💌 What’s happening this week:

• Why I celebrate everything (good & ‘bad’)

• Journaling prompt: A letter to myself

• Life advice from a funeral director

• Weekly prep action step: ‘scheduled time off’

My family and my partner used to joke with me that I ‘make a big deal out of everything’ 😅

🎂 I’d make a big deal out of my birthday (like celebrating it all month long with multiple celebrations)…

🎉 I’d make a big deal out of reaching my goals (like asking folks if they’d like to go out to dinner to celebrate)…

🚰 I’d make a big deal out of even the littlest things like drinking enough water (and treating myself to something to commemorate that I did it)…

And when I was younger, I felt kinda silly that I’d make a big deal out of everything because most folks don’t make a big deal out of everything… just the ‘big things’ that society tells us to make a big deal out of - you know, graduating, getting married, buying a house, having a baby… the usual.

But I LOVE a celebration for the absolute most MUNDANE things alongside celebrations for the BIGGEST things that happen in life! I love celebrating birthdays, big and small wins, new jobs, new clients, learning a new language… or hobbies…

I also appreciate celebrating memorials. This month I ‘celebrated’ two memorials - one for my late maternal grandma, it was her first death anniversary, and I also ‘celebrated’ the life of our family’s dog, Coco, who had to be put down early this month. While they’re not traditional celebrations, I appreciate the ritual of pausing and giving time and space to the people (or pets!!) who have impacted my life and doing it with my closest network to keep memories alive.

I believe everything deserves some sort of celebration or moment of grieving (I suppose that’s what memorials are for). Small win? Celebrate it. Big win? Celebrate it. Something that others might not consider important, but is to you? Celebrate it. Moments of grief for people, places, identities, or ‘could be’ situations? Celebrate it (as in memorialize them).

When I’ve given these moments and relationships the time and space to be recognized and affirmed for their significance in my life, it’s helped me to close that chapter, move on, and even become more resilient to change and the tension of grief and love.

Wow, I didn’t expect this newsletter to turn into something so ‘deep’. I guess what I’m trying to say is that everything deserves to be celebrated (in my humble opinion), you deserve to be celebrated, and some moments/people/’what-if’ scenarios also deserve to be celebrated when their time has passed.

I think holding space for all of that, albeit very uncomfortable and kinda like an expansion of my capacity for love/grief, makes me live in the present moment and keeps gratitude front and center.

Anyway, alls this to say… tomorrow is my birthday and I will be out celebrating ALL day doing all the things I love and holding space for all the people, moments, and ‘what-if’ scenarios I’ve been impacted by, had to let go of, or brought to life.

Cheers to 33 🥂

✍️ THIS WEEK’S JOURNALING PROMPT

One of my favorite birthday activities is writing a letter to myself. I usually take this from a few different angles: a letter to my younger self, a letter from my future self (in a year), and this year I’m writing my obituary (not to sound bleak but I want to write one to get clear on how I want to live my life). I’ll be spending some quiet time to celebrate all versions of me I’ve come to meet, learn from, and grow into ❤️️

💻 THINGS THAT STUCK OUT TO ME ON THE INTERNET

• ADVICE FROM A FUNERAL DIRECTOR: I found this account on TikTok and am OBSESSED with Melissa’s content. This video has been something I return to regularly when I need a kick in the butt and a reminder that the time is NOW.

• IT’S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS CULTIVATED: I watched this video from YouTuber Kelly Wakasa and am always blown away by his storytelling and messages. This video about surprising his childhood best friend stuck with me and was a nice reminder that life’s more fun when you get to experience it alongside your people.

• THIS APP FOR MEDITATION: I’ve been using the Balance app for 7 months now to cultivate a daily meditation practice and it’s one of my favorite purchases! They have different meditations based on your goals (mine are improved sleep and stress management). You can use this link for a free trial.

🗓 PREPARING FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

🌻 GOODIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Starting over at 33…

Whew, this video really took me an entire year to make. At 33, I’m starting over after taking an adult gap year and consciously making decisions to live a more intentional life.

🤝 HOW TO WORK TOGETHER

Want to work together to create time and space for intentional connections? Here are a few ways to do that through marketing support, journaling, and education.

• 📓PLANS TO PROGRESS MEMBERSHIP: Launching on 24th March!! A quarterly membership for big dreamers to intentionally plan each month with the accountability to transform your ideas into actionable steps and projects. Get on the waitlist here!

• ⭐ SIGNATURE BRAND & WEBSITE DESIGN + COPYWRITING PACKAGE: Get 2 brand strategists on your team to elevate your brand visuals, website, and messaging. We have 2 spots open in March to start. Learn more and apply here.

• 👀 WEBSITE AUDIT: DIYed your website copy and want to get an expert’s feedback and edits? Book a Website Audit and get feedback on what’s working and where to improve in just 2 weeks.

If you’re wondering how you can make time and space in your schedule for more celebrations - the big, small, mundane, and ‘life’ ones…

Here’s my lil’ tip: take a look at your calendar starting with today until the end of the year. What important dates would you like to highlight and block off? Maybe it doesn’t need to be a full day but a small gathering or even some alone time to celebrate or commemorate something.

Then once you’ve got those dates/times, block them off in your calendar now.

These are just some of the values-aligned planning strategies we’ll be sharing in the Plans to Progress Lounge (launching 24th March)! If you’d like a community to transform your ideas into actionable steps and projects with goal-setting that aligns with your lifestyle - get on the waitlist for all the details when we open founding doors.

I hope to see you there and until then…

💖 #stayfierce,
Cassandra