Last week, I said goodbye to my beloved friend, Greta. She was only six years old, but in the five years she was with me, she filled my world with more love, loyalty, and quiet companionship than words can ever express.

In May, we turned our hearts toward one of life’s greatest treasures: Friendship. In a world that often celebrates independence and self-reliance, we devoted time to honoring the importance of human connection, mutual care, and the kind of love that shows up in everyday ways.

We have also been introduced more personally to the term “caregiver burnout.” We discussed burnout in a previous blog, but when we wrote that blog, the number of caregivers we had met was pretty limited. Caregiving can be stressful even if it only lasts a short while, and long-term caregiving stress and exhaustion need more attention and recognition.

Personal development is all about continually doing our healing work, learning ways to better support ourselves, and challenging ourselves even when no one else is looking. In short, it’s about finding the fire in our own hearts and growing for our own benefit so each day we can show up as the best version of ourselves for that day.

To continue our discussion from last week, today we’d like to share a few more personal practices with you, with the intention of helping you create positive, life-enriching habits in your own lives.