I’ve spent a lot of years grinding — chasing the next photo gig, the next big idea, the next version of myself that might somehow finally be enough. I’ve lived in the loop of worry, doubt, pressure. Measuring progress by income, freedom, material gain & for what?

I say this with full honesty — I’ve been guilty of waking up as if my days were infinite.

But they’re not. None of ours are.

Last night, a friend of my partner — a woman I only met once — passed away. Too young. Too beautiful, not just in appearance, but in energy. I remember telling my partner that night, “She stands out.” Not because of how she looked, but because of her soul. There was a peace in her that you don’t forget.

Waking up to the news this morning brought a wave of perspective. Not just sadness, but clarity. About how quickly this all can shift. About how precious the people we love are. About how absolutely foolish it is to waste one more minute in a headspace that drains our joy.

We all have responsibilities. We work & action is of course required to move forward. That’s real. But the heaviness? The suffering? The constant measuring, comparing, chasing?

That’s a choice.

The hard we experience — it’s often the hard we choose. A privilege in disguise. A game we keep playing as if the scoreboard matters more than our peace.

If I left this world tomorrow, would I be proud of how much energy I gave to stress?

To not feeling like I was enough?

To trying to earn a life I already had?

Every morning we wake up is a gift. A miracle, honestly. The breath. The sight. The body that moves. The person lying next to you. The earth beneath your feet. That’s the treasure. That’s what’s real.

And we forget. Over and over. Until something wakes us up again.

Today I remember & choose differently.

In honour of the beautiful soul who just transcended — an artist, a woman, a light — I will live with more awareness, more softness, more presence. Because that kind of energy? It never really leaves. It ripples.

So if you’re reading this — please, let it ripple through you too.

You are already taken care of if you are still here. Don’t chase. Do your work. Share your gifts. But for the love of it, not the pressure of it.

And don’t waste another minute in stress you don’t have to carry.

You’re alive. That’s enough reason to begin the day in gratitude.