And We're Here!

Some Thoughts on Change

Hey Y’all!

This is not the usual monthly newsletter. I’ll send that out next week. However, I wanted to write a special newsletter for those of you who have been with me for a while to explain some significant changes you may have already noticed. You all know at this point that letting you in on the process is important to me as a writer. So this is me letting you in on the process.

First of all, we are officially moved over to Substack! This is the first post I’m sending out using this platform, and I’m excited to give it a try. It’s my hope that it will give us more of an opportunity to learn, grow, and connect together.

This April marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of this newsletter and blog. This past year of sharing my words with you has taught me more about myself than I would have ever thought possible. The better I’ve come to know myself, the better I’ve come to know why I write, what I want to write about, and who I’m writing for (that’s you).

This process has led me to make some significant shifts which I talked about briefly in last month’s email, but here’s a refresher.

Changing over to Substack was one significant change, but the most significant shift is reflected in the title of this publication. Previously, the title of this newsletter was Letters from Home as it was my goal to help us learn to find home or make it wherever we are on our own unique journeys.

While I still think this is an important topic, I discovered through the writing process one of the biggest blocks keeping us from feeling at home right where we are is our rulebooks!

What rulebooks?

We each have a mental rulebook that houses rules and expectations telling us what our lives “should” look like. They tell us how we “should” behave, think, look, and feel. They tell us that we are not “good enough” when we can’t meet the impossible standard the rulebook lays out for us.

There are countless rules in the rulebook. Some come from society and culture. Some come from our families of origin, and some come from our religious upbringings. These religious rules underscore every other rule making everything a moral issue.

Whether explicitly or subliminally taught, many times, we don’t even know it’s a rule guiding our life’s choices. We live our lives out of habit and obligation to this set of rules instead of being led by joy, love, or whatever it is that we value.

Over the past couple of years, I have been investigating these rules and the dangers they present. I realized that trying to live up to the impossible standard the “rulebook” represents had disconnected me from my authentic self, had kept me from true community, and stifled any and all organic spiritual growth.

I spent half my life as an unquestioning rule-follower. But now, I’m learning to break the rules. I’ve found that these rules and mindsets keep us from a joy-filled life. They keep us from loving ourselves and others well. They keep us from connection with ourselves, others, and God all while stifling our organic growth in all areas of life.

Because dismantling these rules and mindsets that stifle growth and keep us from connection is hard work, I want to provide a space for us to do that together. Which is why we’re making this change, and why this publication will now be called Rule-Breaking News with Lauren Lanoue.

One more thing I want to make clear is this. I do not aim to push you in any direction spiritually. I grew up as a Christian, and through the process of deconstructing my long-held religious beliefs, I’ve come to be a proponent of spiritual independence. I believe each of us has our own unique spiritual journey as much as we each have our own unique bodies, personalities, quirks, etc. I trust your journey, and I ask the same of you when it comes to this community—trust and respect each individual’s unique journey.

I understand that change can be challenging, and these changes may mean that my writing is not for you anymore. Please know that I see you, and I release you from any obligation to stay subscribed to this newsletter.

I believe that this new direction will better serve you as my readers as we continue to learn and grow together. I appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to provide you with the content you love. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.

In the meantime, thanks for celebrating with me and sticking with me through these shifts!

As always, I am so happy that you are here.

Now, let’s learn to break the rules that keep us from feeling at home, shall we?

Until next time, here’s to finding home wherever we make it.

Rest Easy and Travel Well,

Lauren Lanoue