The Thoughts We Rarely Admit
I needed 3,000 yen for groceries. As I watched a car drive by, three 1,000 yen bills literally materialized from under it. This is my story of unexplainable coincidences.
If everything has gone wrong and life feels like more than you can handle right now, don’t throw in the towel. Sometimes the strongest thing you can do isn’t taking action – it’s just sticking around.
I have a slogan on my fridge: “Shut up. Suit up. Show up.” It reminds me that sometimes talking keeps you stuck, and action is the only way forward.
My sister sent a photo of her and my dad eating at McDonald’s. It reminded me of everything I am missing. But it also made me realize something else: I am the family outsider.
Yesterday, I cycled to work in the pouring rain. At 56, it felt both liberating and slightly absurd. Part of me felt like a happy kid. Another part wondered if this is “failure to launch.”
Sanctuary isn’t just a place. It is the feeling of exhaling after holding your breath all day. For me, it is a 4 AM walk. Where is the one place where you can finally stop performing?
Some mornings at 4 AM, walking to 7-Eleven, I have a conversation with something larger than myself. It is not formal prayer. It is just acknowledging that I have enough for today.
At 4:30 PM, covered in mosquito bites, my boss asked for one more thing. I felt guilty for even thinking “no.” Here is why I am finally learning that boundaries are not character flaws.
At 3 AM, I wasn’t awake from stress. I was awake because I am addicted to hope. At nearly 60, I am still chasing dreams instead of sleeping. Is this healthy optimism or just avoidance?
