had trouble writing blog posts, I wouldn’t go a week without journaling.

Make it make sense!

I’m so glad I no longer believe something has to be difficult for it to be valuable. I now know that it should feel effortless.

A Celebration of Ease

I wrote all about this in my new blog post: How I Found My Thing + 7 Journaling Prompts to Find Yours, click here to read.

Also, Episode 37 of Life Unscripted has been published. It’s about floating through a chilly, unpredictable June in New York, finding comfort in small rituals, and learning to just go with the flow. Click here to watch Stop Fighting Change: How I’m Learning to Just Go with It.

As always, thank you for being here.

Now go enjoy my creations

Happy viewing!

Honestly, I had very little faith that the film would be uploaded and published today—on a Sunday! But here we are. My internet connection decided to be nice and not take 3 hours to upload, so I’m just going with the flow.

Speaking of going with the flow, I’ve been learning how to create time for my mind to take a break more. And while I was waiting for the uploads to finish, I set my hour-long alarm and then did nothing.

No phone, no music, no writing, no drawing, no speaking, and certainly no sleeping. The hour is my mental break from everything, where I sit or lay down and just zone out.

I’ve been doing this for over a week now and the difference I feel going into the hour break and coming out is tremendous.

My mind is no longer racing with thoughts or checking the to-do list to see what I can check off.

I recommend you try it.

I do understand that an hour may be very extreme for you, so start with 5–10 mins and see how you feel. And when you’re ready, increase your time.

It honestly feels like brain spa time.

Since I’m excited about this new episode of Life Unscripted (I’m always excited), I wanted to tell you how I pieced it together. (Very fitting since the name of the channel is Pieces of Jody.)

Stills From the Film

I started editing Thursday (06.03.2025) but felt like something was missing, so I knew that only meant one thing—I needed to add voiceover audio. I scanned my journal for the pages I wrote that week (06.09.2025–06.13.2025) and found a few interesting things to include, but none grabbed me.

That’s when I decided to just plug my mic in and speak from my heart. What came out was my battle with exhaustion (I’m so much more rested now) and what I do when I can’t do anything else that requires a lot of brainpower.

That small talk turned into a 10-minute chat, and most of it ended up in the film.

It reminds me of the first time I recorded Unthinking—which happened to be that week as well—and how at home I feel when I’m creating.

It’s honestly the best thing I can do whenever I can’t do anything (besides actual resting).

There’s one thing I wanted to mention in full that I didn’t highlight in the film.

On my sketchbook, I wrote something after I finished an abstract drawing. I didn’t show what I wrote fully, so I’ll share it with you now:

What if there are no mistakes?
What if what we think are mistakes were always meant to happen—
how would that change our thinking?

I’ll leave you to ponder that today.

Here’s the link to watch the new episode 👉 The 3 Stages of Life | Rest, Explore, Create | Artist Diary NYC

Thanks for being here, I truly appreciate you.

Now go enjoy my creation :)

Happy viewing!

Hey,

Have you ever caught yourself doing something absentmindedly when you’re supposed to be doing something else?
Yeah, me too, almost every single day.

As someone who’s home more than the average person (I have to push myself to go outside), it’s hard to focus on the things I actually want to accomplish for the day. Things like editing a video or working on building my creative business sometimes take a backseat.

Why, you may ask?

Aren’t I living the dream of not having to be in a specific place at a specific time?

Well, being home comes with its perks, yes, but it also comes with the constant task of keeping the house from looking like a tornado stopped by.

Creativity and housework are two completely different things that don’t really work together.

I’m either making the decision to fold laundry or finish writing, there’s literally no scenario where I can do both at the same time. (This is where I wish I had multiple versions of myself, lol.)

But on a serious note, I understand that if I try to do both, I’ll accomplish nothing.

Remember the article where I told you that multitasking is a myth?

No?

Maybe you need a refresher. Read it here: How Focusing On One Thing At A Time Will Increase Your Productivity

Since multitasking is a myth that will make your brain feel fried, the best option I have is to manage my time.

But what if I don’t want to do anything domestic?

Am I wrong for feeling that way just because I’m a woman?

Why must all the domestic tasks fall on the person (male or female) who works from home?

What’s fair in a situation like this?

Honestly, I’m not sure what exactly is fair, because if I had to work away from home every day, the last thing I’d want to do when I finally got home is laundry.

Anyway, I’m sharing all this with you because that’s the main topic of the new film: The Thoughts of an Anti-Housewife.

Stills from the film

It’s a declaration that I’ll never be the domestic type – especially if that’s all I’d ever be expected to do for the rest of my life.

I tip my hat to everyone who wants to solely be a house-partner and do domestic tasks all day, but that life is not for me.

Yes, I’m looking forward to hiring a maid one day.

The film also takes us back in time to visit my old writings, drawings, and illustrations. I’ve done some very fun and intricate projects, I’d love to hear which one is your favorite.

One thing I realized while going down memory lane was just how much I’ve grown over the years. This was the first time I’d read some of my old writings, and honestly, I’m proud of everything I’ve done.

I say this as a reminder to you: if you don’t think you’ve grown or changed, take a look at your life from 5–10 years ago. I guarantee you’ll be humbled by how far you’ve come. You’re doing great, so keep going.

Click here to watch: The Thoughts of an Anti-Housewife

As always, thanks for being here!

Now go enjoy my creations. :)

Happy viewing!

This one’s about a question that popped into my head and demanded my attention.

Also, I finally published the video I was struggling with, yaye!

Stills From The Film

I re-edited the drumming scene about four times, and I honestly think it comes real close to what I was imagining.

The rest of the film is awesome too (of course I’ll never speak horribly about my creations). It’s about dealing with changes and adapting to the fact that everything is always changing, especially ourselves.

Here’s the link to watch: A Cycle of Relearning Who I Am and Upgrading.

Thanks for being here, as always.

Now go enjoy my creations.

Happy listening + viewing!

Now, I have a full audio recording of what happened after I got the idea and decided to do it.

It all stemmed from me doubting my abilities and I guess this was the universe’s way of proving to me that I shouldn’t feel unconfident.

Thank you for allowing me the space to create and document freely and to also share them with you.

I appreciate you.

Have a listen when you can.

Enjoy.

This is Ep. 1 of Unthinking.

Can you believe we’re officially in June? The 6th month of the year!

Wasn’t it January yesterday?

A more serious question is: Have you been doing what you want to do in life?

It’s a heavy question, I know, but it should be one you’re delighted to answer instead of feeling weighed down by it.

If you haven’t started that journey you’ve been thinking about, start it with a simple challenge.

Challenge yourself to answer just one of the many questions floating around in your head about that thing. Commit to just one and see where it takes you. That's it, it's really that simple.

Speaking of questions, I asked myself one of the most important questions of my entire existence. Yes, it was that deep. And you know what? I found a way to answer it… by asking another question.

Questions start the ball rolling and keep it going when everything starts to feel stagnant.

I asked a lot of questions in the new Life Unscripted episode—some silly, but all important.

Here’s the link to watch the new episode here 👉 Is this Overthinking or Just Paying Attention?

Stills From the Film

Here’s a quick little challenge for you:

Take a wild guess: how many questions did I ask in the film?

Reply to this email and tell me your answer. If you get it right, and I might send a little treat your way. 😊

Thank you always for being here, I appreciate you.

Now go enjoy my creations :)

I hit a wall recently and it brought up a lot of things I used to do a lot. Now I understand that those things are no longer helpful—they’re actually the complete opposite.

When helping someone means putting myself in a hole, that simply means I’ve given way too much and I’m not getting the equivalent in return (not a great ROI).

I used to hit so many walls that in hindsight were begging me to stop running in the direction I was going—especially when I was desperately trying to help someone else.

I was completely blind to the fact that giving my help the way I was, was slowly deteriorating me.

Not anymore!

I’ve learned the signs of my people-pleasing tendencies and when it rears its head, I’ve learned how to shut it down.

How?

Boundaries!

Creating boundaries have helped me understand that it’s more than okay to say “no more” while walking away with a proud heart, not a disappointed one.

Proud that I had the courage to speak up for myself and not deplete my energy in hopes that I would please the person asking for help.

Proud that I chose to protect my peace over pleasing.

Proud that I protected my energy.

Sometimes you just have to tap out and walk away with your head held high. If not, you’ll risk spending hours (if not days or weeks) recovering from the energy drain of helping beyond your capacity.

I speak all about that experience + more in this film: Unlearning What No Longer Serves Me — click here to watch it.

🎬 Episode 31 – Unlearning What No Longer Serves Me

That’s not all I have for you today—there’s another film!

Yes two films back to back.

I’m back home in New York City and the welcome home was nothing short of a New York welcome.

It feels good being back in the city that’s buzzing with creativity. Honestly it’s also an adjustment being back home after traveling for the past 7 months.

You can experience my thoughts and adventures here: When Home Feels Familiar and Foreign All at Once — watch it now.

🎬 Episode 32 – When Home Feels Familiar and Foreign All at Once

It is good to be home so I hope you enjoy this holiday today.

Thank you always for being here, I appreciate you.

Now go enjoy my creations :)

I’ll be honest—this took me a few tries to write because I was trying to force something that doesn’t come naturally.

You’ve probably been there too, thinking you have to be so much more than you already are just to be taken seriously. But the truth is, that’s all in our heads.

The moment I realized I was forcing what comes naturally to me, I stopped.

Here’s what actually got me writing this message to you:
I just wrote to you like I write in my journal.
Only difference is—there’s no scratched-out misspelled words here. Thank you, autocorrect (and my editor, ha!).

Speaking of journaling, the message in this week’s Life Unscripted episode came straight from one of my morning entries.

It took me a few reads to absorb what I wrote, and honestly, I don’t think I’ve unpacked it all yet.

At first, I thought what I wrote was generalized but as I thought about it more, I realized that my journal is tailored to me, and whatever I write in it is just for me—until I feel the urge to share that knowledge.

Since you’re always getting the deeper backstory here, Behind The Episode, I wanted to share why I chose to include that journal entry.

I’ve come to love adding voiceovers to the films I create. They give me another layer of storytelling to play with.

But I didn’t know where to start with this one. I didn’t jot down any valuable notes that could help, so I turned to my journal, found the entries from that time, and started reading.

I’ll include the entry here so you’ll always have a written version to come back to:

The saying that goes, “you have to put in the work first,” is really true.
You have to understand the level you currently are, and become aware that there’s another level to achieve—then find a way to get there.

Everyone is on their own path.
Some paths overlap for a while, but eventually, you have to walk your own journey.

You have to make the decision. You have to commit.

There will be help along the way—that’s where the overlapping comes in—but no one else can make solid decisions for you.

Other people are there to provide guiding words, and encouragement especially in fields you’ve never explored.

But once you’ve learned their wisdom you have the choice to either follow it, reference it or completely ignore it.

Your path is not the same. Stop trying to force it.

Here’s the link to watch the new episode: Do This If You Want To Be Successful

Stills From The Vlog

I hope you've had a wonderful easter chasing bunny eggs, please do me a favor and explain what bunnies have to do with eggs and easter, I'm still confused,

Anyways, keep having a great day today, and as always, thank you for being here! Now go enjoy my creations.