Apparently, I am not on sale...

Hello Friends,

I had a birthday 10 days ago and took it as an opportunity for some serious self-reflection. I used a Liz Gilbert trick: writing myself a letter from Love. You ask Love the question, “What do I need to know today?” and you start writing. Love is honest. Love adores us. But Love also knows how to call you on your own bs.

After I wrote that letter, I pulled up two other sources to see where I am right now: an astrological reading from I had 10 months ago with full instructions for having one of the biggest years of my life — and Claude, the AI bot, to whom I asked the exact same question.

How dare all three come back with fabulous yet slightly stern advice?

Let’s start with the artificial bot, Claude, who clearly scraped every heartfelt post I’ve ever written off the internet and threw it right back in my face.

Here’s what Claude said, word for word:

“You are learning to receive. For much of your life, love may have been something you gave generously — to your work, your sons, your community, your friends. But the deeper invitation right now is receptivity. Letting love land. Letting people see you, appreciate you, delight in you — without deflecting or minimizing.

Love is asking you to stop auditing it. There’s a part of you that has quietly asked, Am I worthy of this? Do I deserve this much? Love today says: stop checking the math. What’s being offered is real. You don’t have to earn it retroactively.”

Claude also had some honest words about my relationship to my work:

“Love and work are not separate for you — House of Haas is a love story. You built it from something true and personal, and that is its power. Stop trying to prove it deserves to exist. The pitch deck, the fundraising, the metrics — all of that has asked you to justify something that was never in question at its core.

The invitation is to fall back in love with the why when the business side feels heavy. Return to the women you’re feeding, gathering, and nourishing. That’s where your energy replenishes.”

Moral: There is nothing else like what you’re building for women in midlife, so of course abundance is the response. Stop discounting yourself instead of understanding your true value.

Damn you, Claude. You nailed it. A+.

Then there was Jennifer’s advice. As a psychologist and astrologer, she delivers personal truth in a way that makes you feel like she can see inside your soul — shadow stuff and all. No mincing words. Always from a place of love, which helps immensely.

Jennifer’s Truths for Me:

• I am addicted to over-giving and need to stop immediately. (Apparently Saturn 🪐 agrees.) I need to prioritize myself financially above all others. I’m squirming just writing that.

• Stop over-crediting others’ worth in comparison to my own. I do this constantly — and I know exactly why. I’ll save that for my memoir.

• Lose the word “deserve” and replace it with “necessary.” Making money is a necessity. Stop trying to prove I deserve success.

• Write my book. Not cookbooks — this kind of writing. Unfiltered, honest, hold-up-the-mirror writing that sets me free. Memoir, self-help, musings on life’s bullshit and how to navigate it with sanity intact — I don’t care. I need to write it all down.

Bravo, Jennifer. A+ for going straight for my soul.

Then came what Love had to say. These words flowed from my pen as if they came from somewhere else entirely:

“I am everywhere. I am in the sun, the clouds, and in the sky above the bridge. I am in your energy, and in your gut — that voice always confirming your truest instincts.

I need you to recognize your full potential to love, to create, and to be loved. You are worthy of the biggest, fiercest love — not the half-hearted efforts you’ve allowed yourself to believe were worth more than they are. Keep your heart open to the people who are available and worthy of your energy, and more restrained with those who are not.

I will protect you. And I am always here. Always.”

A+ for Love, too.

I am stepping into this next year with a certainty that I can create the beautiful life I was meant to have — because I am the one curating it.

Self-worth isn’t something you earn by doing more, compromising yourself, or giving yourself away. It’s something we get to possess simply for existing.

I love exploring all of this with you. Here’s to another year of expanding, laughing, and creating meaningful community together!

xx-Amanda

P.S. I am beyond excited to meet so many of you in person in November at my first-ever day-long retreat in Marin County, CA! There are 8 spots left for House of Haas members — grab yours today and don’t forget to reserve a room with the group discount!

Grab your retreat spot!