The Cage You Built, The Key You Hold.

But the truth is that “when” never really comes fully. And when it does, it’s fleeting. Then we’re onto the next “thing.”

I’m currently trying to adjust to a new life. The problem is, one foot is still in the old life, and the other is waving as it attempts to boldly stride into my new one.

Over the past few months, I’ve let go of a lot: our house, my career as it currently stood, and a long list of ideals and thought patterns that—if I’m honest—kept me tucked inside a gilded cage of my own making.

And I do feel freer now. But of course, I still have doubts. That’s only human, right? So what comes next?

How do I traverse this in-between? Is it even a divide—or simply a crossing over? How do I weather the storm of mixed emotions without needing to do it perfectly?

These are the thoughts swirling around in my mind lately. Not exactly the picture of slow living and a curated life of simplicity, is it?

But that’s why I’m sharing this—because even now, after making so many changes, I catch myself still clinging to the mirage of a perfectly curated life. The Pinterest version. The one that whispers, “You’ll be happy when…”

But the truth is: that “when” never really comes fully. And when it does, it’s fleeting. Then we’re onto the next “thing.”

Even here, standing in the threshold of a beautiful life transition, I find myself slipping into old patterns. Striving. Measuring. Perfecting.

So how do we move forward from this? How do we stop buying into the illusion that one more thing will finally make everything fall into place?

The answer is simple, though not always easy:

Accept what is.

Surrender control.

Stop subscribing to the myth of perfection.

Life isn’t perfect. Not the home, not the career, not the travel destinations, the relationships, the wellness routines, or the carefully constructed “systems.”

Unsubscribe from the belief that you need to earn your worth through hustle or appearance. Let go of the lie that peace arrives only after the next milestone, product, or promise.

Instead, seek the people and spaces that remind you:

You are already enough.

You’re allowed to be messy.

You deserve grace.

We all fall short—and we will again. But that’s okay. The more we’re aware of it, the more space we have to grow, to heal, and to extend grace to ourselves and each other.

Don’t spend your life chasing a version of reality that doesn’t exist. Come back home to yourself.

Ground into the present.

Ask yourself:

How can I serve well with the time and gifts I’ve already been given?

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The gift of your life has already been bought.

It’s already yours.

What will you do with it?

Until next time my friends,

-Rachel