Noticing
September 2026: Do It Anyway
Dear Readers,
I am writing this blog for September on August 18 because the first week of September is going to be a bit hectic with my daughter’s wedding over the Labor Day weekend with multiple days of activities and many out of town guests. My deepest wish as I type is that it turns out to be one of the happiest days of her life. We are thrilled to death with her choice of husband and could not have asked for anyone kinder, more caring and wonderful for her. Even Gus the Wonder Dog has decided he is his Most Favorite Human. So that says a lot!
This September post is going to read more like a smorgasbord of thoughts than a more cohesive piece because there are so many things and thoughts I want to share with you before too much time goes by. I always want to be a welcome email to open in your inbox, and I do not want to impose more than once a month. But I honestly think about so many of you multiple times a week and as I throw those thoughts in my Notes app waiting to sit down to write to you, the folder is often overflowing with noticings.
Since I last wrote to you, I celebrated my 67th birthday or Level 6.7, as I like to call it. Everyone seems to want to ask me how it feels. Much of the same but more at peace. What I didn’t know at 40 what my 60’s would be is that I am astonished just how curious I am about so many things and how I love to ponder things endlessly. I appreciate and understand that the clock is ticking. I think of significance, legacy, family history and death in a curious, not morbid way, but a lot.
“Your relationship with yourself cannot be built entirely around improvement.
At some point, you have to become someone you are allowed to enjoy being.
You get to be proud of who you are.
Present tense.”
— Michell C. Clark
I love this quote & this fabulous obit from one of my favorite FB sites. Do any of you follow Tips From Dead People on Reels? She captures the best obituaries. We have similar senses of humor, so I always get a great laugh when I watch her reels. Now that I’m at level 6.7, I’m enjoying just being me more than ever.
I want to share two things that I have definitely been putting into practice since last year. The first is when I have deep feelings about people that are in my life, instead of just wondering why I am thinking of them, I reach out now. I might drop a card to say, “Hey I hope your move went well! I wanted to be some of your first mail at your new home!” or “I know it’s going to be a tough week for you and I will be thinking of you. Note the date on the envelope flap of when to open the four cards I am sending you.” The only thing better than snail mail is snail mail accompanied by a sweet treat like Good Karmals or just about anything from Bite Society. Such amazing companies. They are great to work with to incorporate your logo into their packaging. Good Karmal took a significant hit when they came out for the LGBTQ community so they have all my love. Bite Society is a LGBTQ owned, local company with THE best packaging. Small businesses count on us to be mindful of where we spend our dollars and spend it in a way that reflects a world we want to live in. To me this is a prime example of a good energy multiplier!
The second thing I've been putting into practice is, if I want something to happen, I just make it happen. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but I can be the one to get the ball rolling and see where it goes. I have always been envious of Book Clubs that have survived decades of togetherness. I wanted the longevity part but more than what a Book Club could offer. I longed to get together with women I respect and want to spend time with in a meaningful way. I wanted a group that was of a diverse age group and differing opinions. I never came across anything that I was dying to be a part of. One day it occurred to me that I could try to make that happen. So, I did! The Circle of Six or C.O.S. will be having their third get together the day after this blog goes live. So far, so good. It is a beautiful group of strong women who are unafraid to voice their opinions. It is my job to facilitate a safe environment where that can happen. I am slowly incorporating simple rituals that will draw us closer as we move along and take us deeper. It will be interesting to see where this takes us over time and I hope we can all stay committed.
A dear friend sat on the couch across from me the other day and pressed me further. “What else Diane? What are you still not telling me about turning 67?”
I guess when reflecting back on my life, the times that I made the most progress are the times I didn’t wait till I practiced to achieve perfection first, as I am prone to do. The times I kicked fear in the teeth and just went for it have been the most rewarding times of my life so far. Bravery is not the absence of fear. Bravery is doing things while terrified and doing them anyways. That goes for moving to America vs. finagling a way to stay in Japan, getting married, having a child, changing careers, public speaking, asking for help, writing this blog. It turns out that feeling underqualified is ok.
“Feel the fear and do it anyway.” -Susan Jeffers.
Show up and do it anyway. Don’t let fear decide for you. Give yourself the chance. Sometimes just trying is winning.
Nobody talks about how scary growth is. About this time of year when kids are going back to school, I remember how terrified I would be about the new school year. There is a beautiful turn of phrase I wrote down in my notebook. “Cramming third grade feet into second grade shoes.” That knowing that a chapter has closed and you cannot go back and you no longer fit the old scenario. It’s time to step into larger shoes and grow into a new version of yourself.
We are all learning and changing in real time. None of us are 100% ready. But the wonderful thing that I think I completely learned recently is that fear never goes away, so there is no sense in standing still until it does. You have to move before you “feel ready”. Because “feeling ready” was never really a feeling but a decision.
Now the bigger I feel fear, the more I know how important this thing is for my growth. Fear is the proof. Don’t let entire versions of yourself go by because you were afraid to try. Just don’t let fear decide for you.
As they say in Buddhism, get comfortable with the uncertainty. Admire it. Learn to relish the discomfort and understand what it is there for. It turns out you cannot be brave without fear. Just like you cannot be happy without having sadness, courage cannot exist without uncertainty. We understand the good times because we have had the bad. Learning to befriend the uncertainty is everything.
As a student of Tara Mohr, nothing sank in more deeply from hours with her, her books and teachings than learning to say to my Inner Critic, “Thanks for coming. I know why you’re here but I’ve got this!”
Below are miscellaneous things that caught my eye, tempted my taste buds, things I loved listening to and things that have me planning for fall trips, dinner parties and wardrobe updates in no particular order.
My latest jewelry crush after George Rings, is Jennifer Alfano. Swoon. So good!
Some Level Six wisdom from this guy in overalls who I adore.
Fall Foliage Drive that has been on my list. Will this be the year?
Music:
Elizabeth Steiner, is a harpist I have known since she was playing with American Girl dolls. I am so proud of her persistence and hard work. Not only for her own musical career but helping younger harpists learn and grow. This is her first single! Plastic Off the Sofa
Her album release party is later this month!
Wentworth is a beautifully curated site that I shop. They have their own Wentworth Playlist!
If you are a regular reader, you know that I am a raving fan of Wilde House Paper for their journals, workshops etc. Anything they put out is solid gold. And I love their playlists.
Wilde House Paper September Playlist
Kitchen Things & Dining Moments that caught my eye:
Quenelle spoons from Oui Chef. Why does my life feel incomplete without them?
I love this site: Standard Affair. SUMMER ENTERTAINING, Part III: The Recipes
Last but not least, here is an entry from Patti Digh’s Substack that she posted when SHE turned 67! I was furiously nodding in agreement as I read it. She is a great writer to follow.
Nahjeen and I are busily preparing our new fall listings and working with Buyers to find them their new homes. Remember to get your Real Estate information from a trusted professional and not the news. Real Estate is hyper, hyper local. If you or your friends and family need a referral for a good agent in another area, do let me know. I spend a considerable amount of time networking nationally and have some great colleagues in different parts of the country.
Before I close out, I want to say thank you. Thank you for taking time from your busy lives to read Noticings each month. I am always left speechless when someone I have never gotten a comment from says, “Oh I read and enjoy your blog every month.” They then go on to ask me about something very specific I wrote about and I am so very touched. I appreciate each of you. And to those who month in and month out, read my posts and reach out to let me know you’ve read it…thank you. I really cannot put into words just how much that means to me.
XOXO,
Coach Diane
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All artwork for 2026 is by Seattle artist, Anna Brones.
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