Hi, friends.
I’m sending out a special note today because it’s publication day for Learn to Let Go!
Learn to Let Go: A Journal for New Beginnings publishes today through TarcherPerigee (Penguin Random House) and is available through BuyOlympia, Bookshop.org (15% off , Barnes & Noble, Target, and Amazon.
The UK edition is available through Michael O’Mara Books and is in Waterstones bookstores everywhere.
Learn to Let Go: A Journal for New Beginnings (2025)
This journal has been a long time coming. I’ve spent my entire life carrying baggage that’s too heavy: resentment, conversations that went wrong, anger, one-sided friendships, beliefs that don’t quite fit, the idea that I don’t have what it takes. It wasn’t until a few years ago—when N first came into the world, that I decided to put some of this weight down.
As a first-time mother, I carried a lot of unfair expectations for myself. I wanted to get it right—to be the best possible parent to this tiny little being. I owed that much to a child who didn’t ask to come into this world. The weight of this pressure caused me to buckle, more and more until I finally broke. I couldn’t be the best mother and the best writer. I couldn’t be the best partner and the best friend. I couldn’t keep a clean house and make progress on my work. I couldn’t cook healthy, fresh meals and meet my deadlines. What I wanted, above all else, was to be somebody who could.
The biggest source of anger, the most heartbreaking source of friction during these years wasn’t my new role as a mother, the new responsibility of a child, or the countless sources of exhaustion that this new chapter presented: it was my simple inability to let go.
I didn’t realize that the pressure I placed on myself to be a great mother was preventing me from stepping into this new role with confidence, with assurance. I didn’t realize that dwelling on all that had changed kept me from seeing the good blossoming in those very same spaces. I didn’t realize that resenting myself for who I no longer was prohibited me from seeing how I had grown and become someone new: someone that I didn’t recognize yet, but that I would soon grow to love—and to admire and respect, if I gave myself the chance to.
In writing this journal, I learned that although I resented myself for not being able to let go of more sooner, letting go isn’t a practice to rid myself of discomfort or dynamics that cause me pain. Instead, pursuit of acceptance—of myself and the circumstances I find myself in—is a much more practical journey. It provides room for growth, encourages me to maintain perspective, and naturally allows me to let go of what no longer fits.
LEARN TO LET GO is a fully-illustrated journal for opening the door to new beginnings, designed to help you clarify the values necessary for accepting who you are now, so you can grow into the person you want to be. The book becomes more challenging as you work through it, ensuring that you’ve completed the self-reflection necessary for letting go of the more difficult sources of pain, frustration, and confusion.
Each page of this journal is filled with encouraging quotes by world leaders, creatives, and activists who have faced their own challenges with acceptance and compassion; thoughtful exercises that encourage you to find the value and strength in yourself; and challenging prompts that will help you face your current challenges, navigate difficult transitions, and leave what no longer serves you behind.
This book is guided by four core beliefs: a belief in one’s own infinity; forgiveness, for yourself and others; a commitment to self-reflection and flexibility, and letting go as a practice of health maintenance. It encourages you to clarify your values; to strengthen your resources by exercising them; to accept and acknowledge your circumstances; and to remain open-hearted and brave.
Here’s how you can support Learn to Let Go:
Order a copy (or like, five) of Learn to Let Go: A Journal for New Beginnings
Forward this newsletter to someone who will appreciate this book!
Ask your local library to carry the book if you can’t afford to purchase it—knowing that your entire neighborhood will now have access to it!
Ask your local bookstore to carry the book. I love local bookstores and want to support them as much as possible throughout this launch.
Write a review on Amazon so more people can find this book
If you want to review or write about Learn to Let Go (or know someone who might), feature it in your publication/podcast/etc., or interview me — just reply to this email to reach me. Every little bit helps.
THANK YOU for reading and for all of your support and encouragement. It means the world to me.
See you on Friday with a new edition of Dear Somebody, when I’ll talk a little more about letting go, have a new illustrated interview ready for you—and, of course, a poem.
xx,
M
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