Taking Stock

What stays, what goes, and what wants to be born next

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

’Tis the season, but not necessarily in the way the phrase is most often used in December. Rather, it’s the season for taking stock, with 2025 soon to be in the rearview mirror.

Merriam-Webster defines taking stock as “carefully thinking about something in order to make a decision about what to do next.” That feels about right.

As my hosting and teaching obligations wind down this month, my attention naturally turns to what’s next. And because I spend much of May through October housebound as an Airbnb host, my winter wanderlust, fueled by my Sagittarius nature, runs high. I long for movement, for possibility, for horizons that stretch.

A good friend shared with me recently that she believes she has, at best, twenty more years here on earth. Like me, she’s in her seventies and yearning to be free of obligations that no longer feed her soul. I can relate. Can you?

If I don’t love it, and that “it” can be anything from a sweater I no longer wear, to a job that drains me creatively, to a relationship that has grown toxic, life feels too precious to remain surrounded by people, places, and things that no longer invigorate or align with my gypsy soul and hippie heart.

Two months ago, I reclaimed my right to write without hesitation, fear, or restraint. From that commitment grew my deep appreciation for this platform and the permission it gives me to share my work, and to invite support through paid subscriptions.

To date, a small but generous handful of readers have stepped forward, contributing the equivalent of a few lattes each month to help keep the ink flowing. For that, I am deeply grateful. Perhaps, in time, a few more Mighty Muses will emerge.

As we begin the march into 2026, I invite you to take stock alongside me, and to restock your intentions with care.

What are you being called to release?
What is quietly, insistently asking to be born?

As a creative midwife, I would love to help. Tell me how.

Check out this great article about the importance and practice of taking stock: http://bit.ly/3OJDae3

(If my words kept you company today and you’d like to support this work in a small way, you can leave a cup of coffee below. No obligation, just gratitude.)