How Knowing Myself Better Leads to Better Self-Care
Plus, a fantasy book rec
Notes from a Kindred Spirit is a bi-weekly newsletter about embracing curiosity, exploring hobbies, living with chronic illness, and finding contentment in the everyday.
Hi friends,
I just went through a whirlwind of three weeks of home renovations! I’m so happy with how everything turned out, and so grateful to my parents and brother for all the work they put in, but I’m glad to have the house back in order.
Even amidst the chaos, I did learn some things about myself. For instance, I’m a Manifesting Generator in Human Design (you can find a basic breakdown of the 5 types in Human Design here), which means I need to use up my energy in ways that are satisfying to me in order to get a good night’s sleep.
So, when my dad and brother were laying new flooring throughout most of our house and I was doing other things with my mom to stay out of their way, you can bet my energy wasn’t being fully used up. So, what did I do? After the flooring work was done for the day, I’d stay up later than everyone else so I could do things that *I* wanted to do and spend my time the way *I* wanted to. As you can probably guess, this led to a lot of tired mornings!
It also made perfect sense that on Day 2 of
’s Tarot for Self-Love Challenge, I drew the Emperor card to signify how I could fill my own cup. One of the things The Emperor represents is structure, and that's what I need after these last 3 weeks. I need to get back to my weekly routines and use my time how I want to now that I have the freedom to do that again.I don’t have a plan (yet) for how I could get better sleep the next time I encounter a scenario like this, but I’m grateful to have this insight in my back pocket for the future. Human Design has helped me get to know myself better and that’s been invaluable for my self-care.
Do you use tools like Human Design for self-care? Maybe you journal or practice yoga? I’d love to hear about it!
Are you someone who takes a lot of notes when you read?
I like to take notes when reading non-fiction or personal development books. If I’m learning something new I want to be able to reference it later, but taking so many notes can be time-consuming!
But not anymore!
Anick, who writes Productive Happiness, shared a post with an amazing hack to help you take notes from books and save them somewhere digitally! I read a lot of e-books on my tablet, and this trick even works by using my phone camera and my tablet together.
Read the post here! I promise it will change your reading life!
From My Shelf to Yours
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan | Published in 2022
Inspired by Chinese mythology, this story follows Xingyin, an immortal, whose mother the Moon Goddess, has been exiled by the Celestial Emperor. Xingyin’s growing magic threatens to put her mother at risk so she leaves her home and stumbles upon the Emperor’s son. She takes advantage of an opportunity he presents her with to try to free her mother, and along the way, she must keep her identity secret as she navigates relationships and new challenges.
My Thoughts
This book is so beautifully written. The world the author creates is so vivid and magical and I loved exploring it and learning more about it alongside Xingyin. The complexities of her relationships and her emotions within those relationships felt so authentic to the human experience. Xingyin’s growth throughout the story was well done and I felt like I knew her really well by the end. This novel is part of a duology so I definitely plan to pick up the second book!
Agree with this article or you’re not a real Kindred Spirit: Say “Megan Follows is the Best Anne of Green Gables” or I’ll Beat the Living Shit Out of You. 😂 This bookstore is now on my bookstore bucket list. Bookshelf wealth is apparently a trend of 2024, and while I can’t get behind that name, I do love the look. For all the people planning to try something new this year: How to Get Through the ‘I Suck at This and Want to Quit’ Phase of a New Activity.
Enjoy this edition of Notes from a Kindred Spirit? Leave a ❤️ below and share it with a friend!
P.S. I have 3 digital products available in the Notion Marketplace!
📚 BOOK CLUB HUB for the book club host who wants to organize their club with ease so they can focus on the fun part—reading good books and chatting about them with friends! It’s perfect for small to medium virtual or in-person clubs.
📖 CURATED BOOK LISTS for the book club host or bookworm who doesn’t know what to read next.
🎁 GIFT PLANNER & TRACKER to help you organize birthday and holiday shopping and stay on budget.
More reading
I'm glad you found value in my little hack! Thanks for the recommendation!