Hey Reader!

This is it. The last LuvvLetter before I officially start my sabbatical in a couple of weeks. 🥹

After 15 years of building, grinding, and being the person holding everything together, I finally have the infrastructure to step away from my business for a bit. We just announced that Awe Luv has a new CEO, which means this summer, I'm on sabbatical, gallivanting, frolicking, and writing (because I do owe my next book). 😎

For the first time ever, I get to take my eyes off the ball, and focus only on myself for 2 months. It kicks off AFTER EssenceFest (if you’re going, I have 2 talks there) and Delta Sigma Theta’s National Convention.

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My nervous system needs it. The burnout I feel requires it. And the inner child in me craves the time. I'm about to learn how to PLAY again. Water parks! Go-karts! Tennis! Puzzles! All the things I don’t remember ever having space for because I was too busy being responsible and achieving.

But before I head into this season of wonder and rest, I had to share what's been on my mind this week.

Let's dive in. 👇🏾

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RANT

Do less of passing on your fears to people.

I posted on Threads about being excited for my sabbatical and all the playful activities I want to try.

And someone replied with a whole story about how they tried to play basketball at 40+ and ended up injured, icing their ankle, warning me to "be careful."

I appreciate concern. But when did announcing your joy become an invitation for people to dump their fears and limitations on you?

When I say I'm excited about go-karts, I don't need to hear about your cousin's friend who crashed one in 1987. When I mention tennis, I don't need a dissertation on torn ACLs and pulled hamstrings.

Your experience is not my prophecy. 🗣️WE ARE NOT THE SAME.

This is bigger than my sabbatical activities, though. This is about how we move through the world projecting our limitations, our fears, our "what ifs" onto other people's dreams and possibilities.

Someone announces they're starting a business. "Oh, you know 90% of businesses fail, right?"

Someone says they're writing a book. "Publishing is SO hard. The market is oversaturated."

Why are we so quick to be prophets of doom instead of cheerleaders of possibility? 😒

Here's what I think is happening: People’s unprocessed fears about their own limitations make them want to shrink other people's possibilities down to their comfort zone.

I remember one day tweeting (remember when we’d do that?) that I can write a whole blog post in 20 minutes and someone told me that wasn’t possible. And I needed to remind them that my GIFTING ain’t yours.

Your fears are not facts. Your past injuries are not inevitable futures. Your limitations are not universal laws.

Some of us are built different. Some of us heal faster. Some of us are protected in different ways. 🤌🏾

Before you respond to someone's excitement with your cautionary tales, pause. Ask yourself: Am I sharing this because it's genuinely helpful information they need? Or am I sharing this because their courage makes me uncomfortable with my own limitations?

Because if it's the latter? Keep that to yourself. Let people dream. Let them risk. Let them play.

The world has enough fear-mongers. Be a joy-protector instead. 💪🏾

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REFLECTION

If it's not done in joy, it is not to be done.

This summer and this sabbatical is truly about the deepening of joy for me. Making space so joy can take up more space.

I am reclaiming my birthright to embody joy. Not just in my personal life, but even in business.

We make our worst decisions when we're operating from fear and scarcity. When you're chasing opportunities because you're afraid of missing out, saying yes because you're scared of disappointing people, or forcing moves that feel heavy instead of expansive, you end up drained, misaligned, and honestly?

Recently, I made a decision that didn't make sense on the surface. I walked away from something that could have made me money. Good money. The kind of opportunity that looks great on paper.

But when I sat with it, when I really checked in with my spirit, it didn't feel aligned. It felt forced. It felt like I was chasing something from scarcity instead of moving from abundance. It wasn't bringing me joy.

When I trust in God's provision and favor, He has so much more that is better for me than what I was trying to force. 🙏🏾

And one thing I recognize now more than anything is that my creativity LIVES inside my joy. So when I am too stretched, overwhelmed or burned out, I’m not creating at my best.

Your joy is not selfish. It's strategic.

And it's not just about the big life choices. It's about the daily decisions too.

That meeting that makes my stomach clench? Not done in joy.

That collaboration that excites me to my core? Joy.

That project I'm forcing myself to complete out of obligation? Not joy. That opportunity that feels heavy? Still not joy.

So I’m following my ENERGY and my JOY, in this season (and beyond). But first, I’m going to make room for it.

What decisions are you making from fear instead of joy? What opportunity are you chasing because it looks good instead of feels joyful? What would change if you made "done in joy" your filter for every opportunity, every commitment, every yes and no?

Because when you start moving from joy instead of fear, when you start trusting what lights you up, you'll be amazed at how much better everything gets. 🤌🏾

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RECOMMENDATION

Support my work this summer.

Honestly, my team is the one that told me this is the last LuvvLetter and since I have decision fatigue right now, I didn’t argue. Y’all are right.

And frankly, as this is my first real sabbatical EVER, I don’t even know how to do it for real. All I know is, they’ve told me to face my front and mind my LITERAL business this summer. And I’ve told them: “Ok if I’m gon do that, y’all need to make sure you still make us some money cuz payroll ain’t a joke.” I AIN’T PLAYING.

That means you might hear from my team this summer. They’re supposed to be doing stuff while I’m not here and they might need to let you know what that stuff is so please don’t unsubscribe because it’s them, not me. Don’t do them bogus like that. 😅😅😅

Butttt in case you will miss me, let me books keep you company. Have you read ALL of them? If not… maybe catch up on the ones you haven’t.

📕 Professional Troublemaker - This is my banner book. You need this book if you are someone who wants to make some REAL IMPACT and shake some tables. Whether you're afraid of speaking up in meetings, starting that business, or simply being who you truly are without shame, this is the one you NEED.

📕 I'm Judging You - If you wanna cackle like a drunk hyena because you know humans are a mess and that we all need to do better and you wanna side-eye the world along with your shady cousin (ME), you need this book. I cut up so bad in my first book and I still love it so much because it is TIMELESS.

📕 Rising Troublemaker - Parents and teachers who read PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER requested this book, because they wanted to make sure their teenagers heard the messages I gave. I want the young adults to know NOW that what makes them different is actually their superpower. Buy this book for the teens!

📕 Little Troublemaker Makes a Mess - You need this book if you're looking to teach children about good intentions, consequences, and the beauty of learning from mistakes. This is the book for all them Little Troublemakers we know with big hearts, and it often gets them in big trouble!

📕 Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name - This is the book that I dedicated to all of us whose names were never on keychains or mugs. It will teach kiddies that their names matter and they’re truly worth defending. It will make them feel seen.

If you love my work, my voice, my books are the best of it. And when you spend time with my books, it matters so deeply. AND they will be truly valuable to you.

And don't forget: You can still get your custom name keychain. Cuz we all deserve to see our names celebrated. 💫

So yes, I’m really excited for this sabbatical. There is something divine waiting for me in it. This I know. For those who have done a proper sabbatical, feel free to reply to this with tips!

And separately, which of my books have you read? Which are you grabbing? 👀

With excitement and exhaustion,

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P.S. Remember, you may hear from my team via email while I'm away, and I'll drop into social media when I can. But mostly? I'll be collecting stories, joy, and wonder to share with you when I get back in the fall. Follow my sabbatical adventures on Instagram @Luvvie if you want glimpses of the ridiculous fun I'm about to get into.

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