Hey Reader,
Walking up from the basement of the cycling studio into the sun — drenched in sweat, dazed, and completely recharged.
It was a Taylor Swift-themed 60-minute ride, and total chaos: the AC wasn’t working, the room was overheating, and the instructor laughed, “I’m fighting for my life here!” We all were. And somehow, we loved it.
Then “Love Story” came on as the final song. 55 minutes in, nearly collapsing — we all sang along. It was like the music, the movement, and the energy of the room all clicked into one perfect moment.
That post-workout dopamine rush? It lasted all day.
And it reminded me of summer 2021, when I finished cycling instructor training. I never ended up teaching after moving to London — but that memory lives in my body.
Back then, pushing through 2-day bootcamps and daily training, something clicked:
If I can do this — the shy, chubby kid who never spoke up — then I can keep going, no matter how hard life gets.
Sometimes we chase mindset shifts through books or mantras. But this week reminded me:
🧠 A healthy body gives your mind something to believe in.
💌 This Week’s Gift or Tool
🎥 1 Year as a Solo Founder – Why You Should Start Before You’re Ready
This isn’t just a MacBook unboxing — it’s a quiet, late-night reflection on what it means to keep going when things feel uncertain.
A year into building my startup, I sat down to record a kind of milestone letter to myself — and maybe to anyone else who’s starting messy, scared, or stuck.
There’s no script. No polish. Just me, a warm drink, and a quiet kind of clarity.
If you’re standing at a beginning (or a messy middle), I hope it meets you where you are.
📦 Watch here
🧠 A ChatGPT Prompt You Might Love
“Here’s what’s already on my plate this week. Can you help me identify what actually energizes me — and what I could let go?”
I’ve been using similar ones when my calendar looks full but my mind feels foggy.
Sometimes clarity isn’t about adding more… it’s about finding the space to focus on what restores you.
🎙 One Podcast I Loved This Week
Be a Different Kind of Leader – Brian Chesky (Founder of AirBnb)
The conversation flows so effortlessly. But what stayed with me wasn’t just the origin story — it was the way Brian Chesky talks about design and responsibility.
Of course, there’s the now-famous moment:
When Airbnb was running out of money during the 2008 election, they launched a quirky idea — limited-edition cereal boxes: Obama O’s and Cap’n McCain’s.
They sold for $40 each. And it worked. That cereal paid their bills and helped get them through.
🧃 It was a reminder that creativity under pressure isn’t fluff — it’s survival.
But then there was this line from Brian that I can’t stop thinking about:
“Maybe imagine the kind of world you want your children to live in… and say: we can design that world.”
“That’s the role of a designer — to assemble technology and ideas to better serve society.”
It made me reflect on what I’m building — and how much clarity and confidence comes from knowing that I get to decide why I’m building it in the first place.
✨ Blue Elsewhere
1. One Magic Moment
It was the final minute of a 60-minute cycling class — no AC, dripping sweat, towels in hand. Everyone looked like they had nothing left… but somehow, we were still beaming.
Then the first chords of Love Story came on.
One of Taylor Swift’s oldest songs — and still, it hits like magic.
People smiled. “’Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter.” Everyone sang. Others just exhaled and kept pedaling. Towels in the air.
That moment reminded me: energy is contagious.
Sometimes, the right song in the right room with the right people?
It gives you more than momentum. It gives you back belief.
2. One Shift in Thought
This week I kept telling myself: “Everything will be fine.”
I was weirdly anxious for the first half of the week — maybe because of the webinar I was arranging, the unbooked Canada trip, or just the shift in weather.
And yet, it all settled: I booked my flight, wrapped up the events, recorded 3 videos, and even found myself catching up with old friends.
One moment that stayed with me was hearing my friend — who had just quit a brutal 16-hour-day job at one of the world’s top investment banks — say:
“Just realized life/the world is way bigger than corporate grind that withdraws me from social and loved ones.”
It echoed back to me something I’ve said half-jokingly: “I got out alive from investment banking.”
And I mean that. I’m deeply grateful for the healthy rituals I’ve built for myself — some of them unintentionally, but all of them saving me in small, powerful ways.
3. 💬 One Extra Spark: Speak Like You Mean It
I’ve been reading The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher — a book that’s already changing how I approach high-stakes conversations.
One line stood out:
“The question isn’t ‘How do I feel confident?’ It’s ‘What can I do to create experiences that build my confidence?’”
Confidence isn’t a feeling — it’s what rises when you show up again and again.
It lives in the small rituals, and the self-trust that grows with every step.
✍️ Prompt for the Week Ahead
“What’s one thing I want to protect space for this week?”
In a world that moves fast, this question helps you move with intention.
Whether it’s focused work, a long walk, a friend check-in, or quiet joy — this is your reminder to make space before the noise fills it for you.
🎒 This Week’s Escape Note
"Your ambition desires more than a job title, a salary, or a brand-name company. It is a fire that burns inside of you — not for a bigger paycheck, but for a bigger life.”
— Good Work, Paul Millerd
Paul joined me on the podcast last year, just before launching his now beloved book Good Work.
I had the chance to read an early copy — and I’m so glad it found me when it did. I wrote about it in my reflection The Zig-Zag Life.
It’s not a manifesto. It’s a quiet invitation to rethink work, freedom, and what success feels like on your terms.
🎧 Watch our conversation here → How to Recreate Your Life and Find Your Good Work | Paul Millerd
From one not-so-blue Sunday,
– Lydia 💙
