Hello and welcome, Reader!

This week is very special for me. It’s my birthday week, a moment that always nudges me to pause, look around, and whisper, “So… what have we learned this time?”

And while many people share lists of lessons equal to their age, I decided that’s far too long for both of us. I don’t have 58 wise revelations, and even if I did, neither of us would read them to the end.

So here’s my alternative.

A few days ago, while finishing the final pieces of my new journal (yes, it’s ready to greet the world), I found myself smiling at how many things in life arrive as drafts first. Books, decisions, relationships, identities… they rarely show up fully formed.

They begin as attempts. Sketches. Notes in the margins.
And then we rewrite.
And rewrite again.
Until one day we look back and realize: Ah, this became something.

That’s where the idea came from:
​

Because if there’s anything this year has taught me, it’s that life doesn’t demand perfection—just our willingness to meet the next page.

13 Drafts I’m Still Learning How to Live

1. The first draft of readiness is “Let’s see what happens.”
​ Sometimes that’s all the bravery you need.

2. The first draft of balance is choosing rest before everything collapses.
​ Balance rarely looks elegant.

3. The first draft of courage is showing up with shaking hands.
​ Courage doesn’t wait for confidence.

4. The first draft of clarity is confusion with better lighting.
​ You suddenly see the outline, even if the details are blurry.

5. The first draft of change is discomfort.
​ Growth always knocks loudly before it walks in.

6. The first draft of kindness is a pause.
​ A breath before reacting is a quiet form of love.

7. The first draft of wisdom is a mistake.
​ Pain teaches fast. Repetition teaches thoroughly.

8. The first draft of creativity is a mess on the table.
​ Chaos is not the opposite of art; it’s the beginning of it.

9. The first draft of boundaries is guilt.
​ And you set them anyway.

10. The first draft of self-trust is a tiny "yes".
​ Barely audible, but enough.

11. The first draft of reinvention is “I think I’m done with this version of myself.”
​ The next version grows quietly from there.

12. The first draft of hope is trying again.
​ Even when nothing guarantees a different outcome.

13. The first draft of joy is noticing (quietly or surprisingly loudly) that life isn’t as serious as we tend to make it.
​ A softening. A small laugh. A lighter breath.

A Birthday-Week Note (and a Little Gift)

Today, on my birthday, I’ll be publishing a new book!
​A Year of Gentle Transformation: 52 Reflections for Growth with the Seasons
​ — a guided journal for intentional, seasonal, slow-but-real change.

Creating it has been both a celebration and a lesson in embracing drafts, including my own.

If you feel called to start your own season of gentle transformation, or if you’re looking for a meaningful gift for someone who’s entering a new chapter, consider this letter your invitation to explore it.

It would be a beautiful birthday gift for me too, knowing it found its first readers and that they left honest reviews!

With warmth,

Elena

💌 Not subscribed yet?

Join the weekly Letters of Change and explore gentle stories and tools for your next chapter. Every Wednesday. Free for everyone.
👉Subscribe here.