Dear me,

You keep whispering to yourself, “I should be grateful.” And you are. For the roof over your head, the people you love, the life you’ve built brick by steady brick. You remind yourself that you’ve worked so hard for this—so why does it feel like something’s missing?

The truth is, you’ve been taught that wanting more is selfish. That longing means you’re ungrateful. And so you tuck those thoughts away, hiding them under the layers of your “shoulds.”

But lately, those whispers are louder, aren’t they? They come in the quiet moments—the empty rooms, the slow mornings, the long exhale when no one needs you. They arrive with questions you don’t have neat answers for: Is this it? Is there something else? Am I allowed to want more without breaking what I’ve built?

This is where the mental tug-of-war begins. One part of you clings to gratitude like a lifeline—because you know how lucky you are. The other part aches for a different rhythm, one that feels more like you. And in the space between those two truths, guilt settles in like a heavy blanket.

Guilt says you’re selfish. Anxiety whispers that you’ll regret it. Shame tries to convince you that you should just stay where you are. And yet, underneath all of it, something in you keeps stirring. A quiet longing for more space, more meaning, more ease.

Here’s the truth you need to hold close: Wanting more does not erase your gratitude. It does not make you unkind or unworthy. It makes you human. It makes you alive. It means you’re still unfolding, still becoming—even here, in the middle of everything you thought was already decided.

You don’t need all the answers today. You just need to give yourself permission to ask the questions. To let yourself imagine without guilt. To loosen the grip of expectation and allow curiosity to take your hand.

Because life isn’t about settling for “fine.” It’s about finding what feels real and right for the person you are now—not the one you were twenty years ago.

So, dear me, release the shame. Let go of the shoulds. Wanting more isn’t wrong. It’s brave.

With heart,
Me