I did a thing today 😀 This is the message I sent to my sister and niece. The GEN Z's response (that's the niece, if you're not sure what GEN Z and X references are) "I feel like you're living out your rebel teenage years now 😂" What you may not know about me is that when I started University I wanted to go balls to the walls crazy. What I mean is I wanted an eyebrow + nose piercing, tattoos, purply greyish hair, and edgy clothes. I wanted to dip the scales from preppy to wild and carefree. After years of attending strict schools that had a rule for EVERYTHING (even whether your hair could be tied up or worn down), I felt a raging desire to revolt against this suppression of self-expression. "What did I do?" I hear you ask. NOTHING! I fell into the trap of worrying about what everyone else would say. For years I was even too scared to cut my hair short. Recently, I was on my least favourite app, LinkedIn, and I saw a post by James Clear: Decisions are like hats, haircuts or tattoos.**Most decisions are like hats. Try one and if you don’t like it, put it back and try another. The cost of a mistake is low, so move quickly and try a bunch of hats. So, when I decided to get a nose piercing, I said to myself, "Is this decision like a hat, haircut or tattoo?"For me, this was a hat. If I didn't like it, I'd take the stud out and let the cartilage in my nose close the hole. DONE. Do you know what this did for me? It saved me hours, days and probably weeks of going back and forth on whether I should make this decision or not. I wanted it, weighed it up, asked the questions and in a matter of 15 minutes got my nose pierced. The next time you have a decision to make, ask yourself, "Is this decision like a hat, haircut or tattoo?"And then work backwards from there. It'll save you time, energy and perhaps even some heartache. If you need a few strategies with making decisions read more on the blog. Looking back now, if I'd had my nose pierced at 19, it would have meant nothing but me lashing out at authority. Doing it at 48, feels like a gentle unfolding of myself. There's a difference. Bloom like no-one is watching and no-one cares! And if you did a thing, hit reply and let me know. Your blooming late bestie, Lisa Marie ***** Whenever you are ready, here are 4 ways I can help you:
|
The Open Draft is my weekly letter about healing, memory, and reclaiming your voice. Each post is a raw, evolving draft that invites reflection and real connection. Subscribe to join me every Saturday. No noise, no polish—just truth in motion.
Somewhere between seven and sorrow, we moved to Big Bend—a sugar mill town where the air smelled like ash and summer fizzed like Coca Cola. I must’ve been seven or eight. My parents had just divorced. My father worked at the Sugar Mill, and the village was filled with expats, heat, and a country club with tennis courts and a high school I was too young for. What I remember most is this:In June, they burned the sugar cane.Black snow would rain from the sky.Ash floating, weightless, like...
I've been quiet here, but not because I've stopped writing. Truth is, I've needed a space that lets me move more slowly. Where the stories didn’t need to be polished—only honest.Where I could write from the raw edge of memory and meaning. That space is The Open Draft my new publication on Substack. It’s where I’m writing essays that live closer to the bone, mirroring the work I’m doing on my book. If you’ve ever felt alone in your healing journey, or longed to make sense of where you come...
I'm too old. How many times have you said that? How many dreams have you buried under that excuse? Maybe you've thought about switching careers, learning a new skill, or starting something completely different. But then the voice creeps in: You should have done this years ago. It's too late now. It's not. And I have proof. the real stories that say otherwise I've been collecting comments from people just like you. People who thought they were "too old" to start again—but did it anyway. They...