Welcome to Prompts from Paris

Before 2024 says 'Au Revoir', I wanted to say 'Bonjour'.

Bonjour and welcome to your first Prompts from Paris!

Thank you for joining me - I am glad you are here.

It’s taken me quite a while to push ‘go’ on my newsletter. Every time I tried, it didn’t feel right.

I know we are already overwhelmed with plenty of information that bombards us on a daily basis, and if you are like me, you probably already get plenty of newsletters. Every week, I have a few that pop into my inbox, and I genuinely enjoy each of them - even if I struggle to keep up with all the reading! And, of course, if you love to hear about what is happening in Paris, you certainly have your fill of fantastic content from plenty of other sources. Prompts from Paris is not meant to replace any of those.

As I toiled setting the time to send the first issue, it finally struck me that I needed to get on with it. If I want to spend 2025 with you, I had better tell you now.

So, as this lands in your inbox, if this feels a tad bit different than the other newsletters you receive, my mission is accomplished. Why did I choose the name Prompts from Paris? Because I hope it prompts us to think and perhaps think differently; that is how we grow.

I want this newsletter to be a space where the charm of Paris and French culture meets the transformative journey of self-discovery. If you like to dive into ideas that spark growth and personal transformation, uncover thought-provoking books and resources, and, of course, discuss the beautiful elements I learned after living la via Parisian for the past two decades, then Prompts from Paris is for you.

As you read along, think of this as a gentle prompt to remind you that there is something new to discover every day - and the exciting part is that the ‘new’ thing to discover is YOU!

So, thank you for joining; let’s wander together.

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What to expect from Prompts from Paris

Twice a month, Prompts from Paris will be in your inbox on the 1st and mid-way through on the 15th.

I’ll share stories and thoughts from life in Paris—both the magic and the messiness. But I wanted to couple that with insights and tools to help you question, reflect, and take small steps toward your dreams…at ANY age.

I want to keep the newsletters short and impactful. The best way to ensure I share content that speaks to you is for you to let me know. So please do not hesitate to speak up. If I want to just talk to myself, I’d stick to doing so in my morning journal practice!

This first issue is slightly different than others, but in the future, beyond the stories, I want to commit to a couple of things for us each month.

-I want to give you a French word or phrase to think about.

-I will aim to share a book I am reading (if you join along, that would be even better).

-I will share a tip or a practice that I use and/or have just discovered.

-I will end with a question. One that I hope helps us get clarity on the future.

And from there, we will see how it evolves.

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On the horizon for 2025

It’s hard to imagine that we are ticking over to a new year - whether or not we are ready, it is coming our way. So, while we cannot control when it arrives, we can control how we welcome it.

As the years add up, I find myself more and more focused on rituals. And in particular, the reflective rituals that make us stop and take stock of where we are and where we are going.

In the spirit of self-reflection, I have two focuses over the next two weeks: closing out 2024 and being ready to receive 2025.

This might be as woo-woo as you will hear me get, but after a conversation with a friend, I decided I wanted to share my year-end ritual. I won’t call myself superstitious, but I go through the same process each year. For me, creating a positive head space for the coming year is essential. Starting a new year without ‘my version’ of ending the previous year is just too risky, and frankly, I am not willing to test what will happen if I don’t.

My friend nervously laughed and looked shocked as I talked her through what I do. She even said she didn’t expect this from ‘someone’ like me (another fun topic we will get into - the magic of all of us is we have so many different versions of who we are!)

And for the avoidance of doubt, no, my quiet little ritual is not accompanied by dancing and chanting. Instead, it is a silent moment with my favorite pen and paper where I:

1. Make a list of all the beautiful things I want to take into the New Year with me - for example, being joyful, having meaningful friendships, practicing gratitude, having energy, focusing on staying consistent, etc. I write these on a small piece of paper that I place in my wallet so I can come across it through the year ahead.

2. On another piece of paper, I list everything I do NOT want to take with me as I enter the New Year. This list should contain all of the things that do not serve me—for example, negativity, insecurity, self-doubt, being difficult, etc. Once I have completed this list, the next part will be very important to me.

3. I find a way to ‘release’ the things I do not want to carry forward. I.e., I burn them up! Yes - either by throwing the list into a fireplace or carefully burning it in a sink. As I write this newsletter, I ask myself if you think I am as silly as I feel writing it, but I wanted to share it. For me, there is something symbolic, something meaningful in actually going through the act of physically ridding myself of the things I do not need. So self-doubt, etc., burn, baby, burn.

And accompanying that, I always make time on the last day of the year to daydream and journal* about it. I try to imagine how my perfect day will look in the year ahead. I may not have an exact itinerary, but I focus on how I want to feel, how I would love my days to flow, what I would love to be working on, etc.

*Which of the journals I will choose is another issue, but I will focus more on that later!

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We are probably all asking ourselves…

What do we want out of the year ahead?

On top of the holiday chaos, this is the time of year when we start to put pressure on ourselves in anticipation of the year ahead - at least, I do. We know that a new year means new possibilities, including the overflow of all the things we’d love to accomplish - and then the overwhelm sets in.

In any given year, I have resolutions, intentions, and projects I am working on - some of which have been ongoing for what feels like an eternity. No matter how they advance, I remind myself that timing is divine. Enter the phrase I would love you to think about.

“Il faut donner du temps au temps. ” - Miguel de Cervantès

You have to give time to time.

This is not an excuse to sit back and just hope that things will happen, but rather to know that if you do your best to bring something to life, it will happen - in its time and if it’s meant to happen. And if it doesn’t, you might just be grateful for that, but you will only know in time.

What intentions and resolutions will be important in 2025? In working toward them, how can we remind ourselves that impossible and improbable are two different things?

If you are heading into the new year hoping this will be ‘the year’ that the dream you have been hoping to realize will finally come to fruition - the only way you will know is if you start to move forward from where you are.

Among your laundry list of hopes for 2025, inevitably, some of those resolutions or intentions or dreams (however you classify them) will feel like they are impossible. But I want us to go into the new year challenging those thoughts and reminding ourselves that impossible and improbable are two different paths. Impossible has no solutions; improbable has exponential solutions.

Your dream just might be as improbable as a gal from Chicago moving to Paris and starting a cooking school without any culinary background, language skills, or understanding of the cultural codes. Oh, wait - isn't there a memoir about that?

Just joking.

But what I am serious about is that along the way, I’ve had more fears, doubts, falls, and midlife crises than you can shake a stick at. That is just business as usual - for all of us.

And as I launch into these new endeavors, that same bothersome list comes marching in again. But guess what? I have a secret ingredient this time - and that secret ingredient to keep me going is YOU. If you keep showing up, I will do the same - and we will get there together.

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So, how 2025 will bring us together?

I hope in many ways, but there are two which are essential.

Podcast alert:

Tomorrow, Monday, December 16th, I’m launching the GenerateHer Podcast! Any friend of mine will probably be rolling their eyes and mumbling under their breath that I have had a podcast for years…, but in the form of long-winded voice memos, I often leave them.

But now my long-winded voice memos - or my podcast, will be released on all major platforms. I’d love for you to listen and let me know your thoughts. It will be dedicated to similar topics you will find me touching on in Prompts from Paris.

When people say it takes a village, it does. I want to give special thanks to my friend Nesha Pai (who has a fantastic podcast of her own.) Nesha not only gave me advice, but she shared a vital resource. She put me in touch with Sarah at Hivecast, who held my hand every step of the way to get the Podcast up and running.

Retreat alert:

And second, a passion project I have wanted to work on for quite some time, a physical gathering to connect all of these communities I hope to build. A series of retreats meant for those who wish to realign, reconnect, and reinvent - and do so in a safe space with other incredible women. The first session will occur from March 11th through 13th here in Paris. It will be a mix of creative outlets and personal planning and perspective. If you know anyone who might benefit from three immersive days to focus on themselves - please share THIS!

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Until next time, Bonne Fin d’Année

You probably know that in French culture (even though it is far from what I would call superstitious), wishing someone something before it has arrived is a non-non. So you will not hear me wish you a Happy ‘you know what’ until it arrives. However, what I will do is:

I wish you a marvelous year-end filled with joy and peace.

The next time you hear from me, it will be 2025! By then, we will both likely have come up with many resolutions…some may stick, some may not. But what should stick with us is our theme, or fil rouge (something I hear locals say a lot!) The ‘red thread’ that runs through 2025.

Every year, I set a ‘word’ - my version of the fil rouge. Some past examples are Reinvent, Ignite, etc. I am thinking about my word for 2025.

No matter what goals or resolutions pop up during the year, I check with myself to see if they are ‘on brand’ with the year's theme.

In January, I’ll share my word, or fil rouge, with you…so the question I’ll leave you with until next time is:

What is your ‘fil rouge’ for 2025?

With that, see you next time. Á bientôt mes amis.

Jane