The air feels heavy these days, doesn’t it? And it’s not the Spring humidity. Stress and uncertainty many are facing seem almost tangible.

Just this week, I came across a Bloomberg article about a troubling trend—more Americans are dipping into their 401(k) savings to cover financial emergencies. From medical bills to rising housing costs, hardship withdrawals have surged 15-20% above the norm. And while it’s become easier to access these funds, the trade-off is steep: taxes, penalties (looking at you, under-59½ crowd), and a real hit to long-term retirement savings. Sure, new rules have made it easier to tap into these funds, but rising living expenses and economic strain are clearly pushing people to their limits.

March graced us with 3.14, lovingly known as 🥧 Day—a tribute to π, the symbol of infinite exploration and integration. Learning, like π, is a dynamic and ever-evolving practice, constantly inviting us to expand our understanding.

I continue to be inspired by Maria Popova of Universe in Verse, who brilliantly pens: "An irrational number—π unmoors our basic intuitions about reality with its disquieting whisper of an infinity beyond the grasp of reason. As transient creatures suspended in space between the scale of atoms and stars, we simply cannot conceive of infinity… Meanwhile, its steadfast constancy hedges against our own transience, slaking our yearning for permanence in a cosmos governed by incessant change."

This meditation on constancy and change resonates deeply, as I navigate life transitions.

What is the "why" behind what we pursue? In my business, it is healing. My partner gently points out when I am too hard on myself, and I am grateful for those insights. Many unconscious behaviors stem from childhood experiences. For me, it was the unspoken lesson that love was conditional upon attaining an impossible perfection—there was always more I could be and do. I've come a long way in nurturing self-compassion and empathy, learning to go easy on myself and accept that it's okay to uncurate my life.