Hi hi Reader,

This week’s adventure in adopting our new pup taught me something big, and I can’t wait to share it with you

First, meet Reya:

We brought her home Wednesday—an 11-month-old Carolina dog/German shepherd mix (we think!). She’s the sweetest sweetheart, and we’re all completely smitten. 😍😍😍

Here’s what makes Reya’s story so special:

1. First, the Story:

Last week, we decided it was time to find a new dog. So, naturally, we started casually browsing local rescues (famous last words).

Little did we know we were strapping ourselves into a full-on roller coaster that one friend hilariously compared to apartment hunting in NYC—fast-paced, slightly chaotic, and not for the faint of heart.
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We fell for three different pups, only to have them slip through our fingers (cue tiny violins), but in the end, we found Reya.
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And by “found,” I mean she found us. The way she jumped up on the couch that first night, cozied right up to me, and sighed like she’d been here forever? It could melt even the hardest cynic. It’s like the Universe looked at us, nodded knowingly, and said, “Here you go—this is exactly what you need.”

2. Here's why I’m telling you this:

• First to celebrate this cutie!
• And to talk about the joy (and pain!) of surrender.

3. This is the part where I remind you that even though you’re amazing and generous and can move mountains, it’s not your job to solve all the world’s problems as quickly as possible.

• Even though you've been taught that you can do anything you put your mind to.
• Even though it often feels like "no one else will do it if I don't."
• Even though there's a ton of hard things happening in the world at any given time.

(Also! It's not your responsibility to solve your mother’s/kids’/friends’ every problem.)

...which is where the surrender comes in.

4. And look. I know what you might be thinking when you hear the word "surrender."

Ugh. Tiffany. So you're telling me I just need to let go and give up all sorts of trying to help the world and do good things for people!?!?

(Keep reading!)

5. Because, when we talk about surrender we’ve gotta include the word active.

With Reya, I kept saying, ‘I trust we’ll find the perfect dog for our family,’ and guess what? We did.
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But I also kept showing up.
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I checked the app. I researched rescues. We submitted applications and asked questions and talked about what kind of dog we were looking for to whoever asked.

So I let go of the control of knowing which pup would eventually be ours and brought curiosity in instead.

(Note: it wasn't always easy or fun, but it was the only way forward.)

Because for any of this to have worked out, curiosity had to be driving the train.

And curiosity is what led us to responding to a text from Reya's foster mom who said she sounded like a good fit for our family even though we hadn't hearted her on the app.

(Honestly, this whole process felt a little like online dating.)

6. Want to loosen your need for control on various things in your life? Lean into curiosity.

Because here’s the thing: when curiosity takes the wheel, letting go happens naturally.

7. Another piece of the puzzle to consider:

As you move through your life, pay attention to any expectations you might be holding and whether they’re yours or someone else’s.

(Because either way, they’re usually too heavy to keep carrying.)

8. Surrender is not about being reckless or careless.

It doesn't mean that you’re supposed to just take your hands off the steering wheel, close your eyes, and pray the car doesn’t hit anything.

Instead, it’s about trusting in something beyond your ability to know how or where to find the one Singular Right Answer.

It’s about getting excited by what you don’t know—letting it spark wonder, not an endless to-do list to ‘learn more.

And it’s about being open to the idea that things could turn out much better than your imagination can perceive.

9. Which brings us back to Reya. And how she's the perfect puzzle piece for our family.

And we’re all still marveling at how quickly she stole our hearts.

10. Gentle plug moment:

Let’s be real: showing up with active surrender and curiosity isn’t exactly easy.

It goes against everything the world keeps shouting at us—that we need to be responsible for all the things and that our worth depends on how much we accomplish. (Spoiler: it doesn’t.)

That’s why honoring your capacity isn’t just nice; it’s necessary. You can’t keep showing up for everyone and everything if your own tank is running on fumes.

And since none of us are endless wells of capacity, it’s essential to restore yourself.

Which is exactly what we’ll be doing this February at the Restore Yourself retreat. Think of it as hitting the reset button on your soul—because even the most amazing humans need time to recharge.

Ready to join us? Apply today—or hit reply if you’ve got any questions!

P.S. If you’ve ever tried to find a dog in the adoption world—or an apartment in NYC—you’ll know exactly what this process felt like. (Minus the security deposit.) Got a story like that? Hit reply—I’d love to hear it!

P.P.S. Want to just gush over sweet Reya? I'd love to hear that too!