optimism isn’t blind faith
Good morning, sunshine
Yesterday, a client asked me: “How are you so optimistic right now?”
At the time, I didn’t have an answer. But this morning, I had a realization that I hope brings you a little hope.
I’ve had my share of resets.
Switching careers.
Falling in love. Falling out of it.
Starting businesses that soared. And some that crashed.
Losing friends I thought were forever.
Facing a cancer scare that stopped me cold.
Landing a dream job, only to find it was a nightmare.
Living through a global pandemic. (We all did that one.)
Self-publishing a book and having it resonate with my community.
Moving cities. Making new friends. Finding my way back to old ones.
Getting screwed over by my publisher.
And finally, quitting that toxic “dream” job to become an artist and an entrepreneur.
So why am I optimistic?
Because I learned to surrender.
There are things I can control.
And there are things that will do what they want, regardless of me.
I’ve got limited energy, limited time, and a big heart. So I pour it into what matters: my mission. my people. my art.
I let myself grieve the losses.
But I don’t camp out in fear or worry—because when I do, I forget the beauty, the joy, the quiet magic.
My ancestors were enslaved.
I’m part of the first generation in my bloodline born with the right to vote.
I’m continually reminded that this country wasn’t designed for my success.
And still, I persist.
Optimism isn’t blind faith.
It’s a choice to keep looking for the light—because the world always has shadows.
But you, my friend, can always bring the sunshine.
Let’s take a temperature check
Good morning, sunshine
How many decisions does it take to overwhelm a human?
About 35,000 a day—at least, that’s the average number most people make.
Tiny ones, like what to wear or what to eat.
And big ones, like how to spend your time or your energy.
It’s no wonder life feels heavy sometimes.
We’re so busy making decisions, we forget to ask the most important one: How am I really doing?
That’s why I want to share a tool I love—a temperature check. It’s simple, quick, and helps you tune out the noise to reconnect with what matters most.
Here’s how it works:
1. Grab a piece of paper (or your Notes app).
2. Write down these 10 areas of your life:
- Mental Health
- Physical Health
- Body Movement
- Relationships/Community
- Career
- Finances
- Creativity
- Joy
- Spirituality
- Home Environment
Rate each one on a scale from 1–10.
No overthinking. No judgment. Just a quick snapshot of how you feel right now.
When you’re done, look for patterns. What’s thriving? What’s not? Where do you want to pour more energy first?
It’s not about fixing everything today. It’s about awareness. Because knowing where you stand is the first step to moving forward.
Quick reminder: Over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing key exercises from The Reset Workbook—a tool I developed for realignment during transition. When we build our inner foundation, everything else falls into place, especially in uncertain times.
P.S. Imagine your future self thanking you for pausing today. Feels good, doesn’t it?
permission to reset
Good morning, sunshine
What if today was the day you gave yourself permission to reset?
Not because you’re broken, but because you’re ready.
Ready to let go of the extra weight you’ve been carrying.
Ready to reclaim your joy.
A reset isn’t about wiping the slate clean or pretending the past didn’t happen. It’s about starting fresh—with a little more clarity, a little more care, and a lot more intention.
Right now, life feels heavy.
The election, the endless news cycle, the constant feeling that our country is unraveling—it’s okay to admit that. It’s okay to feel that.
But here’s the thing: you can’t carry that weight all the time. It’s too much.
Your reset is an opportunity to lighten the load.
Not all at once. Not in a frantic rush. But gently. Intentionally. Like pressing pause on the chaos to remember who you are and what you need—so you can stay grounded and centered when life’s storms inevitably show up.
A reset is a gift you give yourself—a moment to pause, breathe, and realign with what truly matters. It’s about quieting the noise of the outside world so you can tune back into the sound of your own voice.
Why you might need a reset?
Maybe you’ve been running on autopilot, saying “yes” when your heart whispers “no.”
Maybe you’ve been giving away more energy than you’ve saved for yourself.
Maybe you’ve forgotten that even on the darkest days, love, connection, and peace are still within reach.
It’s easy to get out of alignment. The world moves fast, and we’re told to keep up. But here’s the truth: you don’t have to.
A reset is your chance to slow down, quiet the noise, and reclaim your peace.
Let’s start small.
1. Make a list of five feelings you want to invite into your life.
Maybe it’s joy, peace, or freedom. Maybe it’s safety, connection, or love. Choose feelings that truly resonate with you.
2. Now, list five things you’re grateful for—and connect them to those feelings. Here are a few examples:
I’m grateful for my morning walks. They make me feel free and connected to nature.
I’m grateful my living room is clean and my kitchen is freshly mopped. My home feels peaceful and calm.
I’m grateful for breakfast with my friend Val. It made me feel connected to my community.
At first, it might feel cheesy to write down these everyday things. But that’s the point.
This exercise shifts your focus away from life’s imperfections and toward the everyday joys you might be overlooking.
You’ve got so much to be grateful for. And this is just the beginning.
P.S. Focusing on your peace right now is the best way to restore your strength so we can take on Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Yeahhhh, I’m sticking with that—his actual name just raises my blood pressure.
joy is the revolution
Good morning, sunshine
When something shatters, you have two choices:
You can piece it back together,
or you can build something new from the rubble.
Our country is aching for a reset.
But real change? It’s not starting at the top.
That change will come from people like us, breaking free from worn-out patterns and hitting reset on ourselves.
Last year, I shared The Reset Workbook—a piece of my heart, my proudest work yet. It’s here to guide you, to help you reconnect with the deep-down you.
But this year, I want to give it to as many people as I can—for free. So I’m going to teach the book: through this email newsletter, on social media, and on my YouTube channel.
Because if we’re ever going to change things, it’s going to take people like you and me, lighting up the world just a bit brighter.
The news is full of stories about outrageous, terrible human beings doing awful things.
But here’s our job: to be the reason someone, somewhere, feels a little more hope.
P.S. Collectively, we create our reality. If we believe something’s impossible, it’ll stay that way.
But if we commit to radical acts of real-world kindness, we plant seeds of quiet resistance. Let’s start sowing.
joy is a form of resistance
Good morning sunshine,
I used to think the opposite of fear was love.
So I lived my life with so much love.
I gave it freely and earnestly.
I loved my neighbor.
I treated them with kindness.
But some people will always hate me—
because I’m Black,
because I’m gay,
because I have the audacity to be authentic.
The rejection, the dismissal, the consistent reminder that my love would always be met with disdain,
It was devastating.
So, I fell into outrage.
I let anger swallow me up.
I gave my energy to the pain,
trying to understand why they hate me this much.
But fear feeds on outrage.
Fear feeds on anger.
Fear feeds on pain.
So now I know the opposite of fear is joy—
because fear has no f•cking idea what to do with it.
It can’t consume it.
It can’t turn it into rage.
It can’t make it shrink and hide.
That’s why joy is a form of resistance.
PS. He’s not president yet. Log off. Reclaim your power. And step out of his cycle of fear… even if only for this weekend.
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