Hello Pathfinders!

I hope that I can encourage you today.

My Personal Story - Perfection Disruption

“lost her salt” sounds so much better than the ugly crying scene it truly was

In the 5th grade I was working on a poster I had entered into a local competition about the environment. I remember that I won the competition. I couldn’t tell you for the life of me what was on the poster or the subject or anything… Except 2 things. Up near the right hand corner there was a flock of birds and it was on bright yellow poster board.

I finished my poster and got up off the classroom floor (where I preferred to draw on my poster so I could get better perspective and have space) and dropped the uncapped black marker in my hand onto the poster. It left a prominent mark near the upper right hand corner of my poster.. This perfectionist wallflower 4th grader lost her salt (aka cried like a baby - but “lost her salt” sounds so much better than the ugly crying scene it truly was).

Mrs. Quirk, one of my top favorite teachers, asked me what was wrong. All I could do was point and explain through heaving crying that my poster was ruined. She responded, “Honey, I don’t see a wayward mark on your poster. All I see is an unfinished bird in the upper righthand corner! So, let’s finish the bird and maybe give it some friends.”

She preceded to teach me one of the most memorable lessons of my life when it comes to perfection and how we can create our way out of mistakes and create something “extra” and go on to a win for our lives. She told me to make that mark into a bird and then make some smaller birds (all of these were basically fancy m’s to create the illusion of bird silhouettes).

That fancy flourish … a mistake? an initial or monogram? a perfecting, flourishing finish!

Anyone else look forward to that flourishing finish?

Love you!

MelAnn

What I’m Reading

I haven’t had a lot of time to read this week but a few blog posts have caught my gaze that I am passing on to you for your enjoyment!

Proof of Life

Current Bookstack - What Are You Reading This Week?:

Write for Life by Julia Cameron
The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Katie Bowler
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
Lifeforce by Tony Robbins

Scripture of the Week

Prompt / Poll of the Week

(formerly Prompt my Monday - I decided just to include this in the weekly newsletter)

To celebrate Unapologetic Grief, we are doing a prompt from The Death Deck: A Lively Game of Surprising Conversation. I pulled a random card from the middle of the deck.

Your significant other dies. What area would you struggle with the most?

Posts this week

Breaking the Stigma - Understanding and Talking About Loneliness You should have received this in your inbox this week since it was the 1st of the month - I always send the first post of the month to your inbox. But the rest of the blog posts you won’t receive (unless you are in the app / chat) until a mention in the following weekly wrap up newsletter on Sundays that is public on the first Sunday of the month - but only for free subscribers the rest of the month.

My secret weapon! Mix Go with 4 oz water & 4 oz 100% tart cherry juice (not from concentrate) so it’s not too sweet. Plus you get all of the amazing benefits from the tart cherry juice!

This is an affiliate link. If this is something you can use to gain healthy, clean energy and focus for your own mid-afternoon pick me up, your purchase would support me in a small, meaningful way.

Ready! Set! Go!

90 Days with Life Souvenirs began March 1. There is a companion notebook that is updated nearly everyday as we go. If you are in the Life Souvenirs chat on the Substack app, you can grab the coupon code to grab that workbook for free. Go to your Substack profile and toggle this to the “on” switch under Life Souvenirs sections: 90 Days with Life Souvenirs. This Video will show you screen recording I did of my test account to set it up in Chrome.

I sent the first three to you in the email this week. But, if you want the daily journey in your inbox, you will need to subscribe to the 90 Days Section. Or, if you have the free Substack app, you will receive a link in the chat every day when the new post goes up.

This week I gave you the Daily Power Map on Day 1. I introduced you to the Less / More Method on Day 2. We talked about the importance of Armor Up! Morning Rituals that Set the Table the rest of your Day Feats Upon on Day 3. Then on Day 4, I walked you through the very powerful Magic Wand exercise which is currently for sale in my shop for $7 - but it’s free for those paying attention and going through the 90 Days with Life Souvenirs journey.

Later today, will launch the Live the Dash challenge. Yes, the one for sale in my store. I just want to deliver and pour into you on this journey. So, I am placing the Live the Dash challenge inside this journey! The companion workbook is going to become very handy for this - so be sure you grab it! You can choose to purchase it if you wish if you don’t want to download the free Substack app to get the free coupon code from the Life Souvenirs chat. That certainly would help support me as a writer! I have the incentive coupon code in the chat because that is a wonderful resource to utilize to build community and direct engagement. If you are a subscriber and receiving this via email, the download to the app should be at the bottom of the email. If you are coming by this post another way, this would be a great time to remind you to subscribe!

Subscribe now

Also, as mentioned last week, I am launching topic specific publications that are separate from Life Souvenirs:

Unapologetic Grief

unIdentity

Promised Land Chronicles

Promised Land will also have a daily devotional (optional) section.

If you’d like to become a VIP and subscribe to Life Souvenirs, Unapologetic Grief, Promised Land Chronicles and unIdentity, rather than subscribing to them separately, you can become a lifetime VIP. Right now I offering this one time price and it’s a lifetime - so no ongoing subscription monthly or annual… Just one time pay and I will drop you in as forever subscribers in all four publications. Add them up separately, and it will run you about $29 a month / $290 a year.

For a one time pay of $97 to celebrate the launch of all of the new publications, you can become a lifetime member of all 4! This does not include the Hanging Tree. The Hanging Tree is separate and will always be separate just due to the nature of the publication. Also, please remember, I do not stack my blog with annoying popups nor do I overload it with ads the detract from the experience. Your support is very much appreciated!

Become a LS VIP NOW!

The Hanging Tree

The Hanging Tree is an additional passion project of mine to launch this spring as well.

Thank you for reading Life Souvenirs | dream. plan. live. celebrate!. This post is public so feel free to share it.

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In Closing

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s subscriber newsletter which is on free preview on the main blog since it’s the first Sunday of the month. The best encouragement you could give me is to like and comment on the post and to share this with your people. Then join the conversation in the app I keep talking about! Then, if you’re so inclined, become a paid subscriber.

Engagement is encouragement. Have a great week! See you inside the 90 Days with Life Souvenirs journey!

MM

PS: Who can tell me where today’s title came from?

[LS Pathfinder] Saturated with Favor