The hottest Personal Growth Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

My mind transformed completely, and there were some tradeoffs

Sasha's 'Newsletter' • 5472 implied HN points • 01 Dec 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Personal Growth
  1. Meditation can change your way of seeing the world. It makes past and future thoughts feel lighter, almost like they are just wispy thoughts instead of heavy burdens.
  2. Practicing meditation often feels like having a hobby that others don’t understand or appreciate. You may see benefits in your life, but sharing that with others can be tricky because many might not be ready to commit to it.
  3. Even after lots of meditation, you might still experience normal emotional struggles. You can feel calm and connected one moment and then get upset over something small, which can be confusing and humbling.

The Chaotic Glory of Growing Up

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1303 implied HN points • 20 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Growing up can be scary, but it's also filled with amazing and magical experiences. It's important for teens to embrace these moments, even when they feel challenging.
  2. Teenagers today often avoid taking risks and growing up, leading to a more sheltered experience. Society should encourage them to explore and enjoy their youth more fully.
  3. Shows like 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' remind us that becoming a teenager can be beautiful and exhilarating. They highlight the fun and excitement of this significant life stage.

“Fear is Excitement without the Breath”

Seven Senses • 299 implied HN points • 06 Jul 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Personal Growth
  1. Fear and excitement often go hand in hand. When something new and thrilling happens, it's common to feel both excited and a little scared at the same time.
  2. Breathing is key when dealing with the mix of excitement and anxiety. Taking deep breaths can help calm those overwhelming feelings and bring clarity.
  3. Both fear and excitement activate similar responses in our bodies. Learning to identify these feelings can help us manage them better and enjoy the positive parts more.

Soul Renewal During the Times of Heavy Lies and "the Files"

Tessa Fights Robots • 20 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Personal Growth
  1. Many public voices use rehearsed talking points and spiritual-sounding words to manipulate people, so be cautious about accepting popularity or fancy language as truth.
  2. It’s natural and important to grieve when trusted people or movements betray your expectations, and stepping back to process rather than reacting to media pressure helps you regain clarity.
  3. The antidote is to choose honesty, inner integrity, and courageous aliveness—opt out of performative narratives, defend your truth with love, and walk your path rather than follow crowd control.

new year, same you (hopeful)

Both Are True • 192 implied HN points • 01 Jan 26
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Personal Growth
  1. The words you use about yourself matter — speaking from love instead of self-attack changes how you feel and act.
  2. Acceptance comes before real change — when you truly accept yourself, criticism loses its power and growth becomes possible.
  3. You don't need flashy resolutions to start the year right — being alive and treating yourself with grace is already enough.
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1 year of solo work!

vrk loves paper • 339 implied HN points • 27 Jun 24
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Taking time off from work allowed for creativity and self-discovery. Instead of just quitting to find direction, planning ahead helped focus on what truly mattered.
  2. It's important to tackle personal projects based on what you genuinely want to create. Listening to your instincts can lead to fulfilling achievements.
  3. Creating alone has challenges, like managing all tasks yourself and feeling the pressure of deadlines. Recognizing these struggles can help improve work-life balance moving forward.

#233: The cruel side of optimism

Maybe Baby • 1192 implied HN points • 17 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Being too focused on order and control can actually make life more stressful. It's easy to think that when everything is perfect, we can finally relax, but this expectation can lead to feeling overwhelmed.
  2. Embracing messiness and being okay with imperfection can help create more space in life. Allowing ourselves to let go of some of that pressure can actually lead to feeling lighter and more open.
  3. Cruel optimism is when things we desire become obstacles to our happiness. It's important to recognize these desires and see if they're preventing us from truly enjoying life.

Summer diary

Austin Kleon • 3117 implied HN points • 03 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Keeping a diary helps track daily life and creates a record of experiences. It can provide a sense of accomplishment and reflection.
  2. Summer in Texas can be tough, both weather-wise and emotionally. Writing about it can help cope with the challenges.
  3. Re-reading diary entries serves as a reminder that tough times will eventually pass, offering comfort and perspective.

Five Advanced Meditation Techniques (also, drugs)

Superb Owl • 4396 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Personal Growth
  1. Experimenting with different meditation techniques can help if you're feeling stuck. Trying new methods like kasina or mirror gazing can bring fresh perspectives and experiences.
  2. Pain can be a powerful focus during meditation. Instead of avoiding discomfort, you can lean into it to gain better awareness and understanding of your sensations.
  3. Using substances like cannabis or psychedelics may enhance meditation experiences, but it's important to be cautious and not become overly dependent on them.

affinity

bookbear express • 1122 implied HN points • 07 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. People often find it hard to determine what they truly like about something. It's easy to focus on the fun parts but miss the bigger picture.
  2. Having a genuine connection or affinity for someone isn't about liking every detail; it's about feeling drawn to them on a deeper level.
  3. It's important to trust your instincts when pursuing interests and relationships. Sometimes you just know what resonates with you, even if you can't explain it.

Soul Initiation: Finding your Unique Niche

What's Important? • 27 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Personal Growth
  1. Mature human development includes a Soul Initiation, a passage out of cultural adolescence to discover the unique ecological niche or gift you are meant to offer the living world.
  2. The Journey of Soul Initiation often requires a difficult ‘Descent to Soul’ and a pivotal Soul Encounter accessed through nature-based, mythopoetic practices like vision fasts and dreamwork that let the world mirror symbolic guidance to you.
  3. The process is risky but necessary — it can lead to deep fulfillment, extended transition, or failure — so people need to be held by supportive communities and practical delivery systems (jobs, networks, digital cocoons) to embody and share their soul-purpose.

I’m Moving To New York

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 5056 implied HN points • 15 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. The author is moving to New York City for new opportunities and experiences. They are excited but also aware of the challenges that come with city life.
  2. They express gratitude for their reader's support, which makes this move possible despite the high costs of living in NYC.
  3. The author sees this move as a fresh start, hoping to grow creatively and connect with others in a bustling environment.

#224: Aging out of precociousness

Maybe Baby • 1643 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Aging means letting go of being 'wise beyond your years' and feeling more at ease with your own growth. It's nice not to feel pressured to prove anything.
  2. Experiencing life teaches valuable lessons that can't be rushed. It’s better to learn things through real experiences rather than just trying to sound knowledgeable.
  3. Admiring younger people for their talent can be fulfilling, and it's refreshing to embrace being at a different life stage without competing against them.

Two Years of Writing Emails

Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith • 2535 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Virginia Sole-Smith started Burnt Toast newsletter two years ago after leaving freelance writing for corporate media.
  2. Paid subscriptions from the community made it possible to sustain Burnt Toast, support marginalized voices, and fund various projects.
  3. The newsletter created a safe space for discussing body liberation, anti-fat bias, and building a supportive community.

#232: A reading list for summer cope

Maybe Baby • 993 implied HN points • 10 Aug 25
📚 Literature Personal Growth
  1. Many people feel anxious about time, especially as summer comes to an end. Recognizing this feeling can help manage it better.
  2. There's a tendency to judge summers based on expectations, which can lead to feelings of regret or envy. It's important to appreciate moments for what they are.
  3. Setting small, attainable goals can often lead to a more satisfying life. Don't get too caught up in big dreams, as they can distract from enjoying the simple things.

Coleman Hughes: I Just Did Therapy in Public

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1354 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. There are four desires that can lead people off track: power, wealth, pleasure, and honor. Focusing too much on any of these can harm your life.
  2. Self-reflection is important, and sometimes we need to ask ourselves what we truly value. This can lead to better understanding and happiness.
  3. Therapy can be helpful for specific issues, but doing it in a group or public setting can bring different insights and challenges. It’s about connecting deeply with our thoughts and feelings.

Inside my commonplace diary

Austin Kleon • 5155 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Keeping a commonplace diary is a fun way to collect quotes and thoughts. Instead of writing about daily life, you can enjoy capturing interesting things you hear or read.
  2. Over time, a commonplace diary can reveal themes and connections between quotes, making it a creative project. It can even help inspire new writing pieces or ideas.
  3. Writing things down by hand helps you remember them better, and it feels like a little adventure in time. Looking back at your quotes can bring back memories and show how your thoughts have grown.

the life-changing magic of being direct

bookbear express • 941 implied HN points • 17 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Being direct is important, even if you think the answer will be no. Sometimes you'll be surprised and get a yes!
  2. Expressing your feelings or desires helps you understand yourself better. It creates closure and clarity about what you want.
  3. People who always hold back their thoughts tend to feel frustrated in relationships. True connection needs honesty and being present.

Spot it? Need it.

Seven Senses • 339 implied HN points • 08 Jun 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Personal Growth
  1. When we notice something annoying in others, it often reflects what we dislike in ourselves. This can help us understand our own behaviors better.
  2. Our strong feelings toward certain traits in others could actually be hints of what we need more of in our own lives. We might need to embrace those traits instead of judging them.
  3. We often think in extremes, but finding a balance is key. Accepting both positive and negative traits can lead to healthier boundaries and a happier life.

Old notes to myself

Austin Kleon • 2358 implied HN points • 05 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Don't get too caught up in your own ideas. It's important to think about the bigger world outside of your thoughts and not just what you've read.
  2. Creating art is like sharing energy. The connection between the artist and the audience brings the work to life.
  3. Inspiration comes from what's around you, not just from within. Pay attention to the world and gather ideas from your surroundings.

When does a diary pay off?

Austin Kleon • 2797 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Keeping a diary helps you pay attention to your life. It makes you notice what's happening and appreciate your everyday experiences.
  2. Writing in a diary allows you to track your personal patterns and understand yourself better over time.
  3. Having years of diary entries gives you a chance to look back and reflect on your growth and memories, making it easier to connect with your past.

E is for Engaged

Trevor Klee’s Newsletter • 1343 implied HN points • 12 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Marriage offers a unique legal recognition of a relationship, which is still valued despite other ways to have companionship or support.
  2. The desire to commit to a partner is strong, especially in a world where many options are closing and people often feel scattered.
  3. Getting married symbolizes a choice to focus on one person and build a life together, rather than constantly wondering about other possibilities.

Tell the beautiful truth, not the brutal truth

Jeff Giesea • 758 implied HN points • 09 Apr 24
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. There's a difference between telling the beautiful truth and the brutal truth. Beautiful truth connects with people, while brutal truth can push them away.
  2. Being mindful of your intention when sharing truths is important. If your truth comes from a good place, it can really help others feel supported.
  3. It’s essential to be compassionate towards yourself when sharing truths. Treating yourself kindly makes it easier to extend that kindness to others.

The Chuck-It List

DruGroup • 179 implied HN points • 09 Jul 24
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Instead of a bucket list, consider creating a 'Chuck-It List' to identify things you no longer want to do. This helps you focus on what really matters as you get older.
  2. Aging brings a realization that some dreams may not come true, but that's okay. It's normal to let go of things that no longer fit your life or interests.
  3. It's important to prioritize your time and energy wisely. Don’t waste them on activities or responsibilities that don't bring you joy or fulfillment.

Screenless Sunday

Seven Senses • 599 implied HN points • 06 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Personal Growth
  1. Taking a break from screens can help bring balance to our lives. Spending 24 hours without phones or TVs allows us to reconnect with ourselves and the world around us.
  2. Using our phones less can reduce anxiety and improve mental health. It's easy to grab our phones to fill moments of boredom, but it can take us away from enjoying real-life experiences.
  3. Mindfulness is key to finding balance with technology. By being intentional about screen time and engaging fully with what's happening around us, we can enjoy the benefits of both the digital world and our everyday lives.

The Hagitude program – now available on-demand

The Art of Enchantment, with Dr Sharon Blackie • 1996 implied HN points • 01 Oct 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Personal Growth
  1. The Hagitude program is now available as a self-study, on-demand course after the live yearlong membership program ended.
  2. The program focuses on navigation through menopause, understanding elder women in myth, embracing one's Inner Hag, and passing down wisdom to benefit the Earth community.
  3. The self-study program includes extensive resources like module workbooks, webinar recordings, guest teacher workshops, creative writing prompts, and dreamwork sessions.

The weekly review

Austin Kleon • 3437 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
🚌 Education Personal Growth
  1. Scheduling a regular time for a weekly review helps you reflect on what you've done and plan what you want to do next. It’s about taking a moment to think and organize your thoughts.
  2. Using a method that works for you, like making mind maps or lists, can make your review more effective. Visualizing your tasks can help you see connections and prioritize better.
  3. A private weekly review can lead to clearer mind and focus for the upcoming week. It allows you to 'clear your psychic decks' so you can enjoy your time off without distractions.

Want to Be Happier? Use These Five Charts to Improve Your Life.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2796 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Personal Growth
  1. Happiness comes from many types of wealth, not just money. You should focus on time, social connections, mental well-being, and physical health too.
  2. Reflect on the time you have left with loved ones. Understanding this can help you prioritize your time and who you spend it with.
  3. There's always something more to chase in life, like a bigger boat. Instead of striving for what society tells you to want, figure out what truly matters to you.

When the Phone Stops Ringing

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1159 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Personal Growth
  1. Living in New York and having a supportive partner has made life very fulfilling. Enjoying a successful music career is something to be grateful for.
  2. Having muscular dystrophy changed life dramatically, but it also taught important lessons about resilience and asking for help. It's a journey that forced personal growth.
  3. The wheelchair experience has made interactions with others deeper and more empathetic. It highlighted the importance of valuing what you have and understanding different perspectives.