Issue # 109 | March 6th, 2026 | Previous issues​

Hey Reader,

Last week I made a small boo-boo.

I forgot to update the newsletter issue # and date, therefore last week's info was incorrect.

You have so much on your plate to worry about you probably didn't even notice. I apologize to my new subscribers. There's nothing like getting started on the wrong foot lol.

As a recovering perfectionist, the old me would've been mortified for days. (Self-talk would've sounded like, 'can't believe how stupid I am').

The recovering me is like WOOPS and oh well 🤷‍♀️. I can just blame it on the perimenopause. I enjoy blaming everything on the P word 😜.

I also had vacation brain.

I put on my big girl pants and drove down to Georgia, stopping in Virginia overnight. Thankfully a friend joined me so I wasn't by myself, which made the driving time fly by.

If there's one thing I love about being in the South, it's how friendly people are. People smile and wave, acknowledging your very existence. It's kind of nice actually.

Don't get me wrong. I'm as typical a New Yorker as any. When I'm out and about I'm on a mission to get things done. Eyes are straight ahead. I want to get in and out as quickly as I can without being bothered. Errands are NOT socializing time.

But when I'm down south—things kind of slow down. Nobody is in a hurry (well most people aren't).

Slowing down is kind of the goal, isn't it? Looking people in the eye. Saying hello. Making friendly small talk in the checkout line.

While in Virginia, an older gentleman said good morning to me and then he added, "you're looking good this morning" and he kept walking. He wasn't being a creep.

And you know what.

He made me smile. And that line stayed with me all day.

I LOVE words, especially the combination of words. Don't you just love how he phrased that?

You're looking good this morning.

It was friendly, rational, and kind.

I wish I had a car that said those words to me every time I got into it. I've always had this fantasy of designing my ideal car 🚗, and in my version the first thing it does every morning is greet me and tell me how beautiful I am.

And nope, I'm not the least bit bothered that it would be coming from a machine.

But hey, if I could get a human to say that to me every morning, that would be phenomenal!

So, why don't we do that?

Here's a little exercise you can do every morning (or anytime really).

Get in front of the mirror, take a really close look at yourself. I mean like notice the exact color of your eyes and hair (mine are chestnut brown just like a horse and since I love horses that makes me feel better).

Notice all the little details that make you you and then tell yourself "You're looking good this morning".

That voice that tells you it isn't true?

It's a liar.

A big, fat, juicy liar.

Cause in reality? You're looking better today than you will be in 20 years.

Ever heard of the aging process? 😜

No matter how old you are right now, you’ll always look good compared to your future self 20 years from now.

Didn't expect me to go there did ya? LOL I hear ya. But I heard this thought a long time ago and I remember liking it.

If your future self could talk to you today, what would she say?

Do you think your 80-year-old self would think your 50-year-old self was better or worse looking?

This is called future-self coaching. It's where you talk to yourself as if you were your future self. And your future self is always going to think you were better looking when you had young, smooth, supple skin and no grey hair.

Your future self would put her arm around you and say:

"You're looking good this morning."

"Stop beating yourself up so much."

"You're doing the best you can—just wait till you get my age."

So, I'm leaving you with two exercises today.

One, the mirror exercise, in which you face yourself and muster up all the joy, belief, and love you can and tell yourself: You're looking good this morning.

Two, when you're stuck or can't shake a negative mindset, go into the future and let your future self hand you down a little wisdom and gratitude for where you are today.

So tomorrow morning when you see yourself in the mirror, say it out loud and mean it:

"You're looking good this morning."

And if that inner critic starts arguing with you—remind her that your 80-year-old self would be rolling her eyes right now.

Your turn

Has a stranger ever said something kind that stayed with you all day?

With love,

Anna

P.S. Try the mirror exercise—even if it feels ridiculous. Especially if it feels ridiculous. And if you know someone who can turn my dream car into a reality, please let me know.

​aferalhousewife.com​