The Feral Housewife's Guide to

Living Authentically, Creatively, & Intentionally

Issue # 75 || July 4, 2025 || Previous issues​

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Hey Reader,

How's your summer so far?

It's feeling a lot like a perfect summer day today in the Hudson Valley. Beautiful blue skies. Warm, breezy, and sunny. 🌞 Low humidity. A perfect rarity.

NY weather is emotionally unstable. (I can identify!) One day it's sweltering hot, the next frigid, and the rest are rainy 🌧 and grey. These highs and lows are NOT conducive for outdoor activities. 😔

Which frustrates me.

Earlier this week, I was determined to find a new place to live. I searched Google for places with 'perfect weather' and I'm sure you won't be surprised the results were NOWHERE near me or affordable.

California. Texas. Key West, Florida. South Africa. Southern Spain.

Reality check ✔

✔ none of these places are "perfect" (bugs, earthquakes, violence, storms, etc.)

✔ most are beyond my budget

✔ moving is completely unrealistic for my family (me=gypsy, my boys=roots)

So, I had to relinquish my dream of moving.

Instead, I wrote in my journal: Try to enjoy where you're at! And then travel...

(Side note: overcome fear of flying...yes, Jim. I'm closer but not there yet😜)

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Always and never

I tell my son that we don't always get our preferences.

In reply he says, "I never get my preferences."

I get him. Even as an adult I feel that way, which makes facing the truth about reality tough. I often need to remind myself that nobody gets what they really want.

One of the richest, most talented men in the world (Steve Jobs) died at 56 years old. Is that what he wanted? Wouldn't he have preferred to keep living and changing the world with his visionary technology? I, for one, wished he had survived. Apple is not the same without him, and I would have loved to see his next invention.

My mom died at 58. She desired to enjoy her grandchildren (one of whom, she never met).

Here's the thing...

We will NEVER be happy or joyful or feel fulfilled IF...

-we focus on what we don't have

-we continually hate our circumstances

-we only see the negativity in life

Easier said than done, right?

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I love this concept, because it's true.

If you're looking for problems, faults, and things to be upset about. Guess what? You'll find them. (This is especially true when we're looking at people.)

The good news is that the same is true in reverse.

This should make you soul-search.

What are you looking for?

When you're looking, what is your intention?

What do you choose to focus on?

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Reframes and mind-shifts

I struggle with negativity and the 'woe is me' mentality.

Do you?

If so, do you know what that makes us?

Normal!

Yep, it means we're normal. It means we see possibilities and long for improvement. There's nothing wrong with that.

So, why am I about to tell you how important it is to reframe your negativity and practice shifting your mindset?

Because staying stuck in negative emotions is HARMFUL right down to your cellular level, It kills your immune system.

Remember last week, we talked about emotional constipation?

We want to avoid that.

So, the first thing to do when a negative emotion crashes our party, is to be curious about it.

"Hey, Mr. Negative Emotion. What's your name? How did you get here? Why are you here?"

Shake hands with it.

Name / identify it (dig deeper than the surface emotion)

Sit with it.

Determine...is Mr. Negative Emotion benefiting or hurting me?

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How long do you want a negative, hurtful emotion to crash your party?

"No, thank you, Mr. Negative Emotion. I think you belong somewhere else."

Send it on its way OUT (e-motion = energy in motion).

-Be curious.

-Validate.

-Process and let go.

Or

-Reframe the negativity into something practical and useful.

My life coach (everyone should have access to one!) tells me that our brain responds better to positive words and actions.

I am stuck in NY reframes as I'll explore and enjoy what NY has to offer me.

I never get what I want reframes as Sometimes I get what I want and I'm grateful for what I have now

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Coaching questions

One thing I'm going to do on a regular basis is encourage you to write / journal.

Do you like to free write in a blank notebook?

OR

Do you prefer a workbook with writing prompts?

Hit reply and let me know.

But these are not the coaching questions I had for you this week.

Below are what I'd like you to think about and then let me know what you came up with:

-How do you find personal fulfillment in life?

-What does a life well-lived look like for you?

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Before you go...

This week I finished my Live Confidence Coaching course.

I even received an official graduate certificate. So that makes me certifiably nuts about life 😜.

In the next few weeks, I'll be designing a coaching package with tools and writing exercises to help people who feel stuck in life and want to enrich their inner worlds.

I'm still sorting out the verbiage and details.

I'd LOVE your ideas, suggestions, and insights. For starters, please send me your thoughts on the questions above.

Or if you have any other wisdom to impart, I'd love to hear it.

When my package is roughly put together, I'll need some practice clients to run through it. If anyone is interested, I'd love to hear from you.

Don't let the summer pass you by without a little FUN in the SUN 🌞!

With Love, Creativity, & Intention,

Anna

P.S. If you're enjoying this newsletter, please forward it to a friend.

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​www.aferalhousewife.com​

​https://linktr.ee/aferalhousewife​

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I'm a recovering perfectionist and sassy housewife, helping overwhelmed women create a rich and fulfilling inner life by ditching guilt, perfectionism, and the “do it all” myth through therapeutic writing and creative self-expression. ​ I'm here to inspire you to intentionally grow in all areas of life, especially emotionally, because what you think and how you feel influences everything. ​ Write. Feel. Heal. ​ If you're enjoying this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or send a subscribe link: The Feral Housewife's Guide to Living Authentically, Creatively & Intentionally​ ​ Anna Celotto Writer & Inner Life Coach