Hi friends, and hello to all the new people this week! It’s so good to have you here. I’m Catherine Greer, author and mother of two young adult sons, baker and optimist living in Sydney, Australia. You’ve signed up for my Sunday newsletter and I’m so happy to pass along a few good ideas if I can.
Today — let’s talk about the real me and the real you.
Not the Work You, or the Parent You, or the friend or partner…but the joyful part of you that’s authentic and not an identity you’ve created over time to fulfil a role you play in your life.
What does she love to do?
How does she like to have fun?
Can you do a little of that today?
Not what’s good for you or what you’re supposed to be doing, but what you love…
Kitchen dancing, taking a walk, the perfect cup of tea in a favourite tea cup, a square of chocolate. Crunching through leaves in your autumn backyard. A solo shopping trip. Sleeping in. Getting up early. A lemon drop, slowly savoured. Replaying your favourite memory. Cleaning something and feeling virtuous. Putting your feet up.
Whatever it is, promise you’ll do one thing for her today — the person that is the authentic core of you.
The joyful you.
Getting closer to our authentic selves can be surprisingly quick to do.
Consider what you (truly) love. Choose one small, simple thing.
Do that now.
Savour the feeling of being true to yourself.
Let me give you an example: for me, joy is always as close as my ear buds and iPhone. I put on a favourite song and have a kitchen dance all on my own. It always brings me back to myself—the little eight year old girl at my first family wedding, where I spent the whole night on the dance floor and didn’t want to sit down because I didn’t want to miss out.
I’m guessing you already know quite a few things that bring you joy, and I hope you can do some of them today. Remember that who you are—the authentic you—also needs a little TLC. It’s easy to forget about that woman in all our rushing around and doing.
Because this is true:
Happy Sunday! I hope something amazing happens to you today.
Love Catherine x
PS. The fun stuff!
This season’s pink boots are a little brighter and taller, but gorgeous.
Do you know Wendell Berry’s gorgeous poem, “The Peace of Wild Things” from 2018? My favourite lines: I come into the peace of wild things / who do not tax their lives with forethought / of grief…
I’ve made this flourless, decadent chocolate cake for my friend Jenny’s birthday.
A song to make you dance, especially if you’re a 66 baby like I am.
New friends — my best loved book, The 10 Minute Fix, is here in Canada, in America, in the UK, in Germany and in Australia. I’m busy writing a sequel. If you love to write, there’s a beautiful 6x9 inch The 10 Minute Fix Journal too, and every page is different, with over 200 writing prompts. You can get your journal here in America, in Canada, in the UK and in Australia.