Margaret McCormack

i used to think adulthood was one crisis after another. i was wrong. multiple crises. concurrently. all at once. all the time. forever.

Major cheat code in life: Be the one who reaches out. Text first. Call first. Plan first. Initialize first. Most people wait to be chosen. Be the chooser. Connection requires initiative. Friendship requires effort. Love requires action. Stop waiting to be picked. Start picking. Initiative is attractive.

my favorite quote from Charles Bukowski is: "If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean... See more

Confidence comes from taking action and taking care of yourself, because no amount of positive feedback or reflections from others can replace the way you feel about yourself in private. It needs to make sense in your own frame and experience for your identity to be transformed.

Delayed gratification is so important for recovering from burnout & healing the nervous system. Waiting until midday to check your phone, waiting a week to open packages, resets from social media, taking the longer route home after work, etc. Patience and slowness is grounding.

Major cheat code for life: Be patient with yourself when you’re trying to become someone you’ve never been. You’ll feel lost, unsure, and tempted to quit. Don't. Change feels chaotic because your old self is fighting for survival. Expect it to be a battle. But also expect to win.