Kia ora my darlings,

How’re you all holding up? I’m doing well, trying to rest and recharge after a full week.

Noticing my FOMO as I see lots of happy authors at the Auckland Writers Festival

(yay yay!! have you read Surplus Women yet by the amazing Guardian journalist Michelle Duff? what about the delicious murder mystery See How They Fall [think Succession blended with White Lotus]?)

but also enjoying JOMO (do you know about this, the JOY of missing out) as I cuddle up with my loved ones in front of a fire and play poker.

Thanks for reading Dr Kerry's Love Letters: words for the weary! This post is public so feel free to share it.

I redesigning my website and trying to teach self compassion while practicing it myself. This is a text convo I had with my hubby:

As part of the website redesign, I’m building out a section of my website to collect all things I explain to my clients and supervisees.

This week, I wrote about how I think sustaining hope means giving up….or at least detaching from external outcomes.

Does renewable hope mean giving up? Oh yes, maybe it does!

Maintaining a life of sustainable hope and optimism requires a few core and difficult skills:

1. Letting go of outcomes: Reckoning with the reality that we will never be certain that our efforts are fruitful. Practicing uncertainty and doing it anyway.
2. Half-heartedness/Seasonality/Variation: A sustainable life meanders at a pace that is long and slow and steady. This means doing a bit of work regularly then resting. This means practicing seasons of growth and production, and seasons of slumber and recharge.

Read more including my own inspiration to follow this winding path here.

Ack! Before I forget - two recommendations:

1. If you’re in Wellington, the intelligent and cheeky is leading ACT For Everybody: “a 6 week course where you’ll learn how to interact more helpfully with thoughts, feelings and behaviours that you struggle with. You’ll develop your ability to move towards what matters to you even when you’re feeling bad. And you’ll do this with a small group of others.” You should sign up and spread the news far and wide.
2. One of my top 5 favorite podcasts, , is now on Substack and you could follow them too! (My long standing clients and and loved ones are all like “yes yes Kerry, we KNOW you love that podcast, yes I WILL listen to that episode, OK yes that one too….wow.”)

Ok now for real, I need to go. Wishing you all warm nights, lots of love, and a royal flush for the win.

Aroha, Kerry