Today, remember this:

Modern life (tyrannically!) encourages us to improve every part of ourselves, all at once.

I've stopped trying.

A short reflection on priorities, self-improvement, and why deciding what can wait is just as important as deciding what matters now.

Today, remember this:

We like to think of memory as a recording. Precise, preserved.

But neuroscientists increasingly think it's something much stranger: every time we remember the past, we're quietly rebuilding it from scratch.

A short reflection on childhood memories, shared history, and why remembering may be less about retrieving the past than carrying it forward.

Today, remember this:

If you don't consciously decide what's important to you, the world has a habit of deciding for you.

A short reflection on moving from Scotland to Texas, intention, and why the most important values are the ones you've actually chosen—not simply inherited.

Today, remember this:

Somewhere along the way, many of us decided that adults should be motivated by discipline alone. I'm no longer convinced that's true.

A short reflection on habits, self-encouragement, and why rewarding yourself for doing difficult things isn't cheating—it might just help you keep going.

Today, remember this:

Some of the best things in life don't happen all at once. They arrive one ordinary day at a time.

A short reflection on my grandfather's wooden porridge spoon (his "spurtle"), everyday rituals, and the quiet marks that repetition leaves on both the objects we love and the people we become.

Today, remember this:

I used to think that if I solved a problem well enough, I'd never have to think about it again. But of course, many of the best parts of life don't work like that.

A short reflection on health, relationships, and why maintenance isn't what happens after success—it often is success.

Today, remember this:

Certainty feels satisfying. But it also has a habit of arriving long before we actually know what's going on.

A short reflection on parenting, asking "why?", and why curiosity often helps us understand both other people—and ourselves—a little bit better.

Today, remember this:

Some languages don't say, "I am anxious." They say something much closer to, "Anxiety is on me."

It's a small grammatical difference, but I find it points toward a surprisingly gentle way of relating to difficult emotions—not as permanent parts of our identity, but as experiences we're having.

A short reflection on Scottish Gaelic/Gàidhlig*, cognitive behavioural therapy, and the language we use to describe our inner world.

*Mo leisgeul do luchd-labhairt fileanta na Gàidhlig ma tha m' fhuaimneachadh no mo mhìneachaidhean gràmair caran dona.

Today, remember this:

Gratitude asks us to notice the ways other people have made our lives better.

But there's another question that can be just as powerful: how did I make someone else's day just a bit better?

A short reflection on gratitude practices, Adam Grant's idea of a contribution journal, and why paying attention to what we give can be just as meaningful as paying attention to what we receive.

Today, remember this:

One day, today's ordinary moments will quietly become part of your history.

The conversations. The routines. The worries. The small details that seem too ordinary to be worth remembering.

A short reflection on COVID journals, letters to my future self, and why it might be worth leaving a few breadcrumbs for the person you'll become.