Mari! Do *not* be more consistent. Do *not* listen to Substack. What you do, and what you are, and have, is enough - it is perfect. Lean in to that.
Don't follow the economic advice of expanding in order to survive. Tend your own growth, not some business theme that fit the 1950s more than what we have in front of us today.
The emails from Substack!!! While I appreciate trying to keep authors advised of ways to use the platform most thoroughly, they stress me out too!
I love your update, and the way that you are able to see your understanding of your theme-of-the-year deepening as the year progresses!
My city (chesapeake, Virginia) does not have a city flower but our city symbol is a great blue heron! I see herons everywhere here and it makes me smile that somebody recognized their presence and brought it into our civic imagery!
I relate to so much of this. I am tending my literal garden and watching it tend me (am currently writing a newsletter about this very thing). I’m also paying attention to the new experience of staying put in a particular location. What will I be if I don’t move? What will my life look like?
Alas, Omaha, NE has no city flower, but the state flower is goldenrod, a lovely prairie plant, which blooms in my garden.
Beautiful, Mari! <3 Consistency is overrated. I feel the urge to make this a super special amazing comment to compliment your piece -- but hey, that's not the point, right? This is enough. Thanks for writing. Thanks for being you.
Mari this hit the spot! What fabulous insights. I especially like Number 3! I am also getting emails, multiples every day about growing my business, book etc. There are so many I don't have time to read them all. Thank you for putting this into perspective as well as the news of the day and tending to our own gardens!
I love your newsletter exactly as it is. Also very much enjoyed your modernised Prodigal Son references: Fattened calf = caviar and bottle service, Taylor Swift tickets, readings personal finance books during 60 Minutes commercial breaks. LOL.
Your newsletter and Substack's "Notes" announcement were delivered side-by-side this morning and it was one more alarm bell that I'm not doing/interacting/connecting enough. "But Substack is my refuge from Social Media FOMO!" I demanded. Luckily, I saved your newsletter for second, and oh what a sweet deliciously soothing balm it is. Thank you. I've spent the better part of four decades frantic about all the flexi-feels you mention here (my first illustration ribbon was awarded to me at age 6 so I was a goner at that point). Since Pandemia, however, I've been on a therapy-guided, self-worth boosted crusade to focus on my garden-tending. Maybe I have five Substack readers for my little Tarot comic — 40% of which are my mom and husband — but it's the first time in these four decades that I've had an actual blast creating my work for myself rather than force-feeding something more benign and/or contrived to the masses. All of this coincides with my 'Mari Andrew Era,' so again, thanks for the help! Long story long, your Sinatra-style "I did it myyyyy wayyyy" contribution is the life raft this corner of the world needs in a sea of content overload. (OH! And in addition to the Phantom content, I'm also here for the Bible story content! Caviar and bottle service!! 😂)
I'm actually sitting here weeping at the synchronicity of your writing. Had a daffodil incident that literally changed my life a few years ago and had just finished telling someone about it and then open this. My childhood was in New Jersey and New York so the New York connection is powerful as well. As a fellow ennagram 4 I have struggled with jealousy and the story of the prodigal's elder brother going out into the field in a jealous pout was my MO. Something about the father pursuing and not shaming and telling him "everything I have is yours" has been life giving reminder and fits with your "I have everything I need" theme. So going from daffodil to prodigal story got me good! Though I'm more your mom's age, I absolutely connect with all you write and share. You are helping people despite the algorithms!
Thank you for addressing me personally, made my day special ☺
My current motto is "patience". I very much relate to your individual challenge in yoga: don't become more flexible, be more willing to appreciate the status quo and stay where I am.
Your trying to re-achieve what people compliment you for also reminds me of a truth my therapist keeps repeating me: I have perfect right to exist exactly how I am being right now. Of course there's room for a changed, better/newer/growner me if I wanted, but the here and now me is already fine :)
This morning, just before opening this, I was reading about Descartes who was somehow "blamed" (poor man, I see the reasons behind his statements and I also see the frustration behind the "blame") for creating too big division between studying the physical world and the spiritual one and dividing science and intuition. It made me think of how now I guess we are puzzled sometimes with how to unite them again somehow.
And, I just added one more word in my short list with words of the year (because this time it felt like I need a small army of words that help me:))), it's "relax", because this is what I want to invite and encourage more in my life.
'The challenge is to stay' - OH! I needed this, this was a cool pint of water in a world of salt! (Chowder?) I love the idea of choosing to tend, rather than pushing for growth. This is such gorgeous, wise writing, thank you so much for this.
Hi Mari- of everything you talk about here, staying put has really made me reflect. How it is sometimes harder to stay put than do more, stretch more, and feel inadequate and conflicted if you don’t. I’m going through a hard time in life and find this really grounding. Tending to my own garden is my next favorite. Everything I need I have. I struggle to believe in that as my reality sometimes. You writing is like Ayurveda for me.
Like so many of the readers who have commented below, I resonate deeply with your inclination to stop, slow down, appreciate. Substack does not promote that way in the world. My theme for the year is ALLOW.
Mari! Do *not* be more consistent. Do *not* listen to Substack. What you do, and what you are, and have, is enough - it is perfect. Lean in to that.
Don't follow the economic advice of expanding in order to survive. Tend your own growth, not some business theme that fit the 1950s more than what we have in front of us today.
Sending love.
Yes yes yes. To all of it. I resonate so much with your words. Also your prodigal son summary is hilariously on point.
The emails from Substack!!! While I appreciate trying to keep authors advised of ways to use the platform most thoroughly, they stress me out too!
I love your update, and the way that you are able to see your understanding of your theme-of-the-year deepening as the year progresses!
My city (chesapeake, Virginia) does not have a city flower but our city symbol is a great blue heron! I see herons everywhere here and it makes me smile that somebody recognized their presence and brought it into our civic imagery!
Hi Mari,
I relate to so much of this. I am tending my literal garden and watching it tend me (am currently writing a newsletter about this very thing). I’m also paying attention to the new experience of staying put in a particular location. What will I be if I don’t move? What will my life look like?
Alas, Omaha, NE has no city flower, but the state flower is goldenrod, a lovely prairie plant, which blooms in my garden.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Beautiful, Mari! <3 Consistency is overrated. I feel the urge to make this a super special amazing comment to compliment your piece -- but hey, that's not the point, right? This is enough. Thanks for writing. Thanks for being you.
Mari this hit the spot! What fabulous insights. I especially like Number 3! I am also getting emails, multiples every day about growing my business, book etc. There are so many I don't have time to read them all. Thank you for putting this into perspective as well as the news of the day and tending to our own gardens!
I love your newsletter exactly as it is. Also very much enjoyed your modernised Prodigal Son references: Fattened calf = caviar and bottle service, Taylor Swift tickets, readings personal finance books during 60 Minutes commercial breaks. LOL.
Your newsletter and Substack's "Notes" announcement were delivered side-by-side this morning and it was one more alarm bell that I'm not doing/interacting/connecting enough. "But Substack is my refuge from Social Media FOMO!" I demanded. Luckily, I saved your newsletter for second, and oh what a sweet deliciously soothing balm it is. Thank you. I've spent the better part of four decades frantic about all the flexi-feels you mention here (my first illustration ribbon was awarded to me at age 6 so I was a goner at that point). Since Pandemia, however, I've been on a therapy-guided, self-worth boosted crusade to focus on my garden-tending. Maybe I have five Substack readers for my little Tarot comic — 40% of which are my mom and husband — but it's the first time in these four decades that I've had an actual blast creating my work for myself rather than force-feeding something more benign and/or contrived to the masses. All of this coincides with my 'Mari Andrew Era,' so again, thanks for the help! Long story long, your Sinatra-style "I did it myyyyy wayyyy" contribution is the life raft this corner of the world needs in a sea of content overload. (OH! And in addition to the Phantom content, I'm also here for the Bible story content! Caviar and bottle service!! 😂)
I'm actually sitting here weeping at the synchronicity of your writing. Had a daffodil incident that literally changed my life a few years ago and had just finished telling someone about it and then open this. My childhood was in New Jersey and New York so the New York connection is powerful as well. As a fellow ennagram 4 I have struggled with jealousy and the story of the prodigal's elder brother going out into the field in a jealous pout was my MO. Something about the father pursuing and not shaming and telling him "everything I have is yours" has been life giving reminder and fits with your "I have everything I need" theme. So going from daffodil to prodigal story got me good! Though I'm more your mom's age, I absolutely connect with all you write and share. You are helping people despite the algorithms!
Thank you for addressing me personally, made my day special ☺
My current motto is "patience". I very much relate to your individual challenge in yoga: don't become more flexible, be more willing to appreciate the status quo and stay where I am.
Your trying to re-achieve what people compliment you for also reminds me of a truth my therapist keeps repeating me: I have perfect right to exist exactly how I am being right now. Of course there's room for a changed, better/newer/growner me if I wanted, but the here and now me is already fine :)
Happy daffodil walks!
This morning, just before opening this, I was reading about Descartes who was somehow "blamed" (poor man, I see the reasons behind his statements and I also see the frustration behind the "blame") for creating too big division between studying the physical world and the spiritual one and dividing science and intuition. It made me think of how now I guess we are puzzled sometimes with how to unite them again somehow.
And, I just added one more word in my short list with words of the year (because this time it felt like I need a small army of words that help me:))), it's "relax", because this is what I want to invite and encourage more in my life.
Thanks for the thought provoking text, Mari :)
You make this reader so special and so loved. Thanks for writing to us when you are ready.
Thank you Mari for your beautiful newsletters. I always look forward to them in my inbox .
'The challenge is to stay' - OH! I needed this, this was a cool pint of water in a world of salt! (Chowder?) I love the idea of choosing to tend, rather than pushing for growth. This is such gorgeous, wise writing, thank you so much for this.
Hi Mari- of everything you talk about here, staying put has really made me reflect. How it is sometimes harder to stay put than do more, stretch more, and feel inadequate and conflicted if you don’t. I’m going through a hard time in life and find this really grounding. Tending to my own garden is my next favorite. Everything I need I have. I struggle to believe in that as my reality sometimes. You writing is like Ayurveda for me.
Like so many of the readers who have commented below, I resonate deeply with your inclination to stop, slow down, appreciate. Substack does not promote that way in the world. My theme for the year is ALLOW.