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I am a planner. 

That will most likely not come as a surprise to long-time newsletter subscribers. I love to plan. Each Sunday for the week, each day in the morning, each month before a new month begins, and the planning goes on. I find great satisfaction in setting a vision and then devising how to make my way to the target.

However, it is my love of planning that gets in my way when it comes to relaxing and letting life unfold . . . especially when it involves individuals I enjoy spending time with. It's simple when you are single to plan, do, go, change directions, rest, go, relax, etc. In fact, such flexibility, to respond to my mood, my needs, my energy, is one of the significant reasons I enjoy being single. 

But when your life introduces you to other individuals that inspire you, delight you and you find yourself enjoying their company, a precarious balance must be struck between understanding what you need to be your best self and what you can let go of. In other words, what control you can relinquish and realize being flexible is a far easier and quite more fulfilling path to take as two lives begin to dance together. 

Each pairing will dance to a different rhythm and a different genre of movement, and two of the keys to figuring out what those exactly are are to listen and to communicate clearly what makes you most comfortable. This second part is tricky. Sometimes we can demand too much, sometimes we can be silent when we should be sharing, but know while you may not, and most likely won't, figure out the proper steps on your first, second or even third try, you will eventually figure them out if both partners keep trying, keep listening and keep communicating.

So the planning, knowing exactly when and what you will be doing, when it comes to your individual life, dive in. I will certainly keep bounding from the springboard into the future, but when it comes to working with and spending time with others, relax, take a breath and find your balance of letting go and clearly understanding what you need to be your best self.

Speaking of letting go, this week's Why Not . . . ? is a list of 27 habits to bid adieu to. In fact, there are three lists in this week's newsletter: the podcast (a French-inspired post!), lessons learned on my 38th birthday and what to let go of.

I wanted to make sure to say thank you to all of TSLL readers, IG, Facebook and Twitter followers who sent their birthday wishes on Tuesday. Thank you tremendously for thinking of me and for sharing your kind words. I felt sincerely loved and appreciated, and cannot be more grateful for TSLL readers and those interested in living simply luxuriously.

I do hope March has sprung into a beautiful place for you and your life, and may the weekend be truly magnificent.  Until next week, I'll see you on the blog.
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