About three years ago, I went to see a psychiatrist for the first time. My symptoms ranged from emotional volatility, energy peaks and crashes, terrible sleep, to a pervading sense of overwhelm. Even though on paper I'd been a very successful person, the distance between what I felt my potential was and what I was actually achieving felt like the Grand Canyon. Many years before, I had been diagnosed with anxiety and sleep issues by an obstetrician. (Pre and post-natal anxiety

The first financial test I ever took to get a job was around 15 years ago. Through a very strange series of events, I found myself at a testing center taking the Mortgage Loan Originator test. I was in my mid-twenties and had just bought my first home (for $130,00 with $9,000 down). Up until that point, I had been a trained musical theater performer, worked retail at the Container Store, sold bridal gowns, and started a personal organizing business. What on earth was I doing

That’s right friends. Christmas is exactly two budget-committee meetings away and our wallets are collectively cringing. Funny how a holiday that started as a pagan celebration of impending spring then morphed into a celebration of a dude who denounced materialism has led us here. But that’s a different kind of newsletter.

I don’t think I would have said this 10 years ago, but today I know it in a way that I cannot ever un-know it. Money is inherently political.

Today I want to talk about how we need to be helping people. For our own health. Before I dive deeper into this, I want to acknowledge something. We have evolved to effectively deal with the issues of a relatively small tribe of people. We are made to keep ourselves and the tribe healthy and whole and thriving. Because the truth is, our survival depends on one another. It did hundreds of thousands of years ago and it does now.

If you know one thing about me, you probably know I am a self-appointed priestess of the church of Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter, first of her name, slayer of vocal runs, master of stages, and snatcher of Grammys. There has never been a performer at her level, period. Let’s fight about it later. However, two nights ago, my mother and sister went out the door in silver-bedecked outfits and I didn’t. I’ll explain why.

Friends, I’m just going to say it, vacation brain is a thing. For some reason, whenever we get out of our comfort zone of daily life and...