We all cross paths with people who seem to push our buttons, test our patience, or drain our energy. Sometimes it’s subtle—a tone of voice, a choice of words, a lingering presence. Other times, it’s obvious and exhausting.

It’s easy to take it personally, to feel attacked or drained, but the truth is: difficult personalities aren’t about you. They’re about the inner world the other person is carrying. Their frustrations, habits, fears, and pressures show up in ways that collide with yours.

Today, we’re exploring how to navigate these encounters without losing yourself—how to hold space for curiosity, set boundaries that stick, and protect your energy, all while staying present and grounded.

Today in 15 seconds:

👥 Connection Catalyst: One tiny trick to stop that person from hijacking your whole mood.
🧘‍♀️ Mindful Movement: Take up space like you actually belong here (because you do).
✨ Daily Cosmic Weather Report: Mars, Spica, and a slim moon walk into your evening…
💎 Crystal of the Day: The ‘TV Stone’ for decoding life’s hidden channels.

Think of the person who grates on your nerves. The one who makes your shoulders tighten just by showing up.

Now—before your brain launches into the usual script of ugh, not them again—pause. Give yourself a beat.

Pick out one neutral or positive trait about them. Something simple, almost boring.

“She’s organized.”
“He’s funny sometimes.”
“They always show up on time.”

That’s it, just one small thing.

When you do this, you’re not excusing bad behavior. This doesn’t make them less annoying either. It makes you less hijacked by the annoyance. Instead of your brain going straight into fight-or-freeze mode, you may create just enough balance to breathe, soften your shoulders, and remember—you have options.

Because balance isn’t about liking everyone—it’s about not letting their energy run the show.

Look past the first impression.

Relationships often get stuck in patterns. We label someone as “annoying,” “difficult,” or “just not my type,” and then every interaction filters through that lens. It’s efficient for the brain—but it also keeps us locked out of connection and makes dealing with them way more draining.

One small way to interrupt the cycle is with curiosity. Instead of trying to “fix” the relationship, simply ask yourself: What’s one real question I could ask this person that might help me see them differently?

Not a surface-level throwaway like “How’s your day?”— but something you’d genuinely like to know. Things like:

If you’re on okay terms, tuck that question in your back pocket and see if a moment comes up to ask it. Sometimes one unexpected question shifts the whole vibe of a conversation.

And if the relationship isn’t safe or the vibe is off? Still take a minute to imagine the question you would ask. You don’t even have to say it aloud. Simply wondering about their experience shifts your brain from “ugh” to “they’re a full human with a story I don’t see.” That small shift is often enough to calm your own system, even if nothing changes between you.

Curiosity doesn’t always lead to closeness, but it can make interactions less heavy. And in a world already full of overstimulation, a little less heaviness is worth practicing.

The Starfish Stretch

Some days, it feels like other people’s energy takes up more space than our own. We walk away from conversations carrying their moods, replaying their words, or shrinking ourselves to keep the peace. 

The Starfish Stretch is a simple way to remind your body and mind that you, too, deserve room.

How to do it:

Sometimes the boldest move is simply letting yourself be fully here—no apologies, no explanations.

What the sky’s doing whilst we move about below

The sky is quiet but not empty tonight. The Moon is just a slim waxing crescent, only 9% lit, hanging low in the west after sunset. It’s the kind of Moon you have to look for—delicate, fleeting, gone within the hour if you don’t catch it. A reminder that not everything worth seeing waits around for you.

If you’re fast, you might also spot Mars sitting just above the Moon, with Spica, Virgo’s brightest star, shimmering lower on the horizon. They form a temporary trio: planet, star, and crescent. Blink, and the sky will rearrange itself again.

Astrologically, the waxing crescent is about beginnings—tiny momentum, quiet first steps. Not the leap, just the hint of one. Tonight’s close dance with Mars and Spica carries a simple message: you don’t need the whole plan, only a small spark of direction. Like the crescent itself, beginnings don’t shout—they whisper.

So if you step outside tonight, let that sliver of light remind you: it’s enough to start small. Even a single spark can carry you forward.

The Anxiety Tool That Actually Works

Their Anxiety Workbook isn't another meditation app that fails when you're actually panicking. It's 30+ pages of therapist-designed exercises that stop anxiety cold. Page 12 has this trigger-mapping technique that literally changed how we understand our panic patterns. Page 18? It's the only thing that's worked for 3am spiral sessions.

Thousands swear by this workbook. We tried it. Now we recommend it to everyone.

They're offering our readers 50% off for 48 hours only. Plus, every purchase helps keep their mental health newsletter free.

Ulexite looks plain at first glance—soft white, sometimes translucent—but it hides a quiet magic. Known as the “TV Stone,” it naturally projects images through its fibrous structure, a reminder that perspective can shift depending on how you look.

Energetically, Ulexite works with the Third Eye Chakra, sharpening inner vision and intuition. It’s a stone that doesn’t just invite you to “see more”—it helps you perceive differently. Where your mind might normally spin with surface-level chatter, Ulexite cuts through to the subtle signals underneath: the gut feeling you almost ignore, the insight that flickers in a dream, the truth that’s easy to overlook.

This makes it especially powerful when life feels noisy. Instead of adding more input, Ulexite helps refine your perception—like tuning static into a clear signal. It’s not about seeing everything—it’s about seeing what matters.

Use it when:

Think of Ulexite as a lens: it doesn’t change the world around you, but it changes what comes into focus. It’s a reminder that clarity isn’t always about more—sometimes it’s about noticing the quiet truth that was there all along.

3-8 minutes to stretch your view

Off the top of your head (3 min): Think of a difficult person in your life.

Spill it (5-8 min): What boundary would feel healthiest to set with them?

Let it land when you’re ready.

Catch the exact instant you choose not to engage in someone else’s drama.

It might be subtle: a text you don’t respond to right away, a comment you don’t take the bait on, or a sigh you exhale instead of jumping in. That’s not apathy—it’s a boundary. A quiet declaration that your peace matters more than being pulled into someone else’s storm.

That pause, that choice, is beautiful because it saves your energy for what’s truly yours. Notice how it feels in your body when you step back. Notice the clarity that comes from keeping your energy instead of leaking it. That moment is not small—it’s freedom, reclaimed in real time.

Not everyone leaves you tired. Some people—often quietly—hold space in a way that feels rare. They don’t demand. They don’t drain. They listen, respect, and let you be fully yourself without tugging at your energy.

Take a moment to bring one of those people to mind. Picture their face, recall the way you feel after spending time with them. That lightness? That ease? That’s a gift.

Let yourself feel gratitude for their presence today. Maybe you tell them, maybe you don’t—but carry that appreciation in your body like a steadying breath. It’s a reminder that not all connections deplete. Some restore.

Are you actually choosing your relationships—or just enduring them?

It’s easy to fall into autopilot with people. To keep showing up out of habit, guilt, or obligation. To convince yourself that tolerating someone’s energy is the same as connection. But there’s a difference between actively choosing to be in someone’s life and simply letting their presence take up space.

Enduring keeps you small, resentful, and drained. Choosing means you’re awake to the dynamic—you know why you’re there, what you’re giving, and what you’re receiving. It doesn’t mean every relationship is easy, but it does mean you’re not sleepwalking through them.

So ask yourself: Who in your life are you actively choosing—and who are you just surviving?

It sounds obvious, but most of us don’t realize how much weight we carry from relationships that keep us small, drained, or stuck. It’s not always dramatic—it can be subtle. The friend who never celebrates your wins. The coworker who chips away at your energy. The family member who leaves you second-guessing yourself.

You don’t have to cut everyone off or build walls around your heart. But you do get to choose. You get to notice who leaves you heavier and who leaves you lighter. You get to step closer to those who spark clarity, calm, or joy—and take a step back from those who don’t.

So as you move through your week, try this: pay attention to how you feel after an interaction. Drained? Tense? Or a little more alive? That’s your compass. The higher version of you is waiting in the spaces where your energy is respected, not siphoned.

P.S. We made this because most spiritual content made us feel like there was something wrong with us for being tired, messy, or not “high-vibe” enough. If this made you feel a little more human today, that's all we wanted.

💌 Pass it on

Got a friend who’s basically your spirit animal? Forward them this email. Sharing is caring, and honestly, who couldn’t use a little less chaos and a little more realness?

📬 We love hearing from you

Got thoughts? Rants? Random life updates? We’re here for all of it. Reply to this email. We actually love hearing from you (yes, really).