Hi, I’m Lisa.
Years ago I did an odd thing.
I stumbled across something called Do-Nothing Meditation and ended up spending a year in my little cottage in New Zealand practicing it.
Like, all day, every day.
This was NOT my normal MO. You can read The Weird Story of my Year of Silenc here.
But, there was a moment when I realized …
I wasn’t well enough to fully participate in life, and my thinking was the problem.
It was pretty scary. The kind of scary that makes you think, yeah, I’ll detach from the world for a year. That’s a good idea.
But …
Through this simple practice, and enlightening conversations with my mentor, I started to see that I wasn’t just a body with a mind attached. There was more to me.
I started tapping into my wiser, calmer self, which frankly, I never knew existed, despite years of therapy, mindfulness meditation, and stacks of self-help books.
In some ways it’s the world’s easiest meditation practice. (It’s really great if you have a particularly chatty mind or have trouble with traditional meditation)
I learned that my thoughts were not always the best. But that, I didn’t need to get rid of them, I just needed a different relationship with them.
I became less anxious.
I learned how to work without burning myself out.
Life didn’t become perfect. But it became lighter.
I started writing about what I was learning.
My blog led to a book deal with Penguin Random House. I’ve spoken at schools, run workshops, coached people one-on-one, and had the privilege of hearing from readers all over the world.
Then I became a Mom
Which was amazing. And, something I’d thought was never going to happen for me.
And what with baby stuff, exciting work with Forks Over Knives, and moving around the country with my husband who worked long hours on hit movies, my own little corner of the internet became much quieter.
So quiet, it didn’t feel like me anymore.
So, I decided to start again. Here.
My family and I are moving home to New Zealand
In many ways this newsletter feels like a fresh start too.
Not because I have everything figured out.
Because I don’t.
I’m simply more convinced than ever that we make life harder than it needs to be.
And that, there is a generation of young people, who like I was, are trying hard, but don’t realize that life can be easier.
Sure, it’s still challenging. But it can feel doable.
And that rather than feeling like you’re out of control, or at the whim of a harsh world, you’ve got a magical power in your back pocket.
Here you’ll find stories, practical ideas, and the occasional experiment that might help you step out of your head and back into your life.
For all ages.
We’ll explore things like anxiety, overthinking, creativity, burnout, parenting, purpose, beginning again, and what it means to be human.
One question I used to get asked a lot
“I feel a lot better, but how do I feel good all the time?”
Great question, right?
Except it’s not—though I totally get why we ask it.
This simple, seemingly innocent question actually sets you up to feel worse. It’s like deciding that you love starry nights then trying to only experience cloud-free nights.
We’re human. Our moods change. Our minds wander. We have great days, flat days, anxious days, and days where we wonder what the heck we’re doing.
The more we chase the impossible goal of feeling good all the time, the more we notice every moment we don’t.
The truth is, we’re better just to enjoy the stars when they’re there, and feel more relaxed about the clouds when they show up.
It’s one of my favourite ideas, and it’s something I explore in my short illustrated book.
It’s only 37 pages, it’s free, and takes about 5 minute to read.
And it’s yours when you subscribe. Which is also free.
Love Lisa
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