Nobody Dreams of a Life That Runs Them Ragged
On the Summer Solstice, manifestation, and the one thing I think we’re missing.
Today is the Summer Solstice. The longest day of the year.
If you’re anything like me, your social media feed is probably full of people talking about manifestation. Journal about the life you want. Set your intentions. Visualize your future.
I love this idea. I think there’s something powerful about pausing long enough to ask yourself what kind of life you actually want to build.
But this year, one thought keeps coming up for me
Nobody dreams of being chronically stressed.
When people imagine their future, they don’t picture themselves answering emails until nine o’clock every night. They don’t hope to wake up already overwhelmed or spend their days feeling rushed, reactive, and constantly behind.
They imagine freedom.
Financial security.
Strong relationships.
Adventure.
Health.
Peace.
Time.
And yet somewhere along the way, so many of us build lives that make those very things difficult to experience.
If you woke up in the life you’ve been dreaming about tomorrow, would your nervous system know how to live there?
Imagine someone who says they want financial freedom.
Would they know what to do with an afternoon that wasn’t packed with work?
Someone says they want peace.
Can they sit quietly for ten minutes without reaching for their phone?
Someone says they want more freedom.
Have they created any margin in today?
The last few months have changed the way I think. Recovering from surgery has forced me to slow down in ways I never would have chosen. Somewhere in the middle of that, I realized I don’t just want different circumstances.
I want a different pace.
I don’t want a life where rest is something I have to earn.
I don’t want to wait until I’m completely depleted before I recover.
I don’t want ambition and well-being to feel like they’re competing with each other.
I want both.
That’s why I don’t think nervous system regulation is simply about feeling calmer anymore. I think it’s about building the capacity to live inside the life you’re working so hard to create.
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So maybe the Summer Solstice isn’t just a day to ask:
What do I want?
Maybe it’s also a day to ask:
Who do I need to become to comfortably live inside the life I’m asking for?
Today make two columns in your journal.
Column One: What do I want more of in my life?
Write whatever comes up.
Money.
Freedom.
Adventure.
Health.
Connection.
Peace.
Then create a second column.
Column Two: What kind of nervous system would thrive in that life?
Would it know how to rest?
Would it leave margin instead of filling every open space?
Would it trust that slowing down doesn’t mean falling behind?
Would it recover before it burns out?
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I have a feeling the space between those two columns is where the real work begins.
Because maybe manifestation isn’t just about creating a different future.
It’s about becoming someone who can fully receive it.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to have you here. Every week I write about ambition, identity, and nervous system regulation as different ways of building a life that’s sustainable enough to enjoy.
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