Hey Reader,

Have you ever been described in one way and thought to yourself, "Really, people see me like that?"

Just yesterday, I was talking with my sister, and she mentioned that everyone always tells her about how peculiar her sister (aka, me) is and that she never takes it the wrong way because she already knows I'm peculiar. She has always said, in her words, that "I live in Jennyland", so I guess it doesn't really come as a total surprise that she finds me peculiar.

At the moment, I didn't know what to make out of it, other than "Huh, that's an interesting way of describing someone".

But it did make me wonder about why other people would think I am peculiar.

So, I did what we all do nowadays... I asked ChatGPT, "What is a peculiar person?"

Its response: "Someone who is unusual, distinctive, or different from what is typical or expected." Apparently, it's similar to someone who is quirky, eccentric, unconventional, and distinctive, and someone who doesn't fit into the average box.

That concept made more sense to me because I'm one of those people who often says, "Who wants to be normal anyway?" (lol).

But as I was not completely over the subject, I asked my boyfriend if he thought I was peculiar. He responded simply, saying, "You're someone who marches to the beat of her own drum."

The truth is that I don't think either of these definitions is wrong. I'm not into what is usually considered mainstream (I'm the "hippie" of my family after all).

But I honestly think that we're all peculiar and unique in our own incredible way.

So, the real question we all need to answer is, "How can I connect with those things that make me uniquely ME, that may be quirky, peculiar, or different to others, but that give the world the best, most truthful version of who I am?"

Because I think that is what will fulfill you the most. Not necessarily making the most money, or having the biggest house, the most followers, the most awards, or the most success (though all of those are great), but being able to be true to who you are and what you truly care about the most.

This is simply an encouragement to be the best version of yourself, in the most peculiar way that you can be.

"To act today like the person you want to become tomorrow." What does that person do?

The Quiet Cost of Waiting Until You're Ready

There’s a quiet cost to waiting until you feel ready.

It doesn’t show up all at once.

It shows up slowly.

In ideas that never leave the notebook. In projects that stay half-started. In conversations you rehearse in your head but never actually have with others.

For a long time, I thought hesitation meant something was wrong with me.

That maybe I needed more clarity. More confidence. More preparation.

But lately, I’ve started to realize something different.

Most of the time, hesitation isn’t a signal to stop... It’s simply a signal that you’re standing right at the edge of something that matters.

Psychologists call this approach-avoidance conflict.

The same thing that attracts you to something can scare you at the same time.

A part of you wants to move forward and take the risk. Another part wants to protect you from the risk, the embarrassment, or the failure that may be associated with taking the risk.

So you wait.

And then, you tell yourself:

“I’ll do it when I’m more prepared.” "I’ll do it when the timing is better or when things quiet down.” "I’ll do it when I feel more confident.”

But here’s the quiet truth most people discover too late (usually, after years of waiting):

Confidence rarely comes before action.

It almost always comes after it.

Every meaningful thing (no matter how small or big they may have been) I’ve done in my life started before I felt ready.

• Moving to the US from my home country by myself.
• Start dating again after my first heartbreak.
• Sharing my ideas publicly (in English, which is my second language).
• Getting certified as a life coach.
• Running my first half-marathon.
• Starting this newsletter.
• Recording my first podcast episode.
• Even learning to ride a bike as an adult...

The difference wasn’t confidence.

It was deciding that waiting for certainty was costing me more than trying.

Because the real risk isn’t always failing.

Sometimes the real risk is spending years circling the same idea, wondering what might have happened if you had just started.

So if there’s something you’ve been thinking about lately…

• A project.
• A change.
• A conversation.
• A new direction.

Maybe the question isn’t:

“Am I ready?”

Maybe the better question is:

“What would happen if I started anyway?”

More on this specific topic soon...

P.S. Over the next few days, I’m going to share something new I’ve been building for people who feel this exact tension, the pull toward something meaningful, and the fear that keeps them waiting.

If this feeling sounds familiar to you, I would love to know. What is that thing you've been wanting to start but keep postponing? Just hit reply here and tell me, I read every response... And I think you're going to love what I’m preparing for you!

You Have to Stop Doing This...

In the same conversation I told you about before, my sister started talking about how gas and prices in general are higher, how everything feels more expensive, and how she felt that the economy was not better at all.

And it made me think about the energy of complaining.

At one point in my life, I was exactly that, a complainer.

If the weather was not right, if my energy or motivation was low, if the prices were high, if I didn't have enough time or money, if my relationships didn't work out, if I didn't get the results I wanted, and so on... I would complain that everything was wrong in my life, that the Universe or God didn't like me, that I was "unlucky", that everyone else was farther ahead or had figured something out that I hadn't...

In short, I was always talking (and behaving, for that matter) like I was a victim of life.

At some point, I started acknowledging the fact that if I wanted to create a life I loved and become someone I was proud of, I had to stop doing that. I had to stop complaining about it and instead, start doing something about it.

So, when you find yourself caught up in the spiral of complaining (about anything and everything) like I was, I want you to remind yourself of this:

Life is better when we decide to be at the wheel and do something about it.

P.S.2: If you've been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or uninspired lately, this episode talks about the important concept of "the Gap and the Gain", and about how to use failure as a stepping stone to cultivate resilience, curiosity, and unstoppable momentum in your life. Watch here now.​

(Or listen to the episode on Spotify. Or Apple Podcasts).

Love creating your mind one day at a time? Forward this to a friend so they can get in on the action and sign up below. Subscribe to The Created Mind Thank you for reading and sharing, Jenny ​​​​

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