The GYST

Hey Reader, I’m back from a few days in the woods with my family, staying in a badass cabin with rock walls, board games, and just enough nature to make my soul take a deeeeeeep breath. I even bought a sticker for my emotional support water bottle that says “Woods over WiFi.” That was the vibe all weekend — even though, yes, there was WiFi (teenagers NEED their Instagram). We came home with a couple of bonus days before diving back into work and back to school prep, which gave us one more...

Hey Reader, I’m writing this to you before I hit full vacation mode — because by the time you read it, I’ll be lakeside with my family, unplugged and making s’mores like it’s my job. It’s our first family vacation in years. Years. Which, let’s be honest, is way too long. Life has been busy and weird and hard, and getting away just kept slipping through the cracks. But not this time. I finally made good on the thing I put on my vision board back in January: Prioritize leisure. Prioritize us....

Hey Reader, This week I’ll be on the road for work — a trip packed with business meetings, dinners, and the kind of strategic face time that corporate loves. But holy hell, the anxiety of being around so many people for so many days in a row has me wanting to crawl into a turtle shell and vanish. Can I bring my Kindle to the meeting? Wear my hoodie? Maybe a weighted blanket and noise-canceling headphones? No? Damn. Still, I’m looking forward to it. It’s meaningful work, and I get to see my...

Hey Reader, So, I went to a concert last weekend with my teenager, his friend, and my brother. And listen — my introverted soul was dreading it all week. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done the whole local band thing, and I wasn’t exactly hyped about standing in a crowd of sweaty young people. My brother and I are in our thirties, so obviously I wore comfy shoes and brought a water bottle. Gotta hydrate if you're gonna rage responsibly. And honestly? It was fucking magical. My son’s friend...

Hey Reader, My teenager is starting to apply for jobs, which means we’re suddenly having a lot of conversations about “experience” — or in his case, the lack of it. He’s nervous. He feels like he doesn’t have anything to offer because he hasn’t had a real job yet. And wow, if that isn’t the most relatable feeling on earth. I remember that inner voice — the one that says you’re not ready, you don’t know enough, someone else is better at this than you. I still hear it sometimes. But we’re...

Hey Reader, This week, I’ve been thinking about how much we run on autopilot. Not just the get-the-kids-out-the-door or what’s-for-dinner kind of autopilot — I mean the way we make decisions, view the world, and believe things about ourselves and others without ever questioning where that belief came from. I’ve been using ChatGPT not just for organizing my to-do list or summarizing information, but also to challenge my thinking. I’ll ask it: What assumptions am I making here? What haven’t I...

Hey Reader, I pulled The Tower this week. Yep. That one. It’s never a fun card to see — especially when you’re already in the middle of a rough patch. Nothing about the message it brings is gentle. I’ve been wrestling hard with my depression this week. It’s nothing new (I’ve had this particular monster since I was 13), and things aren’t bad, but they feel bad. Things are actually really good, but depression likes throwing mud on top of otherwise pretty awesome shit. What’s helping me stay...