These aren’t rules.
They’re not advice.
They’re things I’ve learned slowly — through burnout, movement, saying yes, saying no, and paying attention long enough to notice what actually lasts.
1. If something scares you and feels alive, it deserves your attention.
Fear isn’t always a warning. Sometimes it’s a signal that you’re standing near growth. The question isn’t “Is this safe?” but “Is this honest?“
2. Rest is not the opposite of progress. It’s part of it.
Exhaustion distorts judgment. Clarity arrives when the body is cared for. Nothing meaningful is built on depletion.
3. You don’t need clarity to move. You need sincerity.
Waiting for certainty keeps you still. Acting with sincerity keeps you aligned. The path reveals itself only after the first step.
4. Joy does not need to be earned or explained.
Joy is not irresponsible. It is a renewable resource. When you allow it without justification, it strengthens everything else.
5. A life lived with intention will always feel lighter than a life lived to please.
Obligation drains. Choice restores. Freedom begins when your yes belongs to you.
I don’t treat these as conclusions.
I treat them as reminders.
Things I return to when life gets loud.
Things I forget and relearn.
Things I practice — imperfectly.
If one of these resonates, sit with it.
That’s where the work begins.
While writing this post, I realized that some books don't teach us anything new they simply name what we already know. Dying to Be Me by Anita Moorjani did that for me. It echoed lessons I was learning through burnout, travel, and choice: that pleasing drains us, that joy heals, and that authenticity is not selfish. Different paths, same truth. Sometimes that recognition is enough to keep going.