lessons.

I updated our website today ALL BY MY BIG GIRL SELF and I didn’t even break anything.

I think I may run for president.

One of my favorite business-y life lessons I’m learning is: just make a plan. And then figure it out.

If I wait until I know everything I need to know to do something, I will likely never do anything.

Some other things I’ve learned recently: -Hustling, building an empire, developing my “personal brand”, becoming an “online influencer” are completely not my thing(s). -Warm, comfortable, open, accepting, inviting, detail-oriented hospitality is my jam. -Hearing peoples’ stories and being able to meld their experiences with my experiences to make more sense of life and to become a more awesome-r human is what it’s all about. -Sharing these stories with other awesome humans so we all realize we’re not alone is icing on the cake. -If we only knew the stories of the people we encounter every day, we would be much more careful with what we whine about. -Maggie’s 7-year-old Avra is my spirit animal. She says wise things like, “you know what the most important thing in life is, Mom? Death.” And she has the self-awareness to warn Granny, “I’m probably going to lose it at some point today.”

-People are hard. Relationships are hard. Caring for people well is really, REALLY hard. -Most people (I’ve heard it’s 80%) do not like their jobs and I could not be more grateful to be a member of that 20% minority (Let’s fix this, people. We can figure it out together. Life is too short.)

Some things I’m working to learn: -How to talk about my disdain for the beauty/anti-aging industry without sounding like an arrogant, condescending, self-righteous jerk. Any input appreciated (I obviously don’t hate the players, but MAN I hate the game). (Also, when I start to rant, Smitty is there to say, “no, you can’t say that. No, you can’t say that either. What you COULD say is….”) -Why we feel awkward talking about pain and sadness and divorce and fear but are totally good discussing Real Housewives of Whatever. -How to use social media (as Milagro and as Ashley) when my goal (for Milagro and for Ashley) is to sidestep as much life BS as possible. (If you’re ever wondering where to go to find some real good piles of BS, may I suggest social media?)

I turn 40 in November, so I’m sure I will have EVERYTHING figured out by then, right?

What life lesson are you in the middle of learning?