“Find Your Tribe” was born because I noticed there were so many interesting people on Substack, but sometimes it’s hard to find and be found by “your people”.
I’ve really enjoyed watching people connect! It really warms my heart!.I loved this message from
asked if there was a “Find Your Tribe” in April, I thought it might be helpful to let you know when they come out, in case you wanted to mark your calendar.
“Find your tribe! 🔍” comes out every second Friday (NZ time) of the month.
So there’s always new opportunities to introduce yourself and spark new connections!
Hi I’m Mika 👋. I stepped away from my 9-5 last year and I am slowly breaking free from the "shoulding", "perfectionism" while also embracing "fun" "creativity" and tuning into my intuition.
If I could give myself 1 piece of advice 10 years go….hmmm…I think it would be go get diagnosed for ADHD (ha!) and release expectations in all aspects of my life, start a gratitude practice and give myself permission to have more FUN!
I love your writing. It's always so humble in the most genuine way. Your support of our wellness and your substack cheer have kept me on track for more than a few letters in a row. Thank you so much for being exactly as you are and for crafting this space for us all.
I'm working on building a community where I teach basic financial literacy skills so that everyone can feel confidence in their money - whether they've been left out of the conversation because of their sex/gender, the colour of their skin, or because of who they love, everyone is welcome! ❤️
If I could give advice to myself 10 years ago, it would be two-fold
1. Dump his a**
2. You're not going to end up where you thought you would, but life will be way better than you ever could've imagined.
I think I'm late to the Friday share... but I'll give it a go!
I'm here on Substack sharing all things honest, vulnerable, and authentic (and hilarious) that I've learned being in therapy for a decade (which choosing to go and get help with anxiety back then was a GREAT move that I highly recommend)!
10 years ago, I would've told myself to set up a retirement plan and open an investment account for my stay-at-home-mom self who didn't generate an income. Ten years later, I'm trying start a career in at 40 and it's tough! I feel like I've missed out on 10 years of a career, but not 10 years of watching my babies grow up. It's been rewarding and challenging at the same time.
So I'm looking to connect with other writer folks who like sharing their experiences and supporting each other! :) Thanks for starting this, Mika!
Hi Emily - following you now. I was just checking back. I'm a Carer, mentor and advocate of other caregivers. https://www.carermentor.com/
there are a few resources you may find interesting. Feel free to roam around my Notes; there are a few people you may like to connect with.
P.S A little reframe: instead of 'start a career', maybe finding how to share your gifts/talents with others for their benefit and for some money, AND having fun could be more your thing...and the beauty of it all is your already on Substack ;-) The community will help!
I'm a little late to the party, but hi! I'm Emma :) If I could give myself some advice 10 years ago... I think I would tell myself to believe more in myself and my work and not rely on feedback from others constantly. Now I have imposter syndrome and crippling self doubt! :D
My substack is here: https://rainymondays.substack.com/ and I'm still trying to find my sea legs (in both my publication and Substack in general), but I mainly share photography and poetry, with a little narrative of how life is going. It's kind of like a journal for me, I suppose.
Trying to put myself out there more as a writer, and letting myself claim that title is much harder than I originally thought it would be. We're getting there! :)
Hope to meet some new people on here! I would love to cheer more people on and have some interaction!
I'm late to the party too. I almost thought of just lurking and sitting this one out but, hey, if you would tell your younger self to 'believe more in yourself' then, why wouldn't I trust you today? :) hi! I'm Barbara
Hi Mika, great thread and I have been enjoying reading your posts. I am an accidental writer, scientist by training, a mom and a mindfulness enthusiast. I started on medium during Covid and have recently transitioned to Substack. My Substack is: scienceansoul.substack.com and storybandits.Substack.com
I attempt to write science inspired poetry, and more generally on inspiration for living well. I look forward to reading, learning and growing with this community.
Hi, I'm Caitlin. If I could go back ten years and give myself advice it would be something along the lines of leaving a toxic relationship and trusting that wonderful people were coming into my life.
My Substack newsletter is Ink-Stained Compass, where I share tips on living a life of enchanted simplicity, poetry, and pages from my personal journal.
Hey there! I'm Nando 🫶🏻 product designer by day; podcaster, musician, and writer by night. I love creative expression in all its forms, and like to learn new ways to express it and find inspiration in others who feel the same way.
To myself 10 years ago... I would say: don't take life so seriously. Please. Slow down and enjoy the scenery 🍃. Trust that stuff will sort itself out eventually.
https://www.nandologia.com/ - I write Spanish language articles about my creative journey and seemingly random reflections I have along the way. I also host a podcast (in Spanish as well) where I speak with other creatives about a wide variety of subjects relating to creativity itself.
PD: April 11 happens to be my birthday, so realizing this article was published that day was a nice coincidence :)
Hey, Spiritual Entertainer here. My advice to myself would be to follow my heart and intuition, to always be gentle with myself and to never allow myself succumb to societal pressure and expections. Here is a sample article of my publication on mindfulness.
Hi, I'm Sue. My advice to myself would be to be sure to continue doing life-giving things (such as writing and helping my clients) even if a pandemic came along and threw everything off kilter. I am thankful we survived the isolation and all of the adversity that we dealt with over those several years. I made the mistake of taking a break from writing and helping others because I felt overwhelmed by lots of family stuff and of course the pandemic changed so many lives. But living with purpose and meaning, and ensuring that we continue to build our joy capacity in the midst of hardship makes for much more fulfilling seasons of life despite adversity.
I stumbled in here from another comment section, but it's still April so it counts, right?
Hey there, I'm Todd, a narrator and voice actor, who came to Substack by voicing articles and podcasts for a certain publication and recently started my own to help writer learn about how to record their own audio.
Advice from 10 years ago? It would be Take the Class. The audiobook training class. It was 2 years I waited to take it and wish I'd started sooner.
I write about recording good audio, what you need to voice your own writing, the equipment, the sound, all at https://diyaudiobooks.substack.com/
Hi, I’m Sandra! If I could give my younger self a piece of advice, I would say to travel more in my 20s and not take myself so seriously!
One of the reasons I started my newsletter is to let myself have more fun. There’s a side of me that craves more connection and irreverence so Sandrapop is my experiment in giving myself permission to just enjoy. I guess you can say Sandrapop is my alter ego! 🤩
If you want to connect as a midlife mom (or any fabulous woman, really) in slumber party style, hit me up! Be forewarned: there will be a lot of pink in your inbox!
My advice to 2014 me would be to "start anywhere", because 10 years later, I'd be kicking myself I didn't start a newsletter, a blog, a Youtube channel, anything. 2014/2015 was around the time I was switching from a video marketing job to more IT-related job, and I had previous coworkers asking me how to update videos I had made for the team. That's when I realized that "easy video making" was a blog niche that needed exploring. It wasn't until 2020/2021 that I finally got around to doing it.
After studying in England for over 4 years I worked for a year before deciding to leave my job and England behind to re-settle in my home country, India. After returning I walked 1800 km across the breadth of India and I am soon publishing my book about those experiences.
If I could give myself from past 1 piece of advice, its this.. life peaks and then it falls. Nothing stays the same forever and usually the things that you think about do end up happening. Thats the nature of life itself. Dont stress much!
Here on my substack I am writing about my TRAVELS, TECHNOLOGY AND CHANGING CULTURE IN INDIA and around the world. I have recently started a series where I write about the life in my village and how it faces the dangers of modernisation.
Hi, I'm Chusana, super appreciative of Mika for hosting this wonderful idea. I'm quite new to writing but have been quite obsessed with learning about human nature since I was introduced to psychology over twenty years ago.
If I could only give 1 advice to myself ten years ago would probably be to start investing early. I'm an elder millennial and wasn't really 'taught' how the stock market works! Always thought you could only get leveraged from 'inside news'. I'm glad the trend in data transparency and accessibility is helping more retail investors make better informed decisions.
Here is my Substack - I write about the fascinating part about human nature. Our emotions, our struggles, our pains but I try to distill it through science and philosophy. I think ancient wisdoms are wonderfully deep and have shown to pass the test of time. Even when countries and cultures divide us, we all have something beautifully similar to one another. I love the efforts you have put into making all these connections. Because for me, it's the connections in life that make life possible.
It's mind blowing that I graduated in 2006 and did not have any knowledge about financial planning. If I had invested $1,000 into Microsoft during the years I was still at uni, it would be worth $16,300 today. But granted that I would have needed a heart of steel to not cash any of that out!
Omg I love this. Subscribed! I'm Tania, an Aussie mum of 2 toddlers trying my best to make sense of the absurdity of our existence. I enjoy writing, creativity, marketing & quirky hobbies too.
10 years ago I would have told myself that it's okay, my boyfriend will propose to me, I will get married and I will have a house and 2 beautiful kids. The ultimate family dream ❤️
Here is my Substack about living an authentic life. I'm new to Substack and excited to find others to follow that inspire me! >
Hey besties! I'm Sue-Jan, a chronically ill, neurodiverse Notion coach and mental health advocate
One bit of advice I'd give 10 years ago me is, "Embrace you". I've always been neurodiverse (though I didn't know it until recently), and I've been stuck in a cycle of people pleasing and perfectionism. This has led to several burnouts. Now I'm in the process of (re)discovering and embracing my uniqueness!
https://suejan.substack.com/ - my Substack is a blog about Notion for neurodiverse beings, my experiences with being neurodiverse and disabled, and my burnout recovery journey, as well as mental health things 💜
Hi Everyone! It's Isha here. Thanks Mika for this opportunity!
I started my writing journey 3 months ago on Medium where I started sharing my travel stories. I realized that I was enjoying writing about them. It allowed me to re-live those moments and days again.
A bit about me, I work as a technical architect, helping my customers design solutions.I am currently living in the Netherlands, but I am originally from India. I moved here for work at 27 in order to become more independent and explore more in life.
Furthermore, I recently turned 29 years old and have been an avid traveler for the past year. I have covered 15 countries to date and am looking forward to exploring many more this year.
One piece of advice that I would give myself 10 years ago is not to take life so seriously and to this day try to follow this advice.
My goals for writing are to share my raw travel stories as well as my personal experiences. I want to also to start my tech corner soon where I share more about technology that I have been working on and things I have learned in my career so far.
Same advice I'd give myself! I'm about 15 years older than you so it's awesome you figured that out so much younger than I did. Love your Lapland post! The pics are great; I left you a comment with my favorite line. So nice to virtually meet you!
Hey Mika, I have noticed that Medium allows you to write for different publications, which makes it easier to get visibility. You can also write about diverse topics without worrying about the audience because there will always be someone who can relate to your piece. This helps build your following easily.
On the other hand, Substack is more personal, and you have to start from scratch to grow your following. You also need to choose a theme for your publication and stick to that. I am trying to understand what works on Substack and how to leverage it. Any tips are greatly appreciated.
I am still figuring out how to manage both platforms at the same time. By the way, are you on Medium as well?
Thanks Mika for this opportunity. I appreciate this chance to connect with others on a similar journey.
My publication is called The Quest.
Life is a journey! But for many, that journey feels like being a lost hiker wandering a vast wilderness, not knowing where they are going or how to read the trailmakers! Trust me, I’ve been there! But what if there was a way to move from a wanderer to an intentional Explorer? Wouldn’t that change everything?
I write for people who:
Know they are meant for more but not sure what to do about it.
Are living an ok life but do not what to settle for “good enough”
Have come to a crisis point in their journey and are looking for guidance and encouragement on where to go from here.
Hi there, my name is Catriona. I write Notes from Saving the World telling stories of travel and creativity from 20 years living in 10 countries working in the aid sector.
I would tell myself 10 years ago to put value in her worth and get paid well for her time. And also to commit to writing a blog and sharing online. I gave up too easily!
Catriona, I love your writing and your work- it's lovely to see you pop up here. I was involved in aid work for a time, on the Indian Subcontinent and Middle East, ending up with 12 months in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Tsuanami. A random mention from a life long passed. Thank you for everything you're sharing with the world xx
Thank you Jane. Lovely to find you here too as I wanted to take time to read more of your work so I have saved it this time. How interesting you were in aid work as well. I know some people who were in Sri Lanka I wonder if you have crossed paths!
If I were to travel back 10 years I would advise myself to be creative and that nobody really cares about what you post and make, do it for yourself!
I write about the app Notion and how it can be used as both a productivity tool but also a helper in every aspect of your life whether personal, work or business!
Hiiii!! I’m Gemma. I’m a freelance actor and vocalist. A mother of 1. I write about navigating spaces in my field/industry that can make you feel like you’re the only one. I’m interested in how we can all live a more OPTIMISITIC life - especially when we feel like the tides are against us. You can find me at gemmaknightjones@substack.com.
I’d tell my 2014 year old self to listen more to my inner voice. To take more chances. To leave situations and/or relationships that didn’t feel right. To learn how to apologise.
Hi, I’m Regina Peralta, a copywriter from the Philippines, balcony gardener, sustainability advocate, dog mom/aunt.
I’d tell my 19 y/o self to just keep calm and wait because love is just around the corner. Oh, and that she should hold out for a copywriting internship instead of taking the first advertising agency internship she finds.
On buhaycopywriter.substack.com, I write about life as a copywriter based in the Philippines. Occasionally I write about its intersection with other things in my life, such as series I’ve watched and advocacies I have.
Hi I'm alycia, I'm many late I would like to participate. I'm mindset and business coach, I write about self improvement, mindset, entrepreneurship and feminine energy. My advice to my younger self is to never give up to your dream. Your dream is so important don't anyone that it's stupid or you need to grow up. My substack is : https://mademoisellemindset.substack.com/ . I want to say thank you to give this opportunity
I've noticed that the next generous coming after us, the niece and nephews, kids etc, they are leaning into their dreams so much more! And we are giving them the permission to do so!
I think there was a lot of pressure to go on the path of "financial success", that dreams had to be left behind. I wonder how many people on Substack had the dream to write, but decided to be "sensible".
Hi friends! I'm late to the party but here! I love this monthly thread. My advice to my younger self: take extravagantly good care of yourself, enjoy every moment with young kids who will grow up fast, and surround yourself with healthy, devoted friends. I would also tell myself to embrace each adventure that presents itself; ten years ago I was more cautious than I am now.
In my Substack Evidence of Grace, I explore parenting teens with mental health challenges like eating disorders, depression, and anxiety, offering hope, authenticity, and faith.
This was a popular post about Letting Go of Expectations:
What an important topic that you write about. My friend had a daughter with an eating disorder and it can be quite isolating because you want to respect your child's privacy and what they're going through.
Hi everyone! I’m Hannah 👋 and I write the newsletter, By Hannah. A space for quiet creatives to rewild their writing. I am passionate about the intersection of storytelling, personal narrative, and how this is woven into nature writing. I also hope to platform the incredible work of female writers exploring similar themes.
Advice I would give to myself 10 years ago would be...stop caring what people think. They're so consumed in their own world, they're not spending time thinking about every little things you do or say. Show yourself some love!
Here is my most recent Substack article: Braiding Land and Story: How women writers weave land and personal narrative together to deepen our relationship with the more-than-human-world
Gosh, sometimes I wish we could take that people pleasing "chip" out of our brains. I think the chip has become smaller over the years, which is a huge achievement!
hi Hannah! This sounds lovely. I'm with you in the intersection of stories and nature writing... although you probably write about nature more than I do. I just find solace in it. Excited to check out your substack!
Hi! I am Isha and I run a fictional newsletter here.
My advice to myself ten years ago would be to just write and try to publish my own work because I would learn along the way. I was stuck on the notion that I need to be perfect with my work. But I have now realized that there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to art. You just keep learning and growing so the best bet is to get it out and learn from your mistakes and experience.
“I was stuck on the notion that I need to be perfect with my work. But I have now realized that there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to art.” - love this so much! 🎨
Coming in late, I'm Kim: illustrator-author-adventurer-mum. Parenthood threw us some unexpected curveballs and after a period of wallowing my way through a pandemic in an introverted daze of overwhelm and disappointment, I realised that no one was going to live my life for me. I've become deeply interested in how our culture of convenience, luxury, algorithms, dopamine dumping and instant gratification has set us up for suffering in the real world. I started doing hard things on purpose, like trail running, and it's teaching me all kinds of profoundly good stuff about living a meaningful life in the 21st century.
It's running and hiking and remote camping intersecting with growing-up/adulthood, parenthood, philosophy, neuroscience, behavioural science, spirituality, social commentary all done with brutal honesty, hand-drawn illustrations and an indefatigable sense of humour.
Advice? Stop blaming other people and circumstances for your life. Start being the person you want to be tomorrow. Do hard things. You're beautiful and perfect the way you are, stop worrying about what other people think. Stop worrying about what you're SUPPOSED to be doing. Live the life you want to be living. You are the instrument of your life. Stop waiting around for it to happen TO you.
Yeah. Better late than never. And it wasn't all bad. It was actually really good. But I carried a lot of weight that I didn't need to. Alright. Let's go read some other comments!
My writing explores human connection through food. I write the Serving Up Sweetness newsletter twice a month. I find inspiration from the most unexpected places and I've learned to lean into it. This is something I hope everyone can benefit from in their writing.
Thanks for the opportunity to meet new writers Mika!
I live in Aotearoa New Zealand and much of what I write is a love letter to my place. My writing most likely lives in the world of creative nonfiction, within the nature writing space. I have taken to heart Mary Oliver's "Instructions For Living A Life":
Pay Attention
Be Astonished
Tell About It
I believe that wonder is a portal to care, and what we care about we protect. So I share what I wonder about in the hope it adds a seed of caring and protection to the amazing, wild world that is out there.
Jane, you work sounds amazing! Subscribing now! I also write a newsletter for quiet creatives to rewild their writing. A lot of my writing is the intersection of nature writing and personal narrative. You might be interested in it: https://hannahhooper.substack.com
✨ Hi, I’m Shinjini, a self-taught mixed media artist based in India.
🎨 You’re invited into my virtual studio, aka my Substack, Studio Diaries. Every week I send out notes on the creative life & the best ideas from my journey as an artist and thinker, as well as short process videos and pages from my art journals.
🌝 I also write The Numinous Stardust — a twice a month tarot newsletter. It goes out around each full and new moon, and includes a juicy astro-tarot forecast and a new tarot spread for each new & full moon. You can find that here: https://numinousstardust.substack.com
🤔 1 piece of advice I would give myself 10 years ago: Invest smarter! The answer to financial stability isn’t applying for a promotion or looking for a better paying job, it’s smarter investing. The sooner you build your financial nest egg, the sooner you can give yourself options and have the freedom to make choices that are better for your mental health and emotional well-being.
Hi Shinjini! It's great to see you here. I 100% agree with your financial advice! Learning financial basics needs to be part of today's curriculum, and reconditioning ourselves away from thinking a 9to5 job will give us security would be great. I've managed teams through so many reorganisations, it's a typical consequence when new top management arrives. Financial security gives us the freedom to live the life we want. Great advice!
I think we all could agree that we should have started investing early! I think that every school should show the compound effect of saving/investing!!
I would give myself the advice to stop focusing so much on pleasing people whose opinions don't ultimately matter and will only find fault regardless. I'd waste a lot less of my years and effort haha.
I love your substack. It's so beautiful and well-written. One of my favorite things about it is how you thank your paid subscribers. It's so classy. I subscribed and can't to hear more. PS. Yours caught my eye because my brother died last year, his birthday is next month, and I'm still trying to process it. So I'm curious what you have to say about grief.
Sandra, thank you so much for your kindness. I'm so, so sorry about your brother. I know birthdays and anniversaries bring up such emotions, and the first year is so hard. My heart is with you in this next month.
Hi, I'm Nneka:-) I'm a Trini born caregiver to my Dad who has Alzheimer's and my Mom who's legally blind. Witnessing them aging has been an eye opener.
Back in 2014, I'd give myself this advice...
Stay the course Nneka. Things may get tough, but you're doing great. Also, treat your business like your first 5 years in corporate. You'll be a superstar, just like you were there:-)
So, that's what I'm doing now. I'm staying the course.
Caregiving is such a profoundly overlooked act of love and sacrifice. What else is there besides giving care and to the most vulnerable in our lives and communities? I struggle at times (a lot) with the disability care of our son and the long-term impacts of that, but as Father Richard Rohr says, “Holiness always feels like dying.”
Very little. We don’t live near family but we do have a couple who have essentially adopted out kids as their grandchildren so that does help. Radical acceptance is where it’s at for us.
Hi everyone, I'm Aleks, a CBT Therapist and mum on a mission to bend time every day to balance family, work, and building my own business, all while staying well and sane!
If I could give myself one piece of advice from 10 years ago, it would be... take it easy. Slow down. Enjoy your 25-year-old self (without children back then), travelling, watching sunsets, and being silly. I definitely worked too hard.
My Substack baby is called "Unscrewing Motherhood" – I write there about perinatal mental health, matrescence, and motherhood while wearing my two hats – as a therapist and as a mum :)
This sentence 🙌 “mum on a mission to bend time every day to balance family, work, and building my own business, all while staying well and sane!” - so good!
Hi everyone! I'm Julia and I'm a writer, aspiring author and former journalist (or journalist in recovery is the joke). I live in Chicago with my bf, our two cats and a dog, and am usually watching a horror movie.
Wow, 10 years ago I had just gotten to college. My advice for myself would be to keep pursuing creative writing instead of giving it up in favor of a "more stable career." Ignore the "starving artist" speech from the well-meaning non-artists and follow your passion, your calling in life to whatever end! That way I'd be starting my writing journey at 18 instead of 28, but alas! I know it's never too late.
Speaking on that, I started my Substack as a writing outlet for the topic that really gets my brain going the most: horror movies. Now I've expanded it to be more broadly about Entertainment & Lifestyle so I can be genre agnostic. I discuss the shows, movies and books I'm consuming and write essays about them, what they mean to me, what they mean to the culture, etc. It is here: https://julesisscreamingintothevoid.substack.com/
I'd love to meet other writers who do personal essays and talk about Entertainment & Lifestyle! I'm just back in the game after a 6 month hiatus so any advice on how to stay consistent would be more than welcome. :)
“keep pursuing creative writing instead of giving it up in favor of a "more stable career." Ignore the "starving artist" speech from the well-meaning non-artists and follow your passion, your calling in life to whatever end!” Your journey sounds so similar to my brother-in-law. And unfortunately, he said it contributed to his depression. When we ignore that light inside of us, it doesn’t go away. ✨
Maybe I should get him on Substack!! He’s now pursuing his writing, self-publishing on Amazon and also just started a freelance career in storytelling for cooperations, along side his own writing.
Hi Julia:-) that's really unique! You're creating your own movie critic platform. I stopped at your comment because of the name of your substack. I thought it would be about existential questions (I'm all about the existential). Horror movies are much cooler:-)
✨ Hi I’m David, and I live in the beautiful cathedral City of Lichfield with my wife, Clementine, and our ever-growing number of musical instruments, books and teddy bears.
🌱 On Instagram, and here on Substack, I write about all things slow, simple and seasonal living, encouraging and inspiring people to rediscover and reconnect, not only with the past, but with the natural world around them.
David, your Substack sounds wonderful! You had me at seasonal living. I write a newsletter for quiet creatives to rewild their writing. A lot of my writing is the intersection of nature writing and personal narrative. You might be interested in it: https://hannahhooper.substack.com
“stop worrying what everyone else thinks and do it anyway” - yes!
I feel like there should be some sort of class taught in High School. Imagine what the world would be like if we were a little bit more courageous and let ourselves shine unapologetically?
Hi everyone! I love this monthly party! I'm Kelsey. I'm a Coach, Human Design guide, House Therapist, Dog Mom, Triathlete and playful plant-based cook living in Florida.
To 2014 me: Yay! You're a coach. Now you get to start a business. Don't let the word "business" freak you out. Lots of people are going to tell you what to do. They're going to bully you and criticize you. Don't worry about them. DO YOU. Have fun. Follow the joy. Follow your intuition. They're all going to tell you that you're doing it wrong. Do it anyway.
I’m Anna, and I’ve quit the 9-5 and heading back to research I used to work in climate change research but now I focus on biological psychology. I’m currently investigating cooperation and how it succeeds and fails in inter group conflict. It also gives me time to write which is fantastic!
I write 2 substacks. Letters to my father serves as a living memory to us and a way a process my grief at his terminal leukaemia diagnosis. https://letterstomyfather.substack.com
The other is about my return to nature following quitting the 9-5 which includes my life at the community garden as I attempt to go from supermarket shopper to garden expert…or maybe just advanced novice!
My advice to myself 10 years ago would be; no you’re not just fed up of your role, don’t apply for that promotion, follow your gut, quit, move back to live near your dad, spend every second you can with him, and write. Lots.
So sorry to hear about your dad, Anna. I'm glad you are processing your grief on Substack. And I love to hear about returning to nature and working in a community garden - so healing too!
Hi Anna, lovely to meet you. I'm sorry to hear about your father, hopefully writing can be a space to process.
I also work in the sector of climate change and environmentalism, writing on the side, and community gardening :) I write a newsletter for quiet creatives to rewild their writing. A lot of my writing is the intersection of nature writing and personal narrative. You can check it out here: https://hannahhooper.substack.com
I’m sorry to hear that Tiffany, I hope you are doing ok. It’s such a ride this whole process. Thank you for your kind words. Sending you a hug over the internet ❤️
Thank you Lesley it’s much appreciated. Grief is such a big emotion which is a complete spectrum of joy and deep sadness. Never have been able to be so mindful. Thank you again.
Hello, I’m Jenny. I write children’s fiction and creative non-fiction books. I live in England with my husband, child and cat.
The advice I would give myself 10 years ago is to stop worrying about the future and to enjoy the present. Life will work out. And it has, after making my own luck and having the guts to step out of my comfort zones.
I write ‘Where do I belong?’, which discusses what it’s like to grow up between cultures, based on my experiences as a Cross-Cultural Kid ricocheting between Hong Kong and Scotland. The topics include home, belonging and identity. https://jtwriting.substack.com/
I would say "in ten years time you'll only leave the house to do activities with and for your kids - go out and do everything now because for a few years, you won't be doing much of anything after 6pm"
So relatable! 10 years ago, my kids were 7, 9, 11, 13. It was just before the oldest turned 14. Which in NZ, is when they can babysit. So I was in your position for 13 years. I wish that I did prioritise some time to get out, just for me, to explore and have some space to myself.
Actually, even now as the kids are older, I still can get caught up in house stuff, that I forget to go out in nature or a museum. I think I will prioritise that. 😊
Hi everyone, I'm Ale/Alex. I live in Northern California and write about recovering from burnout and other of life's indignations through writing, laughing, and dealing with the feelings.
10 years ago, I had just started a PhD program and was feeling so inadequate. Impostor Syndrome can be an overused phrase but I truly thought I was not meant to be where I was. That gave way to a big bout of anxiety that was not great to live through, but ultimately taught me so much about what feelings I had. Like many of you, I'd tell my younger self to let go of expectations and think about what I truly want for myself: personally and professionally. Maybe that would've eased some of the unnecessary anxiety.
You can find more of my writing here: https://acpz.substack.com/ - BURNOUT RECOVERY & WRITING ABOUT WRITING & (hopefully some HUMOR)
It’s so interesting to look back at our younger self and their state of mind. I just want to go back and give her a hug. She was doing the best she could and felt like there was one mountain to climb and to do it as quickly as possible. Little did she know, there were many different mountains and hills and actually you could stop anytime to enjoy the view.
Ok, Let's go!!! thanks Mika 😘. Hi everybody, Im Laura, a French Life coach for entrepreneurs 👋🏼I talk (only in French sorry) about business, money, relationships, love... and I use Human Design to look at those topics with diferent angles. I looove help entrepreneurs, writers, change their mind about their sabotages, creativity, marketing etc... I think I told the old version of myself, 10years ago to go and act WITH the doubts, fears . "Dont wait for things to go well. Act now and results will come."
Salut Laura, heureuse de te voir. I'm following you now. My spoken french is much better than my written french! I did half my MBA in French - Le Droit was painful trying to distinguish ce n'etait pas, with C'etais.. ahh fond memories but as a former global commercial leader turned business owner, I'm interested to read your work.
I’m Kate, a psychotherapist, mum to a teen, silversmith, dog mama and writer. I write https://lettersfromtherapy.substack.com, with insights from therapy to nurture your soul, accept yourself and find deeper meaning.
My advice to me 10 years ago is to stop worrying what anyone thinks!!! It really doesn’t matter 🙄😄
Hey everyone, I'm Roc! I currently work full-time as a tech consultant or solution designer in Australia, but I want to contribute to both myself and the greater good in a more meaningful way. That feeling has been with me for a long time which lead to a lot of seeking, but ultimately led me here.
I'm writing about reconnecting to the boundless energy within our true authentic Self that sits beneath the core of all the unconscious programming we have embedded into us in modern society - that's where the love, freedom and peace that's inherent in our nature lies. Nothing makes me more sad than seeing young, curious and explorative children become supressed and shaped into something that's just simply not in their nature (I was one of them). My niece the other day told me that her dream was to be an author and write a book, but she hasn't started because she "doesn't have time". Why is a 9 year old talking like a 40 year old with a full-time job?
Anyway, I digress. My publication is still early days so I am still shaping it, but I'll be going over topics like consciousness, spirituality, psychology, philosophy, inner work to help us remember who we truly are, so we can show up in the world in an authentic way and contribute to the greater good, while feeling good about it! https://iam.rocguiducci.com/
A piece of advice I would give to myself 10 years ago: It's okay. It's okay to be you. You are not broken and there is nothing wrong with you. You are perfect as you are, and you don't need to 'do' anything except enjoy life.
Hi Roc - Following you now, because I feel strongly about this topic too.
Kids are not being taught life skills and are getting conditioned by the worst parts of our adult social pressures. On top of that, there are influencers making money from 'productivity culture' hustles , there is a phenom 'Subprime attention crisis' (book by Tim Hwang), where attention & instant gratification of clicks reduce eyeball-time and undermines any definition of quality time. As a mentor, I've found that it's harder to manage mental-patience, building skills for growth - not because there's anything wrong with these young people but because their expectations and ideas of success are warped. It drives frustration, and false perceptions of their capabilities. I've seen several influences who are building empires like a ponsi-scheme. The majority of my time as a mentor is trying to help these young execs unlearn and then relearn how to define their skills and competencies, and rebuild their unique story.
Can you tell I've a similar fire in my belly and could soapbox for a very long time!!
Beautiful to meet you Victoria. Love the fire in your belly for this! It's just so sad because parents are so wounded themselves they don't even have the ability to see their child and actually intervene. Let's hope to change this.
Hello, all! I'm Dawna, caretaker of the Garden of the Mental Mystic. Also, "Garden Host."
What is one piece of advice that I would have given myself 10 years ago?
En-JOY the ride. Life isn't as much of an emergency as the ego-mind will try to convince you it is. Time goes by quickly. Enjoy the moments with friends and loved ones. Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's ALL small stuff.
You can find me in the Garden at https://thementalmystic.substack.com. I write about conscious/intentional living and cultivating more JOY in our lives.
I am ALWAYS open to connecting and collaborating with new folks. 🥰
Hi Dawna, I love the sound of your Substack! And you wonderful advice! You might enjoy my newsletter By Hannah, for quiet creatives looking to rewild their writing: https://hannahhooper.substack.com
Hi Paola:-) lovely meeting you! I love that you write about being a childfree, single woman and that you do so from JOY, not remorse. I wish you were around in my footloose and fancy free years.
I'm still childfree, but I now care for my parents.
I'd love to swap guest posts, or even do an interview together.
Hi, Paola! It's a pleasure to meet you! We are aspiring full-time nomads here as well. Just waiting for the youngest to fly the coop, as they say, then we're taking the RV out for more than a weekend here and there. 🥰
Hi friends, excited I finally caught one of these posts!
My name is Melissa, and I’m a researcher, designer and strategist living in New York. I spent 20 years building an impressive, status and prestige driven career (awards! Magazine covers! Speaking events!) only to find myself burned out and broken down with a brand new baby when I turned 36. I’ve spent the last 5 years rebuilding (and getting over) myself, and now I use my skills as a researcher to break down the mindsets and cultural beliefs that keep us from being our most authentic selves.
If I could give myself advice at 31, I would say “I’m so proud of how hard you’ve worked to get here — but don’t lose yourself in it. Believe in yourself — being good enough doesn’t mean you need to win every debate or dictate every decision. Let things go, focus on what feels fun and stop worrying so much.”
My Substack is called On Purpose — I tell stories about how to live and work joyfully, redefine success and break free from the mindsets and cultural beliefs that hold us back.
On the 2023 Tech Layoffs and the perils of achievement culture:
Lovely to meet you, Melissa. Your substack sounds wonderful — these are some of the things I think about a lot too, and write about occasionally from an art/creativity lens.
Hi, Melissa! It's a pleasure to meet you! I love how you say "getting over" yourself. I'm in that process as well. Getting out of my head and more into my Heart to live a more "on purpose" and intentional life.
Hi, everyone! I hope I'm not too late to the party. :) I love scrolling these posts.
My name is Morgan and I live in Calgary, Canada on Treaty 7 territory. There are SO many things I would tell my younger self, the biggest one being "don't be in such a rush." In my early twenties, I just wanted things to go faster. I wanted to hit a fast forward button and reach a time when I would be "settled" and "successful." As Mika has said, life is to be enjoyed--in all its phases and stages. Now I've learned to relax a bit and have more fun. Things will happen when they should.
I write about the joyful (sometimes messy!) experience of publishing my debut novel, along with book rec's and essays on the intersections of storytelling and real life.
As someone who relocated 18 times across 10 countries, promotions, changes etc. I was living the fast lane. I didn't know what 'settled' was and thrived BUT it whizzed by. If you read my message, I'm proud of what I achieved, but I'm also mindful of how skewed and myopic it was in many ways.
Hi Morgan! So excited to read about you publishing your first novel! I really hope to find myself in this situation in the coming years so thanks for sharing your experience. Subscribed :)
Hi Morgan, I did this too. I was in such a rush to do everything that I forgot to have fun. Thankfully, I have calmed down and am learning to relax and enjoy life.
Hi I'm Amy. I live in Southeast Wisconsin with my Hubs and two adult kiddos. We own a Veterinary practice and have spent the last 17 years living a simpler life on our little 6 acre farmstead.
If I could give myself 1 piece of advice 10 years ago it would be....Give yourself grace! You will be faced with lots of hard decisions and crisis'. Take them as they come, knowing you are doing the absolute best you can, and will get through one day at a time.
Hi, Amy! It's a pleasure to meet you. I love the piece of advice you shared. Didn't know I needed to hear(t) that too.
We gave homesteading a bit of a go some years ago. I just didn't have the heart or the wherewithal to keep "fighting" nature. I do miss living in the country, though.
Hi 👋 I'm Marie, 32 years old woman from Belgium who recently moved to Italy with the love of her life. I'm also the writer of The Bored Millennial Newsletter, that just yesterday crossed the milestone of 100 subs.
What is one piece of advice you would give yourself 10 years ago?
Drink less alcohol for sure and also to be true to myself. (I recently discovered I'm an introvert AND I'm gifted, my 20s where a period of behaving like an extravert + extreme boredom at work because of the giftedness)
Marie, I was just thinking that this would be the advice I would've given myself too. Alcohol was something I was using to enable behaviors that I thought were necessary but that did not come naturally to me. Figuring that out took a lot of work (and way too many hangovers)
Hi I’m Mika 👋. I stepped away from my 9-5 last year and I am slowly breaking free from the "shoulding", "perfectionism" while also embracing "fun" "creativity" and tuning into my intuition.
If I could give myself 1 piece of advice 10 years go….hmmm…I think it would be go get diagnosed for ADHD (ha!) and release expectations in all aspects of my life, start a gratitude practice and give myself permission to have more FUN!
https://musingsbymika.substack.com/ - WELL-BEING & SUBSTACK
I am all for embracing fun and creativity and being in touch with our intuition.
I’m with you! Why are we so hesitant to just have more fun?!?
Love this Mika - especially the breaking free from "shoulds" to embrace tuning into yourself. Go you!
Hi Mika:-) thanks for hosting!
You’re so so welcome! Thank you so much for participating! 💕
Haha mine should be these too! I’m waiting for a diagnosis and love practicing gratitude too ☺️
All the best with your diagnosis journey! I hope you get the answers soon. I’m still learning so much of what I do and think are because of my ADHD.
Hi Mika!!!
I love your writing. It's always so humble in the most genuine way. Your support of our wellness and your substack cheer have kept me on track for more than a few letters in a row. Thank you so much for being exactly as you are and for crafting this space for us all.
We appreciate you to the moon!
Thank you for your lovely message! Your kind words mean a lot. 🥹💕
Yes! You said this all so well. Ditto!
Awwww Kelsey. Thank you too!
Hi there! 👋🏻
My name is Ariana and I write Canadian Finance Girly
https://arianacahn.substack.com/
I'm working on building a community where I teach basic financial literacy skills so that everyone can feel confidence in their money - whether they've been left out of the conversation because of their sex/gender, the colour of their skin, or because of who they love, everyone is welcome! ❤️
If I could give advice to myself 10 years ago, it would be two-fold
1. Dump his a**
2. You're not going to end up where you thought you would, but life will be way better than you ever could've imagined.
Thanks for hosting this space, Mia!
**Mika!
Hi I'm Emily: https://emilymall.substack.com/
I think I'm late to the Friday share... but I'll give it a go!
I'm here on Substack sharing all things honest, vulnerable, and authentic (and hilarious) that I've learned being in therapy for a decade (which choosing to go and get help with anxiety back then was a GREAT move that I highly recommend)!
10 years ago, I would've told myself to set up a retirement plan and open an investment account for my stay-at-home-mom self who didn't generate an income. Ten years later, I'm trying start a career in at 40 and it's tough! I feel like I've missed out on 10 years of a career, but not 10 years of watching my babies grow up. It's been rewarding and challenging at the same time.
So I'm looking to connect with other writer folks who like sharing their experiences and supporting each other! :) Thanks for starting this, Mika!
Hi Emily - following you now. I was just checking back. I'm a Carer, mentor and advocate of other caregivers. https://www.carermentor.com/
there are a few resources you may find interesting. Feel free to roam around my Notes; there are a few people you may like to connect with.
P.S A little reframe: instead of 'start a career', maybe finding how to share your gifts/talents with others for their benefit and for some money, AND having fun could be more your thing...and the beauty of it all is your already on Substack ;-) The community will help!
I'm a little late to the party, but hi! I'm Emma :) If I could give myself some advice 10 years ago... I think I would tell myself to believe more in myself and my work and not rely on feedback from others constantly. Now I have imposter syndrome and crippling self doubt! :D
My substack is here: https://rainymondays.substack.com/ and I'm still trying to find my sea legs (in both my publication and Substack in general), but I mainly share photography and poetry, with a little narrative of how life is going. It's kind of like a journal for me, I suppose.
Trying to put myself out there more as a writer, and letting myself claim that title is much harder than I originally thought it would be. We're getting there! :)
Hope to meet some new people on here! I would love to cheer more people on and have some interaction!
I'm late to the party too. I almost thought of just lurking and sitting this one out but, hey, if you would tell your younger self to 'believe more in yourself' then, why wouldn't I trust you today? :) hi! I'm Barbara
Hi, Barbara!! Nice to meet you!
I can totally relate. You are a writer because you write. 🥰
You've got this!!
Thanks so much for the encouragement!! 🩷🩷🩷
Hi Mika, great thread and I have been enjoying reading your posts. I am an accidental writer, scientist by training, a mom and a mindfulness enthusiast. I started on medium during Covid and have recently transitioned to Substack. My Substack is: scienceansoul.substack.com and storybandits.Substack.com
I attempt to write science inspired poetry, and more generally on inspiration for living well. I look forward to reading, learning and growing with this community.
hmmm...I wonder if I'm an accidental writer as well. Love that.
Hi, I'm Caitlin. If I could go back ten years and give myself advice it would be something along the lines of leaving a toxic relationship and trusting that wonderful people were coming into my life.
My Substack newsletter is Ink-Stained Compass, where I share tips on living a life of enchanted simplicity, poetry, and pages from my personal journal.
https://caitlingemmell.substack.com
I'm a published poet and am slowly working on my third novel.
Hey there! I'm Nando 🫶🏻 product designer by day; podcaster, musician, and writer by night. I love creative expression in all its forms, and like to learn new ways to express it and find inspiration in others who feel the same way.
To myself 10 years ago... I would say: don't take life so seriously. Please. Slow down and enjoy the scenery 🍃. Trust that stuff will sort itself out eventually.
https://www.nandologia.com/ - I write Spanish language articles about my creative journey and seemingly random reflections I have along the way. I also host a podcast (in Spanish as well) where I speak with other creatives about a wide variety of subjects relating to creativity itself.
PD: April 11 happens to be my birthday, so realizing this article was published that day was a nice coincidence :)
That's great advice for anyone! Happy belated birthday! I hope it was a good one.
Hey, Spiritual Entertainer here. My advice to myself would be to follow my heart and intuition, to always be gentle with myself and to never allow myself succumb to societal pressure and expections. Here is a sample article of my publication on mindfulness.
https://beyondtimeandspace.substack.com/p/living-in-the-eternal-now?r=27vu72
Beautiful advice!
Hi, I'm Sue. My advice to myself would be to be sure to continue doing life-giving things (such as writing and helping my clients) even if a pandemic came along and threw everything off kilter. I am thankful we survived the isolation and all of the adversity that we dealt with over those several years. I made the mistake of taking a break from writing and helping others because I felt overwhelmed by lots of family stuff and of course the pandemic changed so many lives. But living with purpose and meaning, and ensuring that we continue to build our joy capacity in the midst of hardship makes for much more fulfilling seasons of life despite adversity.
I think a lot of people’s lives got turned upside down back then. I’m hope you can continue to nurture your writing. ✍️
Thank you, Mika. I appreciate your encouragement and I have enjoyed your posts. Blessings on your life and writing as well.
Well put, embracing and understanding the ups-and-downs are part of our lives.
I stumbled in here from another comment section, but it's still April so it counts, right?
Hey there, I'm Todd, a narrator and voice actor, who came to Substack by voicing articles and podcasts for a certain publication and recently started my own to help writer learn about how to record their own audio.
Advice from 10 years ago? It would be Take the Class. The audiobook training class. It was 2 years I waited to take it and wish I'd started sooner.
I write about recording good audio, what you need to voice your own writing, the equipment, the sound, all at https://diyaudiobooks.substack.com/
Now off to meet someone new!
See you next month,
Todd
hahaha I thought I came here too late but it IS still april, isn't it?! I 100% agree: take-the-class!
Wow, that's a cool niche!!! I LOVE your logo!!
Hi, I’m Sandra! If I could give my younger self a piece of advice, I would say to travel more in my 20s and not take myself so seriously!
One of the reasons I started my newsletter is to let myself have more fun. There’s a side of me that craves more connection and irreverence so Sandrapop is my experiment in giving myself permission to just enjoy. I guess you can say Sandrapop is my alter ego! 🤩
If you want to connect as a midlife mom (or any fabulous woman, really) in slumber party style, hit me up! Be forewarned: there will be a lot of pink in your inbox!
📨: https://sandrapop.substack.com
This sounds like so much fun!!
Thanks Emma! I hope it is!
This sounds super fun! I'm a midlife mom who loves pink, so I'll definitely check it out. :)
This is a great introduction! Fellow midlife mum ready for the slumber party! 🪩
Thank you, Mika! This is such a great thread!!!
I love everyone’s advice and there are so many great writers!
Thanks for doing this Mika!
My advice to 2014 me would be to "start anywhere", because 10 years later, I'd be kicking myself I didn't start a newsletter, a blog, a Youtube channel, anything. 2014/2015 was around the time I was switching from a video marketing job to more IT-related job, and I had previous coworkers asking me how to update videos I had made for the team. That's when I realized that "easy video making" was a blog niche that needed exploring. It wasn't until 2020/2021 that I finally got around to doing it.
Anyway, when I'm not procrastinating, I'm posting at https://hellosimplevideo.substack.com
yes! "Start anywhere" or, as some say, "anything worth doing, is worth doing even poorly!" . cool niche btw!
Hi everyone 👋🏻 I love this idea, Mika!
After studying in England for over 4 years I worked for a year before deciding to leave my job and England behind to re-settle in my home country, India. After returning I walked 1800 km across the breadth of India and I am soon publishing my book about those experiences.
If I could give myself from past 1 piece of advice, its this.. life peaks and then it falls. Nothing stays the same forever and usually the things that you think about do end up happening. Thats the nature of life itself. Dont stress much!
Here on my substack I am writing about my TRAVELS, TECHNOLOGY AND CHANGING CULTURE IN INDIA and around the world. I have recently started a series where I write about the life in my village and how it faces the dangers of modernisation.
https://ashutoshjoshi.substack.com/
https://ashutoshjoshi.substack.com/p/one-way-down-to-the-ground?r=lpw52
I love your advice! Thank you so much for sharing. 🥰🥰🥰
Hi, I'm Chusana, super appreciative of Mika for hosting this wonderful idea. I'm quite new to writing but have been quite obsessed with learning about human nature since I was introduced to psychology over twenty years ago.
If I could only give 1 advice to myself ten years ago would probably be to start investing early. I'm an elder millennial and wasn't really 'taught' how the stock market works! Always thought you could only get leveraged from 'inside news'. I'm glad the trend in data transparency and accessibility is helping more retail investors make better informed decisions.
Here is my Substack - I write about the fascinating part about human nature. Our emotions, our struggles, our pains but I try to distill it through science and philosophy. I think ancient wisdoms are wonderfully deep and have shown to pass the test of time. Even when countries and cultures divide us, we all have something beautifully similar to one another. I love the efforts you have put into making all these connections. Because for me, it's the connections in life that make life possible.
https://chusana.substack.com/
My latest piece - "Why Are We Wounded?" - https://chusana.substack.com/p/why-are-we-wounded
omg the financial literacy of our generation is horrible. How did we get here?! and, most importantly, how do we get out!! ??
If only we were shown the graph about compound interest at high school, things would be soooo different!
It's mind blowing that I graduated in 2006 and did not have any knowledge about financial planning. If I had invested $1,000 into Microsoft during the years I was still at uni, it would be worth $16,300 today. But granted that I would have needed a heart of steel to not cash any of that out!
Omg I love this. Subscribed! I'm Tania, an Aussie mum of 2 toddlers trying my best to make sense of the absurdity of our existence. I enjoy writing, creativity, marketing & quirky hobbies too.
10 years ago I would have told myself that it's okay, my boyfriend will propose to me, I will get married and I will have a house and 2 beautiful kids. The ultimate family dream ❤️
Here is my Substack about living an authentic life. I'm new to Substack and excited to find others to follow that inspire me! >
https://open.substack.com/pub/taniaweatherley?r=1hqss1&utm_medium=ios
Hi Tania! I'm half Australian from my dad's side and most of my family still lives in the Sydney area, though I live in upstate New York.
Oh awesome 😄
Oh my gosh, this is ADORABLE! Have you two been together that long?
Yes! We met when we were 20 and 21, we are now 36 and 37 ❤️
Awwww that's lovely. I married my hubby when we were 22. Babies! 😄🥰
Hey besties! I'm Sue-Jan, a chronically ill, neurodiverse Notion coach and mental health advocate
One bit of advice I'd give 10 years ago me is, "Embrace you". I've always been neurodiverse (though I didn't know it until recently), and I've been stuck in a cycle of people pleasing and perfectionism. This has led to several burnouts. Now I'm in the process of (re)discovering and embracing my uniqueness!
https://suejan.substack.com/ - my Substack is a blog about Notion for neurodiverse beings, my experiences with being neurodiverse and disabled, and my burnout recovery journey, as well as mental health things 💜
Oh my gosh! I want to learn notion and have ADHD. I've followed you and hope that I can learn more!
Omg hi! 💜 What do you wanna use Notion for? Have you tried it as yet?
Would love it as a second brain. Yes, I dabble in it every now and then.
Hi Everyone! It's Isha here. Thanks Mika for this opportunity!
I started my writing journey 3 months ago on Medium where I started sharing my travel stories. I realized that I was enjoying writing about them. It allowed me to re-live those moments and days again.
A bit about me, I work as a technical architect, helping my customers design solutions.I am currently living in the Netherlands, but I am originally from India. I moved here for work at 27 in order to become more independent and explore more in life.
Furthermore, I recently turned 29 years old and have been an avid traveler for the past year. I have covered 15 countries to date and am looking forward to exploring many more this year.
One piece of advice that I would give myself 10 years ago is not to take life so seriously and to this day try to follow this advice.
My goals for writing are to share my raw travel stories as well as my personal experiences. I want to also to start my tech corner soon where I share more about technology that I have been working on and things I have learned in my career so far.
You are welcome to get a sneak peek at my work here : https://iaraa.substack.com
If any of my adventures inspired you a tiny bit, I would love you to join me on this journey of discovery.
See you around
Isha.
Same advice I'd give myself! I'm about 15 years older than you so it's awesome you figured that out so much younger than I did. Love your Lapland post! The pics are great; I left you a comment with my favorite line. So nice to virtually meet you!
Thank you so much Sandra! Nice to meet you too:)
How do you find Substack verses Medium?
Hey Mika, I have noticed that Medium allows you to write for different publications, which makes it easier to get visibility. You can also write about diverse topics without worrying about the audience because there will always be someone who can relate to your piece. This helps build your following easily.
On the other hand, Substack is more personal, and you have to start from scratch to grow your following. You also need to choose a theme for your publication and stick to that. I am trying to understand what works on Substack and how to leverage it. Any tips are greatly appreciated.
I am still figuring out how to manage both platforms at the same time. By the way, are you on Medium as well?
Thanks Mika for this opportunity. I appreciate this chance to connect with others on a similar journey.
My publication is called The Quest.
Life is a journey! But for many, that journey feels like being a lost hiker wandering a vast wilderness, not knowing where they are going or how to read the trailmakers! Trust me, I’ve been there! But what if there was a way to move from a wanderer to an intentional Explorer? Wouldn’t that change everything?
I write for people who:
Know they are meant for more but not sure what to do about it.
Are living an ok life but do not what to settle for “good enough”
Have come to a crisis point in their journey and are looking for guidance and encouragement on where to go from here.
I would be deeply honored for you to join me https://waynestonerthequest.substack.com/
Welcome to The Quest!
I'm just picturing all the changes where you live with the seasons changing!
Hi there, my name is Catriona. I write Notes from Saving the World telling stories of travel and creativity from 20 years living in 10 countries working in the aid sector.
I would tell myself 10 years ago to put value in her worth and get paid well for her time. And also to commit to writing a blog and sharing online. I gave up too easily!
You can find me here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/notesfromcatriona?r=fydqj&utm_medium=ios
oooo getting paid well for you time! Felt that!
Catriona, I love your writing and your work- it's lovely to see you pop up here. I was involved in aid work for a time, on the Indian Subcontinent and Middle East, ending up with 12 months in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Tsuanami. A random mention from a life long passed. Thank you for everything you're sharing with the world xx
Thank you Jane. Lovely to find you here too as I wanted to take time to read more of your work so I have saved it this time. How interesting you were in aid work as well. I know some people who were in Sri Lanka I wonder if you have crossed paths!
Hey I'm Connor (Con)! 👋
If I were to travel back 10 years I would advise myself to be creative and that nobody really cares about what you post and make, do it for yourself!
I write about the app Notion and how it can be used as both a productivity tool but also a helper in every aspect of your life whether personal, work or business!
Link: https://notioneerneighbourhood.substack.com
Nice to meet you all!
"nobody really cares about what you post and make, do it for yourself!" yes!!!
If only we were a little less concerned about others, and a little bit more courageous....imagine what could have been created!
Exactly!
Hiiii!! I’m Gemma. I’m a freelance actor and vocalist. A mother of 1. I write about navigating spaces in my field/industry that can make you feel like you’re the only one. I’m interested in how we can all live a more OPTIMISITIC life - especially when we feel like the tides are against us. You can find me at gemmaknightjones@substack.com.
I’d tell my 2014 year old self to listen more to my inner voice. To take more chances. To leave situations and/or relationships that didn’t feel right. To learn how to apologise.
Imagine if they taught students how to listen to their inner voice and how to have the courage to follow it! The world would be so different!
Now wouldn’t that be a thing!
Hi, I’m Regina Peralta, a copywriter from the Philippines, balcony gardener, sustainability advocate, dog mom/aunt.
I’d tell my 19 y/o self to just keep calm and wait because love is just around the corner. Oh, and that she should hold out for a copywriting internship instead of taking the first advertising agency internship she finds.
On buhaycopywriter.substack.com, I write about life as a copywriter based in the Philippines. Occasionally I write about its intersection with other things in my life, such as series I’ve watched and advocacies I have.
Awwww I love your pieces of advice! If only we could really travel back in time and let our younger selves know that everything is going to be ok. 💕
Hi I'm alycia, I'm many late I would like to participate. I'm mindset and business coach, I write about self improvement, mindset, entrepreneurship and feminine energy. My advice to my younger self is to never give up to your dream. Your dream is so important don't anyone that it's stupid or you need to grow up. My substack is : https://mademoisellemindset.substack.com/ . I want to say thank you to give this opportunity
I've noticed that the next generous coming after us, the niece and nephews, kids etc, they are leaning into their dreams so much more! And we are giving them the permission to do so!
I think there was a lot of pressure to go on the path of "financial success", that dreams had to be left behind. I wonder how many people on Substack had the dream to write, but decided to be "sensible".
Hi friends! I'm late to the party but here! I love this monthly thread. My advice to my younger self: take extravagantly good care of yourself, enjoy every moment with young kids who will grow up fast, and surround yourself with healthy, devoted friends. I would also tell myself to embrace each adventure that presents itself; ten years ago I was more cautious than I am now.
In my Substack Evidence of Grace, I explore parenting teens with mental health challenges like eating disorders, depression, and anxiety, offering hope, authenticity, and faith.
This was a popular post about Letting Go of Expectations:
https://open.substack.com/pub/serenamenken/p/letting-go-of-expectations?r=2rava7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
This post shared ideas for finding joy while parenting a struggling teen: https://open.substack.com/pub/serenamenken/p/embracing-joy-part-1?r=2rava7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Thanks for hosting us all, Mika!
What an important topic that you write about. My friend had a daughter with an eating disorder and it can be quite isolating because you want to respect your child's privacy and what they're going through.
Look forward to reading your Substack.
Thanks Mika!
Hi everyone! I’m Hannah 👋 and I write the newsletter, By Hannah. A space for quiet creatives to rewild their writing. I am passionate about the intersection of storytelling, personal narrative, and how this is woven into nature writing. I also hope to platform the incredible work of female writers exploring similar themes.
Advice I would give to myself 10 years ago would be...stop caring what people think. They're so consumed in their own world, they're not spending time thinking about every little things you do or say. Show yourself some love!
Here is my most recent Substack article: Braiding Land and Story: How women writers weave land and personal narrative together to deepen our relationship with the more-than-human-world
You can read it here: https://hannahhooper.substack.com/p/braiding-land-and-story
Love this Hannah. I used to work on women’s land rights and am also fascinated by this topic. Great to find you.
https://open.substack.com/pub/notesfromcatriona/p/a-womans-place-is-on-the-land-register?r=fydqj&utm_medium=ios
This is so cool! Working with women's land rights, what an incredible line of work!
Hi Hannah! 👋
So lovely to have you join in.
Gosh, sometimes I wish we could take that people pleasing "chip" out of our brains. I think the chip has become smaller over the years, which is a huge achievement!
Yes, I agree! The chip is getting smaller, I guess that comes with growing as an individual, dare I say "getting older" haha
hi Hannah! This sounds lovely. I'm with you in the intersection of stories and nature writing... although you probably write about nature more than I do. I just find solace in it. Excited to check out your substack!
Hi Serena! Thank you for being here...yes I definitely also just enjoy finding solace in nature, as well as writing about it :)
Hi! I am Isha and I run a fictional newsletter here.
My advice to myself ten years ago would be to just write and try to publish my own work because I would learn along the way. I was stuck on the notion that I need to be perfect with my work. But I have now realized that there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to art. You just keep learning and growing so the best bet is to get it out and learn from your mistakes and experience.
My Substack is The Indian Story https://theindianstory.substack.com/
I write Quirky Indians, short character pieces that are funny and heartwarming.
Riva and Koel, an editor and writer playing a prompt game.
And also dead sister's tales because they haunt my dreams.
“I was stuck on the notion that I need to be perfect with my work. But I have now realized that there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to art.” - love this so much! 🎨
My advice to myself 10 years ago would be to fully inhabit the life that's actually happening, rather than the one that lives only in your head.
Love your invitation to find your people here Mika. I look forward to scrolling the comments.
Besides writing, my passions also include psychology and yoga. I'm keen to find the other New Zealanders here too 😊
My newsletter is The Therapy Room https://drvickiconnop.substack.com
Hi Vicki! I love this reminder to be present to what's around us, not just the life in our heads. Relating!
Hi Vicki! It's lovely to see you here!
Hey fellow kiwi! 😉
“inhabit the life that's actually happening, rather than the one that lives only in your head” oof I felt that!!
Coming in late, I'm Kim: illustrator-author-adventurer-mum. Parenthood threw us some unexpected curveballs and after a period of wallowing my way through a pandemic in an introverted daze of overwhelm and disappointment, I realised that no one was going to live my life for me. I've become deeply interested in how our culture of convenience, luxury, algorithms, dopamine dumping and instant gratification has set us up for suffering in the real world. I started doing hard things on purpose, like trail running, and it's teaching me all kinds of profoundly good stuff about living a meaningful life in the 21st century.
Which is obviously what my Substack, 'Outsider' is about at kimberlybrownart.substack.com
It's running and hiking and remote camping intersecting with growing-up/adulthood, parenthood, philosophy, neuroscience, behavioural science, spirituality, social commentary all done with brutal honesty, hand-drawn illustrations and an indefatigable sense of humour.
Advice? Stop blaming other people and circumstances for your life. Start being the person you want to be tomorrow. Do hard things. You're beautiful and perfect the way you are, stop worrying about what other people think. Stop worrying about what you're SUPPOSED to be doing. Live the life you want to be living. You are the instrument of your life. Stop waiting around for it to happen TO you.
Yeah. Better late than never. And it wasn't all bad. It was actually really good. But I carried a lot of weight that I didn't need to. Alright. Let's go read some other comments!
This is so rich! What a cool list of intersections. And yes, start living today!
Love that advice so much!! I needed to hear that. By the way, I love your thumbnail illustrations 😍
Hi I'm Lala : ) I'm a food writer and baker.
Advice: It's okay to embrace creativity and follow the road less traveled.
My Substack: https://effortlesshomebaker.substack.com/
My writing explores human connection through food. I write the Serving Up Sweetness newsletter twice a month. I find inspiration from the most unexpected places and I've learned to lean into it. This is something I hope everyone can benefit from in their writing.
Thanks for the opportunity to meet new writers Mika!
You are so welcome!! I hope you find some interesting people here Lala!
Hey Mika and everyone! A little late to the party but I'm enjoying making my way through the comments and Substacks on this thread.
Advice: If in doubt, follow what you love. It always takes you to the next right place.
My substack: https://janepike.substack.com/
I live in Aotearoa New Zealand and much of what I write is a love letter to my place. My writing most likely lives in the world of creative nonfiction, within the nature writing space. I have taken to heart Mary Oliver's "Instructions For Living A Life":
Pay Attention
Be Astonished
Tell About It
I believe that wonder is a portal to care, and what we care about we protect. So I share what I wonder about in the hope it adds a seed of caring and protection to the amazing, wild world that is out there.
So happy to be here with you all ❤️🌿
Jane, this sounds fascinating. I love Mary Oliver too!
Thank you! I'm sure there's a proverb somewhere that says "you can't go wrong with Mary (Oliver)"... or something like that 💛
Lol love that!
Jane, you work sounds amazing! Subscribing now! I also write a newsletter for quiet creatives to rewild their writing. A lot of my writing is the intersection of nature writing and personal narrative. You might be interested in it: https://hannahhooper.substack.com
Ooooh, definitely- thank you! I'm going to head over and peruse the goodness now 💛
You had me at "Mary Oliver" :)
I love your writing / Substack- I merrily subscribed just now 😍
Thank you!!!! 😊
Hey Jane 👋! So glad you can join in! I love your advice. It really encourages us to trust the process. 😊
Thank you- and thank you for creating this space for us xx
✨ Hi, I’m Shinjini, a self-taught mixed media artist based in India.
🎨 You’re invited into my virtual studio, aka my Substack, Studio Diaries. Every week I send out notes on the creative life & the best ideas from my journey as an artist and thinker, as well as short process videos and pages from my art journals.
👩🎨 Come on in: https://shinjinim.substack.com
🌝 I also write The Numinous Stardust — a twice a month tarot newsletter. It goes out around each full and new moon, and includes a juicy astro-tarot forecast and a new tarot spread for each new & full moon. You can find that here: https://numinousstardust.substack.com
🤔 1 piece of advice I would give myself 10 years ago: Invest smarter! The answer to financial stability isn’t applying for a promotion or looking for a better paying job, it’s smarter investing. The sooner you build your financial nest egg, the sooner you can give yourself options and have the freedom to make choices that are better for your mental health and emotional well-being.
Hi Shinjini! It's great to see you here. I 100% agree with your financial advice! Learning financial basics needs to be part of today's curriculum, and reconditioning ourselves away from thinking a 9to5 job will give us security would be great. I've managed teams through so many reorganisations, it's a typical consequence when new top management arrives. Financial security gives us the freedom to live the life we want. Great advice!
I think we all could agree that we should have started investing early! I think that every school should show the compound effect of saving/investing!!
Absolutely! It just gives you so much freedom, and options!!
Hi everyone, and thanks for this space, Mika. ^-^
I would give myself the advice to stop focusing so much on pleasing people whose opinions don't ultimately matter and will only find fault regardless. I'd waste a lot less of my years and effort haha.
I write about grief and how aspects of society affect us on a personal level at https://tiffanychu.substack.com
I love your substack. It's so beautiful and well-written. One of my favorite things about it is how you thank your paid subscribers. It's so classy. I subscribed and can't to hear more. PS. Yours caught my eye because my brother died last year, his birthday is next month, and I'm still trying to process it. So I'm curious what you have to say about grief.
Sandra, thank you so much for your kindness. I'm so, so sorry about your brother. I know birthdays and anniversaries bring up such emotions, and the first year is so hard. My heart is with you in this next month.
Thank you. I extend the same condolences to you. I can't even imagine what you go through. *virtual hug*
So important, Tiffany!
Hi Tiffany!
Hi Victoria!! I don't know how I missed this.
No worries, hon! Thanks for the reply- no matter what when it is!! Have a great evening & weekend. late UK time ;-)
I wonder how many (recovering) people pleasers are on Substack, feels like we should create a club. 😆
We should do that hahah.
Haha yes to this!
I'll join! :)
Hi, I'm Nneka:-) I'm a Trini born caregiver to my Dad who has Alzheimer's and my Mom who's legally blind. Witnessing them aging has been an eye opener.
Back in 2014, I'd give myself this advice...
Stay the course Nneka. Things may get tough, but you're doing great. Also, treat your business like your first 5 years in corporate. You'll be a superstar, just like you were there:-)
So, that's what I'm doing now. I'm staying the course.
I share my midlife musings on caregiving while crafting a life I love at https://nnekatrini.substack.com
Caregiving is such a profoundly overlooked act of love and sacrifice. What else is there besides giving care and to the most vulnerable in our lives and communities? I struggle at times (a lot) with the disability care of our son and the long-term impacts of that, but as Father Richard Rohr says, “Holiness always feels like dying.”
Yes, it's a handful, but all together we make it work. Do you have help with your son?
Very little. We don’t live near family but we do have a couple who have essentially adopted out kids as their grandchildren so that does help. Radical acceptance is where it’s at for us.
Radical acceptance is the way!
My brother lives around the corner and he just picked up my parents for the first time in the 2 months we’ve lived here.
Hi Nneka - here's a link to my website: https://www.carermentor.com/p/who-started-carer-mentor-and-why-cb9
I hear you. I'm going to send you a note to connect you with a few others and their publications.
It's lovely to meet you here. Many thanks to Mika for this community meeting space.
Thanks Victoria:-)
You also might want to check out Victoria (she’s on this chat thread) she talks about caregiving as well.
Thanks, Mika!
Hi Nneka! Thanks for joining in! I love your tender advice to your younger self. 💕
Also, I love that you’re shining the light in caregiver space, because it can be a lonely place. 💕
Hi everyone, I'm Aleks, a CBT Therapist and mum on a mission to bend time every day to balance family, work, and building my own business, all while staying well and sane!
If I could give myself one piece of advice from 10 years ago, it would be... take it easy. Slow down. Enjoy your 25-year-old self (without children back then), travelling, watching sunsets, and being silly. I definitely worked too hard.
My Substack baby is called "Unscrewing Motherhood" – I write there about perinatal mental health, matrescence, and motherhood while wearing my two hats – as a therapist and as a mum :)
https://unscrewing.substack.com/
I love how you are rewriting motherhood with this!
Thank you Serena 😌❤️ there's a lot that needs to be re-written!
This sentence 🙌 “mum on a mission to bend time every day to balance family, work, and building my own business, all while staying well and sane!” - so good!
And so true 😂
Hi everyone! I'm Julia and I'm a writer, aspiring author and former journalist (or journalist in recovery is the joke). I live in Chicago with my bf, our two cats and a dog, and am usually watching a horror movie.
Wow, 10 years ago I had just gotten to college. My advice for myself would be to keep pursuing creative writing instead of giving it up in favor of a "more stable career." Ignore the "starving artist" speech from the well-meaning non-artists and follow your passion, your calling in life to whatever end! That way I'd be starting my writing journey at 18 instead of 28, but alas! I know it's never too late.
Speaking on that, I started my Substack as a writing outlet for the topic that really gets my brain going the most: horror movies. Now I've expanded it to be more broadly about Entertainment & Lifestyle so I can be genre agnostic. I discuss the shows, movies and books I'm consuming and write essays about them, what they mean to me, what they mean to the culture, etc. It is here: https://julesisscreamingintothevoid.substack.com/
I'd love to meet other writers who do personal essays and talk about Entertainment & Lifestyle! I'm just back in the game after a 6 month hiatus so any advice on how to stay consistent would be more than welcome. :)
“keep pursuing creative writing instead of giving it up in favor of a "more stable career." Ignore the "starving artist" speech from the well-meaning non-artists and follow your passion, your calling in life to whatever end!” Your journey sounds so similar to my brother-in-law. And unfortunately, he said it contributed to his depression. When we ignore that light inside of us, it doesn’t go away. ✨
Maybe I should get him on Substack!! He’s now pursuing his writing, self-publishing on Amazon and also just started a freelance career in storytelling for cooperations, along side his own writing.
Hi Julia:-) that's really unique! You're creating your own movie critic platform. I stopped at your comment because of the name of your substack. I thought it would be about existential questions (I'm all about the existential). Horror movies are much cooler:-)
Awww haha I feel like there’s an existential element wrapped in there! An existential horror is the best
✨ Hi I’m David, and I live in the beautiful cathedral City of Lichfield with my wife, Clementine, and our ever-growing number of musical instruments, books and teddy bears.
🌱 On Instagram, and here on Substack, I write about all things slow, simple and seasonal living, encouraging and inspiring people to rediscover and reconnect, not only with the past, but with the natural world around them.
🌿 My Substack is called Rediscover · Reconnect · Re-Emerge, and you can find it here: https://alifemorecreative.substack.com/
📚 One piece of advice I’d have given myself 10 years ago would have been to stop worrying what everyone else thinks and do it anyway!
David, your Substack sounds wonderful! You had me at seasonal living. I write a newsletter for quiet creatives to rewild their writing. A lot of my writing is the intersection of nature writing and personal narrative. You might be interested in it: https://hannahhooper.substack.com
Thank you 🙏 Lovely to meet you here too ✨
“stop worrying what everyone else thinks and do it anyway” - yes!
I feel like there should be some sort of class taught in High School. Imagine what the world would be like if we were a little bit more courageous and let ourselves shine unapologetically?
Lichfield Cathedra is indeed beautiful :)
Hi everyone! I love this monthly party! I'm Kelsey. I'm a Coach, Human Design guide, House Therapist, Dog Mom, Triathlete and playful plant-based cook living in Florida.
To 2014 me: Yay! You're a coach. Now you get to start a business. Don't let the word "business" freak you out. Lots of people are going to tell you what to do. They're going to bully you and criticize you. Don't worry about them. DO YOU. Have fun. Follow the joy. Follow your intuition. They're all going to tell you that you're doing it wrong. Do it anyway.
I have three substacks. I write about JOY and HUMAN DESIGN at Find Your Awesome https://kelseyabbott.substack.com/
PLANT-BASED GLUTEN FREE FOOD at Find Your Awesome Sauce https://findyourawesomesauce.substack.com/
and being a MANIFESTING GENERATOR at The Manifesting Generator Playground https://mgplayground.substack.com/
These sound so interesting Kelsey!
Hey Kelsey! Love that we can highlight your 3 lovely Substacks!
I’m curious, if you don’t mind me asking, where were the naysayers coming from?
All the business coaches
Hi everyone,
I’m Anna, and I’ve quit the 9-5 and heading back to research I used to work in climate change research but now I focus on biological psychology. I’m currently investigating cooperation and how it succeeds and fails in inter group conflict. It also gives me time to write which is fantastic!
I write 2 substacks. Letters to my father serves as a living memory to us and a way a process my grief at his terminal leukaemia diagnosis. https://letterstomyfather.substack.com
The other is about my return to nature following quitting the 9-5 which includes my life at the community garden as I attempt to go from supermarket shopper to garden expert…or maybe just advanced novice!
https://tidesandseasonsuk.substack.com
My advice to myself 10 years ago would be; no you’re not just fed up of your role, don’t apply for that promotion, follow your gut, quit, move back to live near your dad, spend every second you can with him, and write. Lots.
Looking forward to meeting more of you! Anna xx
So sorry to hear about your dad, Anna. I'm glad you are processing your grief on Substack. And I love to hear about returning to nature and working in a community garden - so healing too!
Thank you Serena. It is so immensely healing. I can’t believe how much it has been. The garden has been a wonderful gift.
My husband is a devoted gardener too - what gardeners create is like magic!
Hi Anna, lovely to meet you. I'm sorry to hear about your father, hopefully writing can be a space to process.
I also work in the sector of climate change and environmentalism, writing on the side, and community gardening :) I write a newsletter for quiet creatives to rewild their writing. A lot of my writing is the intersection of nature writing and personal narrative. You can check it out here: https://hannahhooper.substack.com
I’ve subscribed lots of similarity between us I think! Lovely to have another member of the tribe!
I'm sorry to hear about your father, Anna. My father also had recurrent leukemia while I was growing up and it affected me a lot. Sending you love.
I’m sorry to hear that Tiffany, I hope you are doing ok. It’s such a ride this whole process. Thank you for your kind words. Sending you a hug over the internet ❤️
Awww you’re advice is so beautiful Anna xx 🥹
So sorry to hear of your father's illness. All the best in this time
Thank you Lesley it’s much appreciated. Grief is such a big emotion which is a complete spectrum of joy and deep sadness. Never have been able to be so mindful. Thank you again.
Thank you, Mika.
Hello, I’m Jenny. I write children’s fiction and creative non-fiction books. I live in England with my husband, child and cat.
The advice I would give myself 10 years ago is to stop worrying about the future and to enjoy the present. Life will work out. And it has, after making my own luck and having the guts to step out of my comfort zones.
I write ‘Where do I belong?’, which discusses what it’s like to grow up between cultures, based on my experiences as a Cross-Cultural Kid ricocheting between Hong Kong and Scotland. The topics include home, belonging and identity. https://jtwriting.substack.com/
“stop worrying about the future and to enjoy the present” - I need this advice right now! 😅
I would say "in ten years time you'll only leave the house to do activities with and for your kids - go out and do everything now because for a few years, you won't be doing much of anything after 6pm"
So relatable! 10 years ago, my kids were 7, 9, 11, 13. It was just before the oldest turned 14. Which in NZ, is when they can babysit. So I was in your position for 13 years. I wish that I did prioritise some time to get out, just for me, to explore and have some space to myself.
Actually, even now as the kids are older, I still can get caught up in house stuff, that I forget to go out in nature or a museum. I think I will prioritise that. 😊
Do it!
Yay love the find your tribe!
Hi everyone, I'm Ale/Alex. I live in Northern California and write about recovering from burnout and other of life's indignations through writing, laughing, and dealing with the feelings.
10 years ago, I had just started a PhD program and was feeling so inadequate. Impostor Syndrome can be an overused phrase but I truly thought I was not meant to be where I was. That gave way to a big bout of anxiety that was not great to live through, but ultimately taught me so much about what feelings I had. Like many of you, I'd tell my younger self to let go of expectations and think about what I truly want for myself: personally and professionally. Maybe that would've eased some of the unnecessary anxiety.
You can find more of my writing here: https://acpz.substack.com/ - BURNOUT RECOVERY & WRITING ABOUT WRITING & (hopefully some HUMOR)
It’s so interesting to look back at our younger self and their state of mind. I just want to go back and give her a hug. She was doing the best she could and felt like there was one mountain to climb and to do it as quickly as possible. Little did she know, there were many different mountains and hills and actually you could stop anytime to enjoy the view.
Ok, Let's go!!! thanks Mika 😘. Hi everybody, Im Laura, a French Life coach for entrepreneurs 👋🏼I talk (only in French sorry) about business, money, relationships, love... and I use Human Design to look at those topics with diferent angles. I looove help entrepreneurs, writers, change their mind about their sabotages, creativity, marketing etc... I think I told the old version of myself, 10years ago to go and act WITH the doubts, fears . "Dont wait for things to go well. Act now and results will come."
you can follow me here https://lauraleadhersoul.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile
Hi Laura, have you found many French speaking people on Substack yet?
Yes, it s not the easy part but I found really interesting french people 🤘
Salut Laura, heureuse de te voir. I'm following you now. My spoken french is much better than my written french! I did half my MBA in French - Le Droit was painful trying to distinguish ce n'etait pas, with C'etais.. ahh fond memories but as a former global commercial leader turned business owner, I'm interested to read your work.
Très heureuse de t'accueillir Victoria ! You re welcome!
I'm a Human Design guide as well. My French is rusty, but I'm excited to check out your work, Laura!
You are welcome!! It s so good to find some HD guides here
Love your message Laura and thanks for subscribing! 💛
Hi Mika! 👋
I’m Kate, a psychotherapist, mum to a teen, silversmith, dog mama and writer. I write https://lettersfromtherapy.substack.com, with insights from therapy to nurture your soul, accept yourself and find deeper meaning.
My advice to me 10 years ago is to stop worrying what anyone thinks!!! It really doesn’t matter 🙄😄
Hi Kate! Excited to hear more about insights from therapy, acceptance and purpose from you!
Great serena, you are welcome to subscribe! 😀
Hi Kate! 👋
I was wondering, what is the difference between a jeweller and silversmith. Is it that you manipulate the metal more?
Hi Kate! Lovely to see you here.
Hi Victoria! 👋👋👋
Hey everyone, I'm Roc! I currently work full-time as a tech consultant or solution designer in Australia, but I want to contribute to both myself and the greater good in a more meaningful way. That feeling has been with me for a long time which lead to a lot of seeking, but ultimately led me here.
I'm writing about reconnecting to the boundless energy within our true authentic Self that sits beneath the core of all the unconscious programming we have embedded into us in modern society - that's where the love, freedom and peace that's inherent in our nature lies. Nothing makes me more sad than seeing young, curious and explorative children become supressed and shaped into something that's just simply not in their nature (I was one of them). My niece the other day told me that her dream was to be an author and write a book, but she hasn't started because she "doesn't have time". Why is a 9 year old talking like a 40 year old with a full-time job?
Anyway, I digress. My publication is still early days so I am still shaping it, but I'll be going over topics like consciousness, spirituality, psychology, philosophy, inner work to help us remember who we truly are, so we can show up in the world in an authentic way and contribute to the greater good, while feeling good about it! https://iam.rocguiducci.com/
A piece of advice I would give to myself 10 years ago: It's okay. It's okay to be you. You are not broken and there is nothing wrong with you. You are perfect as you are, and you don't need to 'do' anything except enjoy life.
Everyone needs to hear that advice Roc.
Also, your lovely niece. I hope she is able to write that book! 💕
Thanks Mika for setting this up, it's great! And yes, me too. All I can do is encourage her curiosity.
YESSSSS 🙌
🙏
Roc this sounds amazing! And exactly the journey I am on too. Love finding my tribe here! Subscribing ❤️
Thank you Anna! I'm excited to follow your journey. Lovely to meet you :)
Hi Roc - Following you now, because I feel strongly about this topic too.
Kids are not being taught life skills and are getting conditioned by the worst parts of our adult social pressures. On top of that, there are influencers making money from 'productivity culture' hustles , there is a phenom 'Subprime attention crisis' (book by Tim Hwang), where attention & instant gratification of clicks reduce eyeball-time and undermines any definition of quality time. As a mentor, I've found that it's harder to manage mental-patience, building skills for growth - not because there's anything wrong with these young people but because their expectations and ideas of success are warped. It drives frustration, and false perceptions of their capabilities. I've seen several influences who are building empires like a ponsi-scheme. The majority of my time as a mentor is trying to help these young execs unlearn and then relearn how to define their skills and competencies, and rebuild their unique story.
Can you tell I've a similar fire in my belly and could soapbox for a very long time!!
Martin Lewis - here in the UK, has built life skills courses for young people to learn everyday finance skills, around saving and spending. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/financial-education/
Hope there's something on my website that resonates for you. best wishes
Beautiful to meet you Victoria. Love the fire in your belly for this! It's just so sad because parents are so wounded themselves they don't even have the ability to see their child and actually intervene. Let's hope to change this.
100% Thanks Roc
HOOOO I feel your passion for this topic!!! I subscribed!!! See you soon!
Thank you Laura! Great to meet you :)
😁
Hello, all! I'm Dawna, caretaker of the Garden of the Mental Mystic. Also, "Garden Host."
What is one piece of advice that I would have given myself 10 years ago?
En-JOY the ride. Life isn't as much of an emergency as the ego-mind will try to convince you it is. Time goes by quickly. Enjoy the moments with friends and loved ones. Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's ALL small stuff.
You can find me in the Garden at https://thementalmystic.substack.com. I write about conscious/intentional living and cultivating more JOY in our lives.
I am ALWAYS open to connecting and collaborating with new folks. 🥰
Hi Dawna, I love the sound of your Substack! And you wonderful advice! You might enjoy my newsletter By Hannah, for quiet creatives looking to rewild their writing: https://hannahhooper.substack.com
Thank you, Hannah! I will definitely check it out.
I feel your passion on the topic! We only have one life, it’s time to live it with JOY! ✨
Exactly, Mika! 🥰🥳
I love this advice for our old self version 😍
Great advice, take it easy!
Exactly! 🥰
Hi Mika and thank you so much for this space!
I am Paola, I am a content writer, an aspiring digital nomad, an amateur artist and a future cat lady!
If I could give my younger self an advice it'd definitely be this: do. more. art!
My Substack is still sort of new, it's about the fun the challenges of being a childfree, single woman.
tw I'd be glad to find people to collaborate with, swap guest posts and so on :)
https://theoutcastdiaries.substack.com/
Yes to doing more art! I write about art & creativity at https://shinjinim.substack.com
Would love to see if we can swap guest posts or collaborate in some way with our ‘stacks.
Hi Shinjini, I'd absolutely love swapping posts or collaborating. BTW I'm happy I found your insta, your art is beautiful and inspiring.
Thank you so much!
Yes to doing more art! Prioritise it and experiment! 🎨
I've got some problems with the "prioritise" part, but I'm working on it😄 Thank you for the encouragement!
Hi Paola:-) lovely meeting you! I love that you write about being a childfree, single woman and that you do so from JOY, not remorse. I wish you were around in my footloose and fancy free years.
I'm still childfree, but I now care for my parents.
I'd love to swap guest posts, or even do an interview together.
I'd love swapping guest posts too! Let's do it :)
Hi, Paola! It's a pleasure to meet you! We are aspiring full-time nomads here as well. Just waiting for the youngest to fly the coop, as they say, then we're taking the RV out for more than a weekend here and there. 🥰
I didn't know that about you, Dawna. We traveled the US in a camper for 16 months and it was awesome!
Nice, Kelsey! Yes, we can't wait! 🥰
Super! I wish you all the best in your future journeys 🍀
Hi friends, excited I finally caught one of these posts!
My name is Melissa, and I’m a researcher, designer and strategist living in New York. I spent 20 years building an impressive, status and prestige driven career (awards! Magazine covers! Speaking events!) only to find myself burned out and broken down with a brand new baby when I turned 36. I’ve spent the last 5 years rebuilding (and getting over) myself, and now I use my skills as a researcher to break down the mindsets and cultural beliefs that keep us from being our most authentic selves.
If I could give myself advice at 31, I would say “I’m so proud of how hard you’ve worked to get here — but don’t lose yourself in it. Believe in yourself — being good enough doesn’t mean you need to win every debate or dictate every decision. Let things go, focus on what feels fun and stop worrying so much.”
My Substack is called On Purpose — I tell stories about how to live and work joyfully, redefine success and break free from the mindsets and cultural beliefs that hold us back.
On the 2023 Tech Layoffs and the perils of achievement culture:
https://onpurposeproject.substack.com/p/whats-lost-from-winning?r=f96pn
On Joni Mitchell, Steve Jobs and what it means to really love your life
https://onpurposeproject.substack.com/p/human-resources-love-work-and-joni?r=f96pn
On the strange ways purpose shows up
https://onpurposeproject.substack.com/p/who-are-you-to-touch-your-beating?r=f96pn
And finally, an exercise to rediscover your expansive self:
https://onpurposeproject.substack.com/p/practice-rediscover-your-expansive?r=f96pn
wow, so much here, Melissa! Thanks for sharing these essays! Relating to burnout and the need to step back and decide on our purpose.
Lovely to meet you, Melissa. Your substack sounds wonderful — these are some of the things I think about a lot too, and write about occasionally from an art/creativity lens.
What an interesting journey you’ve had Melissa! Is there a post you’ve done that delves more about your journey? Or do those links cover it?
I love how there are so many that are refinding ourselves after burn out. Looking forward to reading!
Yessssss!
Hi Melissa, That's great advice. It's something I'm still working on. Sounds like a fulfilling career shift too.
Thanks Jenny! Yes, so far, so good!
Howdy Melissa!
Love this, and def the part about not worrying too much!
Still applicable 😅
Hi, Melissa! It's a pleasure to meet you! I love how you say "getting over" yourself. I'm in that process as well. Getting out of my head and more into my Heart to live a more "on purpose" and intentional life.
yessssss! 🥰
Hi, everyone! I hope I'm not too late to the party. :) I love scrolling these posts.
My name is Morgan and I live in Calgary, Canada on Treaty 7 territory. There are SO many things I would tell my younger self, the biggest one being "don't be in such a rush." In my early twenties, I just wanted things to go faster. I wanted to hit a fast forward button and reach a time when I would be "settled" and "successful." As Mika has said, life is to be enjoyed--in all its phases and stages. Now I've learned to relax a bit and have more fun. Things will happen when they should.
https://morgandick.substack.com/
I write about the joyful (sometimes messy!) experience of publishing my debut novel, along with book rec's and essays on the intersections of storytelling and real life.
Hi Morgan! So glad you are writing about this! I'd love to learn from you. I'm in final revisions for my debut book too - and yes it's such a journey!
I think we can all relate to that feeling of, “if I can just get there……”
It’s the culture of making goals etc, but forgetting to talk about enjoying the ride along the way. 💕
Goodness I can relate to the rushing!
As someone who relocated 18 times across 10 countries, promotions, changes etc. I was living the fast lane. I didn't know what 'settled' was and thrived BUT it whizzed by. If you read my message, I'm proud of what I achieved, but I'm also mindful of how skewed and myopic it was in many ways.
Hi Morgan! So excited to read about you publishing your first novel! I really hope to find myself in this situation in the coming years so thanks for sharing your experience. Subscribed :)
Thanks, Julia! PS I love the name of your substack!
Hi Morgan, I did this too. I was in such a rush to do everything that I forgot to have fun. Thankfully, I have calmed down and am learning to relax and enjoy life.
I also used to rush too much! I’ve slowed down so much now thankfully!
Hi I'm Amy. I live in Southeast Wisconsin with my Hubs and two adult kiddos. We own a Veterinary practice and have spent the last 17 years living a simpler life on our little 6 acre farmstead.
If I could give myself 1 piece of advice 10 years ago it would be....Give yourself grace! You will be faced with lots of hard decisions and crisis'. Take them as they come, knowing you are doing the absolute best you can, and will get through one day at a time.
https://countryonthelake.substack.com/
The Meandering Muse is thoughts on living a simpler life, becomming empty nesters and living authentically in the time we are in.
Thank you for organizing Mika!!
Isn't it what we most need but it's hardest to give? Grace! Nice to meet you, Amy!
Oh my gosh, grace! We so need that, and needed that (even when I didn’t know that’s what I needed).
Hi Amy!! lovely to see you here!
Love this advice, so true, we are hard on ourselves!
Hi, Amy! It's a pleasure to meet you. I love the piece of advice you shared. Didn't know I needed to hear(t) that too.
We gave homesteading a bit of a go some years ago. I just didn't have the heart or the wherewithal to keep "fighting" nature. I do miss living in the country, though.
Hi 👋 I'm Marie, 32 years old woman from Belgium who recently moved to Italy with the love of her life. I'm also the writer of The Bored Millennial Newsletter, that just yesterday crossed the milestone of 100 subs.
What is one piece of advice you would give yourself 10 years ago?
Drink less alcohol for sure and also to be true to myself. (I recently discovered I'm an introvert AND I'm gifted, my 20s where a period of behaving like an extravert + extreme boredom at work because of the giftedness)
🔗 https://marievandoorne.substack.com/
LIFE AS A MILLENNIAL - TRYING TO BUILD SOMETHING ONLINE - SHARING THE JOURNEY - MINDSET
Thank you for organising this Mika!
I’m so glad you joined in Marie so people can find what you do and your weekly money & learnings updates.
Thank you for the continious support Mika!
Marie, I was just thinking that this would be the advice I would've given myself too. Alcohol was something I was using to enable behaviors that I thought were necessary but that did not come naturally to me. Figuring that out took a lot of work (and way too many hangovers)
Looking forward to reading your work!
Oh my gosh, I had waaaaay to many hangovers as well, Alex! I hate them now