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There are some newsletters I leave unopened. Not yours, though... sometimes I’m late and sometimes I don’t have a comment until the crowd moves on because I don’t want it widely read... endless scroll; each of us lives our lives in the middle of someone else’s... I’ll stop now, I feel too many eyes on this.

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Thanks for reading and commenting, Gerard. You’re the best!

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Just discovered your newsletter. I loved the title. I lost my brain a year and a half ago. I tell people it broke. I used to do all the things you describe above. But then my brain broke. I overloaded it and it’s now rebelling against “too much” of anything! The title of your newsletter resonates. It the new name for my own brain. Thanks for sharing.

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My brain broke too not long after my daughter was born. It’s so scary! Sending you love as you learn to understand and love this sweet dumb brain of yours.

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

I did not know about the "master of one" part of that saying! I was just talking about it with a friend this weekend, too. Thank you for that tidbit - and a lovely newsletter as usual!

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Thanks! And yeah, I discovered that just a couple weeks ago. Glad to share the knowledge!

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

Uggh, every writer relates to that unrelenting tug, "I could make this better, tweak it more, tighten it up," but then nothing is ever finished! So delighted you choose to release your work into the world rather than letting it fester in perpetual draft mode. I never regret opening your newsletter.

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Thank you, Amy!

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

Absolutely. So much pressure we put on ourselves comes entirely from within and is not actually anything to do with what other people expect of us. It’s very liberating to let that go

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Yes, yes, yes!!!

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

Lol, my inbox reached 85 this week — an absolute mountain for an always Inbox Zero girl — and as I got down to 47 emails, yours came in with this subject and I was like, "oh, well I'm absolutely reading that next." Permission granted and received. 🙏

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Ha, I love that. I am also perpetually striving for Inbox Zero, and subscribing to a lot of newsletters makes that a challenge 😅

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

Yes weirdly it's the emails that I love that are currently overwhelming me lol

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Thank you. I started crying in that long paragraph of you don’t have tos. Thank you.

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Oh, Karen ❤️ I’m glad it resonated.

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

Wow, this is beautiful I actually cried. I wrote back to the email, I am not sure if I can even do that. The part where you don't have to do all the things. I mean, why are we always trying to do them? Then we can't or we get bad feelings. I am not sure. I am having a sad day filled with anxiety so I needed this. Thank you.

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Thank you, Stephanie! (And I got your email. Hooray!)

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

This was so reassuring to read, especially today. I have some compulsions. I submitted my very first freelance article (humblebrag!) - and it's VERY personal - and felt good about it until I sent it. But a piece is never done, as they say, and an inbox is never at zero. I thought, "Well, she's lucky she's such an excellent writer she can make a friend getaway riveting."

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Congrats on submitting your article. That’s such an achievement! (And the feelings of regret/nervousness afterwards are very real!)

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

Wow this resonates for me, I need to save it to remind myself that I am free to do or not do

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I’m glad to hear that!

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

This is so what I needed this morning. Thank you so much. I am glad you got to enjoy your vacation with your friends!

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Me too! Thank you 🥰

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I don’t have to open your newsletter! But I always do, as I know it always gives me something. Thank you for it ❤️

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Thank you for reading! It means so much.

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Feb 21, 2023Liked by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

I remember being a perfectionist child and having a thought that went something like: “When will I finally get to a point where I feel like I’ve done enough or things feel settled?” Realizing that point will never come and working to come to peace with it (some days more successfully than others) has helped. Thank you for the reminder!

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Oh my gosh, there's so much to unpack from growing up as a perfectionist/gifted kid. It's an ongoing process!

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Thank you. I needed this today.

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I’m glad it resonated!

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Thanks. I hope so. I appreciate the encouragement.

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Yes to everything here! I love that you were able to get together with your friends and prioritized being in the moment. Life is so fleeting... intentionally saying yes (whilst intentionally saying no) is such a game-changer. I've never heard the second half of the "Jack of all trades" saying, thanks for sharing!

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Thanks, Lewann!

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