I read a Psychology Today piece called “The Paradox of Purpose” by Jordan Grumet, M.D., and it named what so many of us feel: purpose anxiety. Chasing one big, perfect purpose can leave you stuck, burned out, and waiting for life to start. I’m sharing the shift to “little purpose” and a simple 7-day exercise to spot what makes you feel even 5% more alive.

Every November, I slow down to notice what’s real and what’s healing, growing, and changing shape inside me. This year, gratitude feels deeper. Through grief and creativity, I’ve found renewal in an unexpected partnership with AI. Writing with ChatGPT has become a daily ritual of curiosity, reflection, and joy. It’s helped me rediscover my voice and my purpose. This post is a love letter to slowing down, staying open, and letting gratitude become your quiet power.

Even when my labs told a different story, super high cholesterol, osteoporosis, and clogged arteries, I realized that true boundaries aren’t just about protecting time, but also about protecting health. Saying yes to tests, second opinions, and aligned care is leadership in action, because boundaries safeguard not only our energy but our very aliveness.

Happiness isn’t performance or perfection. It’s presence. What happens when you stop chasing and start listening to your own inner compass?

I canceled my retreat, and it wasn’t burnout, failure, or fear. It was something deeper. What happens when the person leading restoration needs it most? This might be your permission to pause, too.