Hello, there. Nice to “meet” you.
An About Page is a scary thing to write. You have to condense everything — your purpose and personality, intent and vision, why-anyone-should-care and all the rest of it — into a succinct and preferably clever and/or funny (or possibly inspiring) bit of prose that is engaging enough that readers don’t abandon you in the first three sentences.
Are you still here? 🙂
Cool.
Welcome.
The TL;dr/Teaser Version:
I was working on the fifth or sixth version of this About Page, running in circles, and overthinking every single word. I decided to make a cup of tea, because tea usually helps.
When I pulled the tea bag out of its little paper envelope, and read the message on the tag, I laughed out loud. It read:
The purpose of life is to know yourself, love yourself, trust yourself, and be yourself.
It felt like the Universe had gotten fed up with my drama, and blurted, “Oh my gods! Here’s what you’re trying to say. It’s not that hard.”
Thanks, Universe.
The Inner Wilderness Unlimited newsletter is an invitation to get to know yourself better so you can create a life that makes you happy and inspires you to share your unique gifts with the world.
I’d love it if you’d join me on the journey by subscribing.
The Long Version:
I’m here because the half-formed idea behind this newsletter has been gnawing at the edges of my mind for a good long while now. And the Universe — that cheeky joker — has made it pretty clear that it’s time to do something about it.
Here’s the thing: In my fifty-four (and counting) years on this planet, I’ve spent way too much time holding back, making excuses, and taking the path of least resistance.
That’s not to say I haven’t done a lot. I have done a lot. I was born smack dab in the middle of GenX (you know — the generation that invites you to f*ck around and find out), grew up in a small town (where I still live), went to college (sort of), climbed the corporate ladders of three traditional companies, got married, got a dog (maybe not in that order), had a baby, had an epiphany, got a divorce, started from scratch as a single mom with a toddler, built a freelance writing business, adopted some cats, bought a house, found love, and sent my daughter off to college.
It’s been a ride.
It’s still a ride.
There are days when I feel like I’m barely managing to stay astride a runaway horse.
There are days when I feel like I’m mostly sleepwalking from Point A to Point B.
There are also days that feel magical — balanced; joyful; meaningful; full of ease, discovery, and synchronicity.
But no matter what kind of day I’m having, I often find myself wondering (okay, sometimes worrying) about what I’m *really* supposed to do with my one wild and precious life.
That line comes, of course, from Mary Oliver’s beloved poem, “The Summer Day,” which closes with the question, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I haven’t taken a formal poll, but I’m willing to bet that most of us cannot answer that question with real confidence. We’re too overwhelmed by the day-to-day grind to give much thought to whether life is wild or precious, never mind what we want to do with it.
That’s why I’m here.
And I hope it’s why you’re here too.
Life IS wild and precious, and we need to start treating it as such.
The problem is: Life is busy. Time is short. Energy is scarce. Not to mention — the world is on fire.
Inner Wilderness Unlimited is an invitation to know yourself, be yourself, and do your thing. (… and maybe save the world.)
It’s a chance to remember who you are, remember that you belong here, and find the courage to start creating a life you love — one that helps you reclaim your playfulness, creativity, and sense of wonder. One that emboldens you to share your unique gifts with the world. Because we need them. We really need them.
I’m not promising an overnight transformation. I don’t have The Answer, a magic map, or a crystal ball. What I do have is curiosity, a keyboard, and an internet connection.
And what I’d love is some company.
