Fall is Calling

I know, I know, it's only mid-July. But with how fast this summer seems to be flying by, I'm starting to become wistful for Fall. While I do enjoy the long, hot days of summer - the lounging by the ocean with a good book, the walks in the morning before it gets too hot - I really, really love Fall.

OK, so I'm done waxing poetic about the autumnal season. What I really want to share about today is my love of Gilmore Girls. Fall and Gilmore Girls just go together (if you know, you know). You see, watching (and re-watching) this series is a comfort for me. The dramatic twists and turns, the will they won't they questions are already answered. There is no cliff-hanger. I already know what will happen.

Our nervous system treats known outcomes as points of safety. We are comforted both physically and emotionally by the familiar. When I was going through cancer treatment, I re-read an entire, 14 book fantasy fiction series called Wheel of Time. It's a monster! But I could escape into it, knowing the trajectory of the story and the outcomes of the characters.

The term for this is cocooning. It's a retreat into the familiar, the safe and predictable, during times of upheaval and transition. Naming it and calling it what it is allows us to go easy on ourselves when we need to take a pause. When we need to cocoon with a familiar book or series to reset and find comfort.

But don't stay there.

Until you are ready to start drafting your next chapter and emerge from the cocoon, it's absolutely normal to rest and reset. No guilt. No shame. There are no "shoulds" here. No set amount of time. When you're ready to start building again, you'll know.

That's what we do here . . . we build, we re-build. We look inside to discover what we really want. Then we start drafting our next chapter, all while remaining flexible and curious.

Journal Prompts:

• What's my version of Gilmore Girls—the book, show, or ritual I return to when things feel uncertain?

• What is it about that story that feels safe? (The ending? The characters? The world it lets me disappear into?)

• When did I last let myself cocoon without guilt—and when did I last resist it, telling myself I "should" be doing something else?

• Is my current cocooning a rest stop or has it become the whole trip? How can I tell the difference?

• What would it look like to give myself a real, guilt-free pause this week—no deadline on when I "should" be ready to re-emerge?

• What has this comfort story taught me about myself—about what I need, what I value, or how I want my own story to go?

• What's one small sign that would tell me I'm ready to start drafting again?

Affirmations:

• I am allowed to rest in the familiar without it meaning I'm falling behind.

• There is no timeline for when I need to be ready. I'll know.

• Comfort is not the opposite of growth—it's often what makes growth possible.

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Office Hours:  Office Hours in July are on Thursday, July 23. This is for Editor's Circle Coaching Members as well as any Guided Revision Coaching Members who would like to touch base between scheduled coaching appointments. HERE is the link to schedule a 30-minute slot

The Weekly Draft: happens every Sunday evening at 7pm at this link. Come prepared to reflect on the past week and draft the upcoming week. It is meant to be a heads down, co-planning time, with me being available to share strategies and/or answer questions. Join me HERE