Hey friend,

I stopped by the MAC counter this month because I needed a few things.

I was out of eyeliner, needed a fresh lip liner, and had been hearing everyone rave about a color called Nightmoth. So I bought it.

I came home, unpacked my little shopping bag, and started putting everything away.

Then I looked at my other lip liners. And there it was.

A nearly brand-new Nightmoth lip liner.

Apparently, I'd already bought it. I just forget I had it.

I stood there laughing at myself.

Then, almost immediately... I realized this wasn't really about makeup.

Thirst

How often do we do this with our lives?

We convince ourselves we need another course.

Another certification. Another strategy. Another opportunity. Another answer.

When sometimes... what we're really missing isn't something new.

It's awareness of what we already possess.

I see this all the time with women trying to figure out their next chapter.

They tell me they don't know what they want anymore.

They don't know what they're good at.

They don't know what they have to offer.

But after a few conversations, it becomes clear they aren't starting from zero.

They're standing on decades of experience, wisdom, resilience, relationships, and gifts.

They've just stopped seeing them because they've become so familiar.

That disconnect?

That's the thirst.

Recipe

The makeup wasn't lost. My awareness of it was.

And maybe that's true for more than lip liner.

Psychologists call this inattentional blindness; our tendency to overlook what's right in front of us when our attention is focused somewhere else.

We're so busy looking for the next thing that we stop taking inventory of the things we already have.

Before you chase another credential, another promotion, or another version of yourself...

Pause.

Open the drawer. Not the makeup drawer.

The life drawer.

Take inventory of your experiences.

Your strengths.

The compliments people keep giving you.

The challenges you've already overcome.

The dreams you've quietly tucked away because life got busy.

Sometimes the next chapter isn't built by acquiring something new.

Sometimes it's unlocked by rediscovering what has been there all along.

Quench

• Inspiration: You may already possess more than you've given yourself credit for.
• Education: Our brains naturally chase novelty, making it surprisingly easy to overlook the strengths, skills, and experiences we've accumulated over time.
• Invitation: What have you been searching for that might already exist in your life? This week, make an inventory before you make another purchase, commitment, or pivot.

Sometimes clarity doesn't come from adding.

Sometimes it comes from noticing.

Closing Sip

That MAC lip liner has officially found its permanent home in my makeup bag. Hopefully, this time I'll remember it's there.

But, I'm walking away with something much more valuable than a new shade of lip liner.

A reminder to check what I already have before assuming I need something else.

Maybe that's a good practice for all of us.

If this resonated, hit reply and tell me: What's something you've rediscovered about yourself recently? I read every message and genuinely love hearing your stories.

And if you're in a season of trying to figure out what's next, I'd love to help you uncover what's already there through coaching and consulting.

Forward this to someone who's convinced they need "one more thing" before they're ready.

Here's to ending June aware.. and quenched!

Lynne

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