The Bright Side | August Reflections

August is always one of those transitional months—summer slowly giving way to fall, routines settling back into place, and life finding a new rhythm. This year was no different, but as I look back, I see so many bright spots worth celebrating… along with some honest truths about what still needs work.

✨ The Ups

Back-to-School Breathing Room
The kids are officially back in school! As much as I love the summer energy, having them in class during the day has given me a little more breathing room. That time has been such a gift for both my work and creativity. At the same time, I can’t believe how fast time goes, now that I have a middle-schooler (Horror emoji). How in the world and am I A) An adult B) An adult old enough to have a child that old? It feels like I was just in middle school. (More horror emojis). Time is the ultimate trip.

Finding My Footing at Work
For the first time in months, I feel confident in both of my consultancy jobs. Instead of overwhelm, I’ve started to find a steady rhythm—one where I know what’s on my plate and how to handle it, and feel confident and competent at both. I hate feeling behind and can fall into the trap of over-preparing, which takes time away from my family and other tasks I should be doing. That feeling finally eased for me last week, allowing me to be present and in flow at work and start making movement on all my major projects.

A Creative Spark in the Kitchen
I had a lot of travel in August, so a shout-out to my hubs for holding down the fort, especially in those first few weeks back at school. Now that I’m back, I found I was tired of the same menu of spaghetti, fish sticks, and chicken tenders, and dreading dinner time. Last week, I was on Canva for a work project and noticed menu templates, which sparked something in me to create good, restaurant-quality meals at home. It was helpful as I love watching tea party content on social media and also feel like I was showing up for my family. I created eight different menus with appetizers, a main course, and dessert, and then let the family choose based on their mood. I used grocery delivery/pick-up to ensure I had everything I needed on hand for whatever they wanted. I actually ended up cooking less than usual, as there were plenty of leftovers, and had more help from the kids, who tried to help with the desserts. #momwins

My favorite dinner this week was when my Uncle stopped by from out-of-town, and the menu included my husband’s family’s African spinach stew with rice and cabbage, a lemon cake, and beef sambusas, which, —proud moment— I made for the first time. I really liked the approach and found myself looking forward to cooking as a creative pursuit and also took the pressure off of what everyone was going to eat.

Book Milestones
August also brought some incredible book news. We officially have narrators! I never imagined I’d get to hear someone else bring my words to life, and being able to give input on the voices in my head was surreal. On top of that, we received proofs of the UK cover. I can’t wait to share it with you soon.

Lake Union Publishing (Amazon) US Cover — Amazon Link

🌑 The Downs

Dragging My Feet on Social Media
Here’s the honest truth: I’m way behind on posting. I have drafts in Canva, and I know the tools and supports I could use… but I overthink it, stall, and end up doing nothing. Part of it is figuring out purpose—social media often feels like “look at me,” which doesn’t come naturally to me. I want it to be about connection and community, but I haven’t cracked that code yet. My accountability to you: September’s goal is to simplify and just start posting, at least three times a week. This Substack is step one.

Creative Energy in Short Supply
Starting these new positions has put a severe strain on my creative capacity as I juggle multiple calendars, deliverables, my family, and action items for the book. It feels like the opposite problem from this February, when I was stressed about productivity. I was blessed to get what I asked for, but know the price of working is the sacrifice of free time and capacity. I’ve been doing more reading of fiction and craft books, more about that in a later post and cooking has filled some of the creative gap. The direct impact has been on writing, but I’m looking forward to participating in the GreatLockIn starting September 1, for a strong four-month sprint to the end of the year.

So that’s August on The Bright Side: progress, joy, family dinners, and a few commitments leading into next month. September is coming and I hope to meet it with fresh energy, more consistency, and hopefully a creative spark or two.

Thanks, as always, for being here with me. 💛

Happy writing and reading -

Bri