Hi everyone, happy Sunday, and hello to all the new people today!

We have a busy day ahead—lots of housework and garage-cleaning and book revisions and yep, weights to lift—so I’m dropping in quickly with something that stopped me in my tracks this week. Maybe it’ll help you, too.

As much as I would love to grow in times of good luck, blessings, prosperity and fun, I normally grow when my butt’s been kicked by the world with a big old failure and a whole lot of “No”.

Wish you were here so I could ask you…is it the same for you?

I grow under pressure. It’s the same with our fitness and bodies as it is with the rest of our lives. The blister lets us know the shoes don’t fit; the “no” forces us to keep looking for the next yes; lifting the weights makes us stronger.

Remember this old saying?

While my wish for you—for everyone—is safety and health and success exactly how you want it, the truth is probably that we need more grit, not less.

Our grit helps us grow…and grit doesn’t just mean our determination; it’s also irritation, failure, blocked doorways, a twistier (sometimes harder) path than we’d hoped for.

I’m trying to be grateful for the grit in my life right now.

I’m trying to grow from it, to learn what I need to learn, and to keep walking forward anyway, even when life isn’t easy (or lucky or fast).

I hope you are, too. I hope your grit is making you the most beautiful, the biggest, the most lustrous pearl.

Thinking of you today; wish you were here in rainy Sydney, Australia.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The FUN STUFF…

• Do you wear an Apple Watch? I don’t, but this could be fun! Sparkles.

• Want to see a pearl released from an oyster? Learn about Australia’s famous south sea pearls.

• A 106-year-old pianist who has played for over 100 years. Watch Colette Maze’s story. She made her first album at age 84.

• Have you heard about Recomendo? It’s a cool newsletter of interesting info and how to’s. If you like hacks, you might like this.

• Shoes —I’ve mentioned this before but these shoe stretchers are life-changing if you have tricky feet. I’m stretching everything (even fabric flats from Zara). So good!