Introducing: Lighten Up
A new conversation about the concept of wellbeing.
THERE’S A LINE of logic in the world of innovation that says if you have a need for something, there’s a good chance others have a need for it too. So with this rationale strapped on as a lifejacket, I swim through a sea of vulnerability to present to you: Lighten Up.
Born in the days of the pandemic, Lighten Up is, at its core, a conversation. One that’s been occurring between my own two ears as I’ve observed my work in the health and fitness industry evolve well beyond the tenants of diet and exercise.
Because while getting people to move, eat nourishing foods, and prioritize sleep never fails to produce results, from where I stand, those things are simply no longer enough.
“My takeaway has been a renewed focus on how we’re living.”
Quite the contrary, over the past few years, I’ve watched people who are doing all the “right” things – taking care of themselves in terms of nutrition, activity, rest, stress management, etc. – still struggle to feel well. They are checking all the tried-and-true boxes, but they are exhausted. Overwhelmed. Feeling empty. They have tangible physical symptoms, but spiritual ones too.
And the hardest part about observing this sea change has been recognizing it in myself.
So that is why over the past year, I opted to step back and observe. To listen. To myself, others, and what was going on in the world. Culturally speaking, it was an interesting time to bear witness; I’m not sure any amount of conditioning could have properly prepared our hearts for the level of angst that has become the norm.
“Yet the beauty is…when it comes to what truly ails us, we get to choose.”
My takeaway has been a renewed focus on how we’re living. The way we fill our days. How we interact. What we expose ourselves to. All elements that impact us greatly – just as much, if not more, than our decision of what to order off the menu.
Yet the beauty is that just like with that menu, when it comes to what truly ails us, we get to choose.
So this is why (and I say this as I tighten up the lifejacket) I caught myself wondering, if I find myself desperately craving a reprieve from the noise and the incessant pace of being, maybe you do too…?
Enter Lighten Up, which has been designed as an opportunity to put down the heaviness. Not in an act of disassociation or denial, but rather a reframing of what ultimately matters most. It is a vehicle for reflection. To think about things from another angle.
To own our headspace and live life on our terms.
If you are familiar with my early writing days of Badass and Beautiful, you can consider Lighten Up her older sister. Same genes, but a bit more seasoned. “Be better than you were yesterday” now strikes a different chord.
So, how does this work?
Well, Lighten Up will take place via a weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox each Sunday. Not one with quick tips and lists of recommended products, but a simple piece of anecdotal writing and a few corresponding prompts for your own reflection.
It is for everyone and anyone looking to feel a little bit more at home within themselves.
If you want to join us, and I hope you do, you will need to subscribe, as the conversation will deliberately take place largely off of social media. This is for me as much as for you, as I believe we could all find some instant gratification by breaking up with the mindless scroll.
Throughout March, the posts will be delivered to you inbox unprompted, but then you will have to make a small, symbolic commitment to continue further down the road. Context about this decision and the use of Substack for this discussion can be found via the “About” button below.
So now that we’ve made an official introduction, know that as I loosen up the lifejacket, I am filled with gratitude for the company of anyone who feels the tug of the proverbial less is more.
Here’s to a collective exhale and shoulder drop as we vow to Lighten Up.
Doesn’t that feel good?
For further insight into Suzanne’s pull to get us to Lighten Up, watch below.