Over the past few years there has been an increase in consumers asking: “What is in the products I am purchasing and using? What do these vague labels actually mean? And are these marketing claims actually legitimate?” The rise in this consumer concern? The access to improved chemical testing and the increase in the finding of PFAS or ‘forever chemicals’ in many of our everyday-use products such as baby products, food containers, furniture and even our undergarments, specifically period products.

Does the concept of defining your personal style give you anxiety? Did you embrace the comfort of leggings and haven’t looked back since? Or is getting dressed an extreme sport? Perhaps everything is a theme party? Whether you are a fashion-loving baddie or a creature of comfort, you can curate your personal style in a way that works for you and it starts with your closet and making space.

Between decorations, gift wrapping and packaging, freight and food is it even possible to be mindful about your purchases? Even if you are a seasoned sustainable baddie, that doesn’t always translate during the holidays. For the sake of this article, I’m going to hone in on gifting. Consciously, of course.

When people don’t line up with the binary that we hold for ourselves, we start to “other” them or we attempt to “fix” them because we see them as defective.

It isn’t the fear of failure that’s holding most of us back, it’s the fear of success. Yep, that’s right! Not the fear of failure, but of achievement. Achievement often implies “work” and yes, there is a lot of showing up and actually doing the work that leads to “success.”

This grief, this deep pain is not only mine, it is ours and it needs our attention in order to heal. But perhaps the beauty in this is the inescapable truth that we are all deeply connected.