It was at least ten years ago when I first heard a sermon by Andy Stanley about the concept of “margin.” He talked about the importance of living a life with a lot of margin - a lot of room to make mistakes without suffering life-altering ramifications. He essentially meant installing guardrails in your life, surmising that we’d inevitably cross lines, but if you had your guardrail set so far back from the edge, those missteps were much more likely to be corrected without serious consequence. This concept could apply to many aspects of life - finances, time management, relationships, interactions with others, and even food.

There’s something to be said about being in the kitchen and the melodic, tranquil nature of mixing things together to create something new. The whir of the mixer. The tap of measuring cups. The feel of dusting flour off your hands. And, who are we kidding, the taste of batter that you sneak just to make sure it tastes good.

Here are some ideas to bring creativity to your friendships.

Right now, we need to be creative. We need to be creative with our workdays and hanging out with friends and birthdays. We need to be creative with a tired Tuesday and another Friday night of takeout. We need to learn a new way to choose champagne even when it feels like there is not ever a reason to. We need to find places to sing after the musicals we were in got canceled and reasons to dance because Shipoopi might never see the stage.

In less-than-ideal seasons, it’s practically effortless to focus on the bad, on all the ways this season isn’t what we want or hope. But there are a few things my new job and season have reminded me of that are better responses to a less-than-ideal season.

Hard feelings look different for everyone. For some, it’s paralyzing; you feel like your brain is put on pause from too many thoughts flying around. For some, it can manifest as physiological symptoms: headaches, stomachaches, fatigue, insomnia.

As many of us prepare to end our summer by jumping back on the computer (for work or school or date nights), there are some ways we can be proactive in battling the endless cycle of cyber meetings:

I've realized as I've gotten older that the more we choose things and people and situations that are who we are, the stronger we become. The more we build upon the pieces of ourselves and the more we discover our intricacies, the more we discover who we are and who others are.

I want to talk to you—the one looking for deeper connections as you walk towards healing. As I’ve struggled with my own mental health, I have found that it is crucial to cultivate friendships with people who ask how I’m doing and pause to listen to my answer.

Reader, if you do one thing next year, call your home your home. Just do it. No matter where it is, commit to it now. Commit to being at home where you live. 

Whether you’re a homebody or an adventure-seeker, here are three ways I’ve learned to seek adventure everyday.

As Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation reminds us, “No one achieves anything alone.”

Loving any other human being is complex and often times messy. Truly loving others is hard because it often leads to hard conversations and setting aside ourselves in order to serve someone else. Loving those struggling with addiction in our lives is no different. It’s day by day. It’s asking ourselves if we are just choosing what is easy or if we are choosing the best option for them and us. Are we supporting? Are we listening? Are we showing up and inviting them in?