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Oh, girl. You know you are speaking to my heart, right? The way you described your beautiful plan and your subsequent infidelity to said plan … let’s just say, I feel you. A lot.

I love your loosey-goosey cow path of new intentions. It sounds enticing and also non-threatening.

I hope we get to chat soon, and I’m excited to stay tuned to Channel Miranda. πŸ‘πŸ’œ

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Well I know now! I feel so validated by your experience, Jamie. I've saved your last couple of posts about memories because they spoke so clearly to what I've been working on for the last few years. But I haven't had the time they deserve to write a worthy comment. But I will! I'd love to talk with you about this stuff.

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We will definitely chat!!

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There’s nothing worse than getting excited about a new or revitalised project and everyone you tell about it just going β€œmeh”. -- I can relate to that, so from me, Miranda, you get to have a big ahh with lots of exclamations, something like AHH!!!!! LET'S DO THIS!

I have only recently started tapping on that old memory chest. Reluctant, because the glimpses I get are not always pleasant, but eager to keep exploring for what slowly emerges is helping me in so many ways. Whether one, two, three or any number of posts you decide to share, or any kind, I am more than happy to follow along this organic outline of yours. πŸ’›

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Oct 6Β·edited Oct 8Author

WOW! I love the enthusiasm, Fotini. Let's do this! Maybe we could modulate our enthusiasm with a dose of self-kindness for working through those sticky memories?

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I guess we will need to. For the memory lane can be hard to tread on sometimes :)

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Yes turn on paid now! πŸ‘ sorry πŸ€™πŸ˜

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Ha! I'm nearly there, Jo. Just trying to work out a reasonable "live" offering that will negate the complications of international VAT faffery.

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Oh dear. You say you want Root Stories to be your bread and butter. So here’s the deal. I want to be one of your memory people. To learn how to access mine more effectively. But I’m not willing to do that without becoming a paid subscriber. So, please, turn on paid sooner than later. I’d like to be in on the first round next week. But I’m boycotting until I can pay for the teaching. xoxo Love you, pet! xoxo

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You're a beast, Nan! You know I can only do one thing at a time. Also - you're right. As usual. Now that I'm back in the swing of life post-migraine I'll be putting some time and attention into this. xx

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Oh this had me smiling and laughing and nodding along from the start Miranda. Yes - switching from work work where I rent my brain out to my employer to all my various creative endeavours, and back again, is a tricky ask. And I love all the dreaming and imagining, and wonderful ideas - but then actually getting them from my brain into reality - oh, how much easier to just daydream! I am very much looking forward to The Memory Mine. I am also now cringing a little about all the thumbs up send to my Gen Z children and the many hundreds of times I have used it at work πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ˜πŸ˜

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Do your kids pull you up on it? When I first heard about this latest generational warring point I was incredulous. Then, as I said to Suzy, I realised I kind of get it. It can be invalidating in some contexts.

I'll re-launch the Memory Mine at some point next year. I'd like to bed in here on Substack a little more solidly before I do. I think running the course at the same time as trying to build my Substack was part of what burned me out. And then trying to earn a living by renting my brain out? Yeah, that was exhausting. Hopefully this looser plan will feel a little less restrictive and help me work out how I really want to grow as I go.

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No, my kids haven’t mentioned it, I’m going to ask though and see when my daughter says! I don’t think she’s use emojis much actually - it’s always me 🀣

So looking forward to reading your letters, and for the record - I always love your personal essays βœ¨πŸ’›

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Ooooh I’m adoring the baggyness of this plan! πŸ™ŒπŸ»πŸ«ΆπŸ»And also the turning on paid subs but without limting access - I love that!

I’s a funny thing about the thumbs up - I feel a sense of β€œouch!” when someone puts a thumbs up on FB or responds to a msge with a πŸ‘. Oooh such a pang - it feels like the most invalidating emoji somwhow.😁 I was delighted when I discovered I wasn’t alone in this! πŸ€“

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It's funny you say that, Suzy. Because it was only after I published this that I remembered how my partner is often irritated by her mother's tendency to reply to in-depth descriptions of her day and recent activities with a single thumbs up. It really does seem invalidating in that context.

I suppose I just assume the intention is rarely as malign as my worst-case-scenario interpretation. And I assume, in my mother in law's case, it's a shorthand for "that's nice dear, but I don't have the energy to reply in full but I do want to acknowledge you said something". That intention/impact thing fascinates me.

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It fascinates me too! I remember verbalising to my friend once my feeling when I receive a thumb. πŸ˜πŸ˜‚ She thought I was absolutely nuts!😁

going to to see if I can find a favourite meme on this topic…

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gaaaah can’t share is here….I’ll dm it to you…

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I love that phrase that life got too lifey! I also love planning and am also completely failing on my Substack commitments. Your plan, I mean outline sounds great, good luck!!

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I kind of liked it when I wrote it. I didn't hate it when I read it out loud. Hearing myself say it when I listened back to the audio - something snapped, Karen. It was just wrong.

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πŸ‘ is rude?! Who knew. And also I’m curious but not sure if I have the bandwidth to participate.

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There's no obligation, Leanne! Join in if you feel the urge and have capacity. Otherwise, it's lovely just to hang out with you. xx

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I can’t tell you how loudly this resonates Miranda… the projects I’ve been excited about, planned to perfection and then cast aside are more numerous than I care to admit..! (Bloody Geminis..!!!!!)

I’ve recently been having strange dreams (I think I mentioned it - post still unfinished- of course!) all are set in a childhood home which I thought I remembered well… there is room for improvement though !

I will be staying tuned with excitement to wander your cow path with you - may it be long and winding..!! X

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It's finally out, Susie! A week late and edited so many times I've kind of lost track of it. I hope it makes some kind of sense and that it helps.

I'm still looking out for your insomnia post. Dream versions of places are rarely realistic though. Are yours usually accurate? I'm very curious to know more.

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I am just about to read your post Miranda, mine is still but a skeletal out line... lets just say a work in process! πŸ™ƒx

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Oh Miranda it's like you read my mind. I would very much like to be part of this please! I definitely write my best in response to life and thoughts that emerge in the moment, so ideas/exercises/thoughts around how to harness that better would be a godsend. I am totally rooting for you (no pun intended, or, well maybe a little bit πŸ˜…) and am excited to see where this leads!

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Root away! The post is finally out. A week late as migraine stopped play. And of course it's a walking exercise, published on possibly the wettest Sunday in months. At least it's something people can do in their own time and in better weather.

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Oh brilliant (about the post that is - not the migraine!). Hope it's passed now, I will look forward to reading the post shortly and trying it. Funnily enough I've just started EMDR and resource tapping and the main principles are bilateral stimulation (right-left, right-left) - which could go to explain a lot about why walking is so good for processing thoughts! Fascinating. Hope you're feeling better :)

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Ooooh, interesting. Yes, that bilateral stimulation would make a lot of sense. Yes, feeling a LOT better now, thank you. Coffee was the answer!

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I too find there is nothing like a shiny new plan to stop me in my tracks, some sort of perverse rebellion to myself πŸ€·πŸΌβ€β™€οΈ I try to keep things loose too, but even then life kind of happens. Still, I’m looking forward to watching your loose plan find its way and hope it’s something you can enjoy en route.

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Wouldn't you know it, Vanessa--that's exactly what happened! I was stopped in my tracks by a week-long migraine so the first post in my loose plan has only now been published. And I'm only now getting to reply to comments from two weeks ago. Apologies for the delay. Very happy to have you here. With or without rebellion. x

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Looking forward to seeing where the cow path leads you and us 🩷

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Me too, Rhaine! x

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