Other people will always have opinions about who you are. And quite often, those perspectives are ill-informed: one famous study found that it takes people just 1/10th of a second to form an impression of someone!

That begs an important question: why are you insisting on defining yourself according to...

The question, "How are you?" is often used as perfunctory greeting, a throwaway question, or an obligation that doesn't actually request a true response. There are only a few responses that are expected (and accepted):

Good.
Fine, thanks!
Well, and you?

It's for this exact reason...

A rule of life: it's always going to feel messy at the start.

And this rule is not domain specific. It applies across the board: in learning a new skill, in creating something, in taking on a new role, in becoming a new version of yourself. ...

I know that you are pursuing a goal that matters to you.

I know that it can be agonizingly slow.

I know that you persist and yet somehow it still feels like you're not moving forward.

I know that you sometimes feel confused and wonder if you're doing the right thing.

I know that it...

Old Happy: I have to do it all perfectly.
New Happy: I just need to try my best.

Everyone reading this email has way too much to do every day. You have responsibilities that matter to you, you have to-do...