GABRIELA YARELIZ

Wisdom from AF

Wisdom and words by Andy Frisella:

“FAIR WAS NEVER PART OF THE DEAL.

WHO EVER TOLD YOU THAT LIED.

SOME PEOPLE WILL HAVE IT EASIER.

SOME WILL START AHEAD.

YOU’LL BE TEMPTED TO THINK:

“THEY GOT LUCKY”

NO, YOU GOT LUCKY.

BECAUSE THEY NEVER LEARNED TO FIGHT.

THEY’VE NEVER FELT REAL HUNGER.

THEY NEVER HAD TO CLAW THEIR WAY OUT OF THE SHIT.

YOU DID.

..AND EVERYTHING YOU DEVELOP THROUGH

THAT JOURNEY ARE THINGS THEY WILL NEVER HAVE.

THAT’S YOUR SUPER POWER.

THAT’S WHY WHEN YOU EVENTUALLY MEET THEM ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF LIFE YOU WILL FUCKING DESTROY THEM.

DONT GET IT TWISTED:

YOU GOT LUCKY.

NOT THEM.”

#100to0

“A Line in the Sand” by Erwin McManus

“God will silence your accusers.”

Friday Gratitude

By: Gabriela Yareliz

This morning, the bridge looked metallic silver in the bright sunshine. A good Friday morning to you!

The train is quiet aside from gentle sniffles and the train conductor who sounds completely unhinged, but it’s not his fault— it’s the intercom.

Most people’s eyes are closed. We made it. Even the girl with the cup of boba milk tea is asleep. There are two exceptions; actually, three.

There is a guy scrolling through the New York Post app next to me. Iran, Iran, Iran! The screen screams.

There is a young girl in a hoodie (how is she not cold?) with her hood up, and she is quickly writing into a small blue notebook. It’s refreshing to see a young person not in her phone. Her sneakers are wildly clean (got to ask her about that).

And then, there is me. Earmuffed and tired but ready to drive the nail in the coffin of this insanely draining week. This morning, I discovered a whole market exists on Etsy selling Punch the monkey keychains. Genius and adorable.

I am craving a simmering hot cup of ginger tea, which I will prepare once I settle into my office. It’s part of my ritual along with turning on my space heater that will convert my office into a lovely little oven of comfort.

This morning, as I paid some bills and tithed and did all the things one does when paid, I did my gratitude prayer. And beyond the needs that are always met and God’s abundant provision, I sat and reflected on the everyday rituals and things that make life better: my pile of blankets, tea, my supplements, pen and paper, veggie delights and the word searches my husband saves for me from the paper.

Despite the chaos, there is a lot to be grateful for. Make your list today.

This Week’s Favs 3.12.26

By: Gabriela Yareliz

This week, we went from 60F to 39F. It’s literally raining/snowing outside. The weather is wild. My torso is less on fire thanks to a plantain oil tincture I made. This stuff works. March feels so busy, and I haven’t even gotten to the taxes part of the to-do list. My body has been crashing and burning a little, but hanging in. I am basically sipping out of those little Cymbiotika pouches every two hours.

Here are some of my favorite things from the week.

I read Emily Frisella’s book Relationships First. Great principles and a quick read.

I think my next read will be Eve Babitz’s Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, the Flesh and L.A. (Did you know Eve Babitz and Steve Martin dated? I loved learning that…) Part of my many 70s rabbit holes.

St. Denis Medical has been too fun, and Palm Royale has been very entertaining (tardy to the party).

Posts I enjoyed:

let’s hang out like we’re back in high school by Le Secret Club by Gabrielle

All of Jon Haidt’s After Babel’s posts. This was an interesting recent one on After Babel by Casey Mock: Meta’s Legal Team Abandoned Its Ethical Duties

These boots are giving March Madness:

Racing-ok Boot
Jeffrey Campbell
brand:Jeffrey Campbell

Laura Wasser’s “Divorce” capsule for Reformation. I had seen this a few weeks back, and it’s still on my mind. Pretty genius and fun move from the nation’s most famous celebrity divorce attorney. It’s giving boss-she-didn’t-need-the-settlement.

Add this Paul Maurice (PoMo) gem to your watch list:

This man is such an icon in my book. I want to be like him.

This podcast was excellent (I love a Hubes or GP moment, and here we have them together– fate):

This was a thought-provoking conversation with interesting perspectives:

Vita Sidorkina launched her app The Core:

Felice Chan‘s Chinese Medicine course.

Here is to hoping this cold spell breaks soon.

Spring Transition Outfits

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Spring reset.

I love a good spring reset. Mine has consisted of better sleep, taking out caffeine and continued and progressive strength training. It will be a matchaless spring. Dr. Stolberg’s tea has been my go-to along with gynostemma (they call it the poor man’s ginseng).

In this new warmth, some interesting outfits have made their appearance and debut on the trains—

A woman with olive green capris, ankle boots and a navy coat. (She also had an impeccable tan).

A woman with a white base and a black leather jacket. Very bold to wear white pants and sit in a train car.

A lady wearing a striped white and black shirt and black tiered boho skirt with Mary Jane’s.

Von Dutch jeans and a Juicy Couture tote (very nostalgic). This lady had pink hair and was cursing someone out on her phone.

Another woman had a shirt tucked into jeans, but the jeans were cropped and she had fun socks with brown loafers.

People are resetting their wardrobes and dusting off their sunglasses. A brighter morning awaits.

For me, I have swapped my thick navy coat for a lighter blue jacket. I feel like I am fluttering above the surface.

My readings from Simple Abundance have all been about reflecting how you feel on the inside by your external presentation.

What are you reaching for this spring? Any pops of color? Is it time to put away the boots? (I am thinking it’s too soon…)

The Goddess Review

By: Gabriela Yareliz

There are some wild product reviews out there. They can be the most fun part of the website— kind of like the comments section. Here is a review that recently caught my attention—Luna Bronze.

Today’s review is about this self-tanning bronzer from Revolve. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad one. There are five stars, but the start is a bit rough. It was “collecting dust.” This one is all about the element of surprise.

Love the details of “half-assed” application. she is a “GLOWING Mediterranean goddess.” She is brown, y’all. Look ma, no mit. Boom. “Loyalty for life.”

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Resplendent

By: Gabriela Yareliz

This morning, it was really dark. Darker than I remember a morning in a long time. I had to turn on the lights to force myself to get ready.

After that darkness, I got on the train. When we hit the bridge, the sunshine was splayed out everywhere— I hadn’t seen that level of brightness in a while. The morning was resplendent. Spring is near.

Wisdom from Martha Graeff

Words and advice by Martha Graeff:

“1. Not everyone who loves you knows how to show up for you;

2. Peace is more valuable than being understood;

3. Boundaries will cost you relationships and then save you;

4. You can’t heal in the same environment that hurt you;

5. Being strong for too long teaches you when to rest;

6. Some people are on your side as long as you stay the same;

7. People meet you at the level they’ve met themselves;

8. Energy doesn’t lie, even when words do – trust your gut;

9. Being needed isn’t the same as being valued; [and]

10. True connections are RARE.

Protect them. Keep them close and give back.”

Daylight Savings to 1997

Shall we take it all the way back to 1997?

The Olsen twins had those little bangs and short hair. Stacks of American Girl catalogs and magazines. Home videos. Music video channels. Shakira didn’t speak English. Phones were attached to a wall. Long distance calls were done with calling cards. The 101 Dalmatians were all the rage. We were all Disney princesses. Recess was for doing flips on the bars. Arthur was the hottest show on PBS.

Take us all back.

Hard

“Doing hard sh*t is the gateway to everything you want in life. It changes your brain chemistry. You’re not overwhelmed. You’re under-challenged. Easy choices create fragile minds. Friction creates stability. When your life is built around comfort, fast dopamine, instant delivery, and constant distraction, your nervous system forgets how to handle resistance. So the smallest inconvenience feels like a crisis. A soft life creates a loud mind. Anxious. Reactive. Restless.

Friction quiets it. Lift something heavy. Say the thing you’ve been avoiding. Turn the phone off. Go for the run when your mind starts negotiating. Every time you choose hard, you collect evidence. And once your mind has enough evidence, it stops panicking. Hard doesn’t just change your body. It changes what you believe you can handle. And that changes everything.”

Matty Fusaro