Dear Reader, It's February! I kind of love February, even though it's still too cold and gets dark too early to do much. It means I have more time to myself, which is a cherished kind of time for me these days. But the thing about February is it's just about the time when I'm shown (possibly harsh) truths about any goals I had set for myself at the end of last year. Am I making progress? Have I hit any of my goals? Does quitting make me a failure? I believe challenging yourself is a kind of...
10 days ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, I'm not sure where you might be right now, but where I am it's so COLD To be precise, it's a high of -8°C/18°F or a "feels like" temperature of -12°C/10°F considering windchill. It also gets dark at 5pm. 😥 On days like this, there's nothing I'd rather do than make a cup of hot tea, curl up under my heated blanket, and lie down on the couch to read. Which is what I did do this weekend, but before I let myself get bundled up and settled in, there was a question I needed to sort out...
17 days ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, Is it too late to wish someone Happy New Year? Regardless, Happy New Year! I'm so glad you're here with me in 2026 🥳 I had a very restful break surrounded by loved ones, great food, and experiences that helped remind me what I really value in life (which are often simple things). But now I'm getting back into it! I went for a first prayer (hatsumode - 初詣) at Meiji Shrine. Year of the horse! 20 minutes a day for a more well-rounded me I ended my last newsletter lightly touching on...
24 days ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, With the pressure of resolutions, setting goals, and fresh beginnings, the inside of my brain around the new year often looks something like this: Illustrations by Kaki Okumura It would be typical of me to start the new year with a million unanswered questions, worries, and concerns about if I was “on the right path”. But often towards the end of the year, reflecting back, I realize I have come very far in answering many of those concerns and untangling a situation which at the...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, My annual physical is usually unremarkable (thankfully), but one appointment with a doctor really left an impression on me. She was asking me a few routine questions about my lifestyle habits, and the topic of drinking came up. I told her I didn’t drink much and she was like, good! Less is better. “If you hear that alcohol is good for your health, it’s probably the social aspects of drinking, not the drink itself. Drink with people, but I don’t encourage you to drink with...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, Ah it’s Thanksgiving weekend, which means that I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude. The people and things I’m grateful for, but also the value of practicing gratitude. It seems like such a simple thing, but it can bring more calm, more peace. Maybe a bit more happiness. Photo from this year's Friendsgiving! Potluck-style ❤️ I loved how colorful my plate was this year. There’s a lot that can be said about gratitude, but today I’d like to talk about how to find freedom from...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, “I am so busy.” Depending on the culture you were raised in, you might read that as either a boast or complaint. Maybe both. You don’t need to feel guilty for not being busy I've always felt an immense pressure to be busy, to be "productive". As a student, it was to have a robust social life, good grades, and to perform in extracurriculars. As an adult, it was about working hard at my career and dedicating hours to my profession. Being busy felt like a virtue, while things like...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, The season of gratitude is coming up, so I've been thinking a lot about the things I am grateful for. And in that chain of thought, I discovered something interesting -- it had never occurred to me before, but the Japanese characters for “thank you” are composed of two unlikely words: 有: To have, possess 難: Difficulty, hardship 有難う (arigato): Thank you What a strange combination of words to express gratitude. Why the characters for ‘thank you’ is ‘difficult to have’ The...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, Many people join my newsletter because they are working towards a health goal. Sometimes it's about having more energy, other times it's about simply wanting to feel at peace in their mind and body. These are great goals, and important goals that I write for and work to support each and every week. Illustrations by Kaki Okumura The thing about our health however is that it is not something that changes overnight. This is not a bad thing, but it takes time – and in that process,...
3 months ago • 2 min read
