Hope.

With everyone posting their highlight reels from 2025, this reinforced how 2025 was one of my most challenging years. I know pain like a roommate. It’s there when I wake up, when I walk, when I sit, when I sleep. It dictates where I go and what I do. It controls my decisions and what I physically can say yes or no to. It has humbled me more than anything else in life.

And yet, it has become my greatest teacher. I’ve started to look at pain as pure salt. I’ve learned that I can allow it to shrink my world so I am all-consumed by it, like a glass of salt water. Or, I can expand my sense of Self, and my perspective of life in general. Doing so allows me to embrace stillness, deepen my empathy, and better understand those living with chronic pain. My awareness and the amount of bitterness I taste depend on the container that I put it in. I can choose to be a cup or a lake.

I spotted this rainbow on my drive today—a huge symbol of hope. My surgery date is less than a month away, and I am counting down the days until I can resume my normal activities with more flow and ease. Nonetheless, I am grateful for everything this painful season has taught me and gifted me, and for the friends who have consistently stood (and sat) by my side with bright hope and a sense of possibility for what 2026 holds.

If you’re currently navigating a season of pain, know that you’re not alone. Take one day at a time. Or even one hour at a time.

The default mode in these challenging moments is to be a cup. Choose to be a lake.

Emerging from the Pain Cave.

People say love is complicated. I’ll argue that pain is, too. As athletes, we’re told to push past it, ignore it, or even seek it out. But this year, the pain cave I sought in endurance races became my home. I watched as my life slowly shrank as the activities I enjoyed doing outside became increasingly limited due to hip pain. I halted running. And then hiking, because stepping up or down sent shockwaves of pain through my left leg. It hurt to sit. I’d sleep in strange figure 4 positions. But when simply walking on flat surfaces aggravated my pain, I reached my breaking point mentally.

I needed answers, which is what we’re all seeking when grasping for relief. My MRI confirmed my worst fears, yet illuminated a clear, concrete path towards healing. I’m already looking forward to 2026 and being able to enjoy the parts of my life I’ve missed on a deep, visceral, physical, and emotional level.

Chronic pain makes it hard to feel joyful, creative, and positive. But now I understand how many of us deal with it daily. It’s a good reminder that we’re all navigating silent battles under the surface, so being extra kind to one another goes a long way.

September Blessings and Lessons.

Now and then, get out of your comfort zone. Say ‘yes’ to the hike your friend invites you to, even if you don’t know the route or the mileage. If you’re always the leader- planning the hikes and sending out locations, it’s nice to be on the receiving end. We all have something valuable to share with others. The best way to get to know a group of new (and old) friends is to get a cabin in the middle of the woods and invite each person to teach something- whether it’s dance, stage performance, writing, or self-inquiry using nature and patterns. The best way to learn your craft better is to teach it to someone else. The forest is exactly that- for rest. Spending time in nature is the best way to recalibrate and recuperate an overextended nervous system. Listening to a kid play Chopin in the middle of a botanical garden is a reminder that the younger generation hasn’t entirely been consumed by TikTok and Instagram. Good sleep is the most underrated way to improve muscle growth and hypertrophy. Progressive overload your training over days, weeks, and months, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how much lean muscle you can put on. Instead of focusing on what is limiting you, focus on what you have control over. Turn off the news. Put your feet in the grass. Go outside and look up at the sky. People can sense your energy long before they speak a word to you. Work on your own well-being, and you will magnetically attract those who vibe at a similar frequency. Focus on having a positive impact, and happiness will follow. Every day, look for a small delight. You will be pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the world can be.

Lessons From July.

The best way to recalibrate your body and mind? Go off-grid for a few days. Wake up with the sunrise and go to bed when the sun sets. The rhythm in your body and bones will return, and you will feel human again. Closure is something you give yourself. It’s hard to be creative when you’re anxious. Fix the root of your anxiety, and watch your creative mojo return. You’re not lazy, you lack clarity. Make a playlist of all the songs you grew up with and share them with a friend on a road trip. Play them on full blast in the car, and recount the stories and memories behind them. The first time you could drive a car and play the radio, the first dates, the first kisses, your first time traveling abroad, the song you played before every race, the album you played on repeat during your commute, the song that got you through your first major disappointment. It will remind you that you have lived and felt and cried and laughed and sobbed and won and made it through, still standing. Waking up for low tide is an external metaphor for therapy- everything that was once hidden underwater is now exposed. You can be disgusted or curious. The latter is always more interesting and insightful. Everything has a season. Sometimes we’re the dandelion flower, the weed, the medicinal root, or the seed pods. It’s helpful to recognize which season you are in and your mission during that time. You can hit your PRs during your luteal phase. The best way to hack your sleep is not only to avoid screens before bed, take magnesium glycinate, take a hot bath, and avoid eating right before bed. It’s to clear out the toxicity from your life so that your mind and heart are at peace. A calm nervous system is the foundation for deep sleep, muscle growth, recovery, and full rest. Your life can drastically change for the better in 31 days. Take it from me.

Trust Your Coxswain.

Deep down, our bodies know the truth before our minds accept it. Our intuition is like a coxswain- small but mighty- the guiding force that steers us in the right direction.

I spent last month ignoring my intuition. The result? My nervous system was disregulated. I was physically exhausted. My sleep suffered, my anxiety was through the roof, and I was unable to create anything.

Starting this month, I knew something had to change. I invited in stillness. I listened to the quiet, all-knowing voice inside of me and took the necessary steps to follow its guidance. I’m already sleeping better. My HRV has improved. My creativity is slowly returning. I feel more like myself. More in flow.

In life, we can’t see the obstacles ahead. We must trust our coxswain- the voice that steers us, that warns of danger, that pushes us beyond what we believe is possible. When we are in alignment, we’re no longer fighting against our lives. We’re flowing with it.

What’s one small action you can do today to honor your intuition?

True Friendship (as illustrated by pistachios).

It started with a simple offering. Her hand pointed to a big cushion next to hers on a wooden floor in the main workshop room at Esalen.

“You can sit here.” It was a gentle invitation which I gladly accepted. Later that evening, we chatted and laughed and shared stories.

The next morning, around 6:30 a.m., I heard a light knock on my cabin door. To my delight, it was Casilia inviting me to walk with her before breakfast. I quickly changed, and we were off to explore the land and find secret places overlooking the ocean.

Her presence relaxed my nervous system. We felt safe with each other- enough for us to share our personal stories of struggle and pain, as well as our deepest dreams. I compared this to other people who I’d known for years, but only in a shallow and superficial way. Simply because we were too afraid to break out of our shells.

In this case, mutual vulnerability allowed us to build trust quickly.

Five days were enough to solidify a lifelong friendship. We left that retreat feeling exfoliated and whole.

Cherish those who make you feel safe enough to be fully seen and completely yourself. This is true friendship.

Just Jump In.

Making art and exploring the edge of what my body can do has always been part of my DNA. Over the years, I’ve found that both of these require similar things: enormous discipline and a unique form of endurance. There are good days. There are sub-par days. There are days when I’m tired and out of ideas and motivation. And of course, there are amazing days when everything clicks and I feel on top of the world.

As with any pursuit worth doing, it begins with simply showing up for yourself.

Doing the thing.

Not researching the thing.

Not asking more people for advice about the thing.

Not hiding by reading more books or listening to more podcasts about the thing.

Simply doing the thing.


So here’s to the swimmers and artists (that’s YOU!) out there. We all know the hardest part is putting on our suit, bracing ourselves against the cold, walking along the cold pool deck, and getting IN the pool. Once we’re in, we’re good. The hardest part for artists is getting started and facing the fear that it ‘might not work’ and just making the thing anyways.

Just keep swimming. And making art. One lap, one brushstroke, one sentence.

But first, you have to jump in.

Good Reasons vs. Real Reasons.

Take a closer look at the words people use. Underneath them is a story.

Within this story, there is a good reason and a REAL reason.

If someone doesn’t want to attend an event you invite them to, a good reason may be, “I’m so sorry, but I already have plans on that day.” But the real reason is, “I don’t want to go, and I’d rather relax and watch football.”

If a personal trainer asks their client why they haven’t been logging their workouts recently, a good reason may be, “I’ve been traveling.” The real reason is, “I’ve been too lazy to prioritize my workouts, and I haven’t fit them into my schedule.”

Both reasons may be correct. But the real reason is the deep truth.

The ultimate goal is to build enough safety and trust so that people feel comfortable sharing their real reasons with you. This cuts to the core faster, leading to more authentic relationships and massive transformations.

The Gift of Time and Space.

The beauty of having over a decade’s worth of journals is receiving the gift of perspective. Situations that seemed overwhelming and all-consuming were later mere blips along the journey. The personal and professional doors that slammed shut in my face ultimately pointed me to other doors that opened.

Reading through my journal pages remind me that what we feel in the moment is real. However, it doesn’t dictate the future trajectory of our path. It’s healthy to maintain an attitude of equilibrium. Nothing is good or bad. Time and space do wonders for shrinking the huge emotions that initially accompany those moments.

If you’re currently navigating a chapter that feels overwhelming, I hope this offers encouragement. Feel it all. Process it. And remember to give it time and space.

In due time, you’ll be able to see how it wasn’t as horrendous as you may have imagined it to be. Life continued. You did too. Celebrate your grace and resilience.

The Art of Surrender.

The assignment was to create a Morning Altar using natural elements. However, instead of placing them on the firm, solid earth, we were instructed to use water as the foundation.

As someone who loves certainty, precision, and controlling the outcomes, this was a lesson in surrendering. I laughed as I observed myself attempting to organize the petals symmetrically. The wind outside blew the petals sideways, and the blossoms organized themselves in their own unique ways.

Isn’t this similar to life? As much as we try to control the outcomes, things will naturally land where they’re meant to land.

Our job is to allow, appreciate, and surrender. It sounds simple, but it’s not easy. There’s an art to letting go and letting be. An art that I continue to practice and cultivate daily.

How can you allow things to naturally unfold this week, and witness how beauty seemingly works its way into your life?