July 2026

Two Kinds of Hope. What’s Your Story?

Next week I’m hosting my 7th(!) storytelling event of the year. You know I’m a fan of stories, how they connect us, and make us reflect. Stories help us relate, laugh, and cry. Stories can save us and make us feel whole. But in her Substack, Nothing in the Way, author Sunni Brown eschews stories, at least for the moment.

She muses about how, during troubled times like this, well-meaning friends may attempt to “save” her with a reassuring story.

“[My friends] seem to think my confusion or sorrow or bearing witness to hard things is an experience I need to be distracted from, something that requires a solution in the form of a story.

“Unpopular as it is, I’m not trying to make sense of anything. I’m not seeking to feel better... I don’t feel upset at the world for doing what it does, so I don’t require an encouraging story to make it bearable. I’m no more mad at the world for its ruthless assembly and disassembly than I am at the ocean for reshaping the face of a cliff.”

Sunni, a practicing Buddhist, goes on to share thoughts on two types of hope as outlined in the book Deep Hope: Zen Guidance for Staying Steadfast When the World Seems Hopeless. They are vain hope and deep hope. Vain hope is shallow. It is tied to the stories we believe in. And when the story doesn’t play out as we expected, Sunni explains, it leads to a slew of negative feelings.

Conversely, when we accept that the only certain story is one of change and uncertainty, we can feel deep hope. “... it welcomes a perplexingly benevolent reality, one in which all is lost and all is well at the same time.”

I encourage you to read the full note.

Sunni’s words are a powerful reminder to consider how and when we use stories in our lives. To note where they inspire and when we are simply buying into harmful lies because they are easier to digest in the short term. What power comes from sitting with uncertainty? There’s a lot to ponder! I welcome your thoughts.

Here’s a story about something I thought was a lie, but turned out to be true:

One time, my yoga teacher offered a cheesy mantra to the class. Gah, I rolled my eyes at him.

But after my son died by suicide in 2020, those words became my life raft. Join me to hear my story along with five other heartfelt true-life tales from Maria Kostas, Denise McIntosh, Mike Dyer, Abby Mills, and Michelle Valiukenas. Stories of Life and Love will take place on Wednesday, July 16 at 7 PM at Secret World Books in downtown Highland Park. The evening won’t lighten your load like the kitten videos do, but you will leave feeling deeply human and refreshingly connected.

Plus, your $15 ticket includes free Curt’s Cafe cookies and tea or lemonade! Eventbrite fees are added to tickets. As a newsletter member (what should I call you? Scrappy Lifers?), you have the option to purchase directly from me through Zelle and save that fee, but please do so by Wednesday night because my cookie order is due!

A big thank you to Mike Dyer, CRPC, Edward Jones Financial Advisor, and Philip Flores Jr of Cremation by Water for sponsoring the event, ensuring cookies for all!

Reserve Your Spot (and Cookies) at Stories of Life and Love

Upcoming Programs

Make a Joy Collage with me at ArtLab in downtown Highwood on Wednesday, July 23 from 6-8 PM. Highwood hosts a Gourmet Market every Wednesday from 4:30-9:00, so you can get dinner and catch some tunes before or after our fun class.

Me: Stay focused, Kim. No more side quests to distract you from building a solid business.

Also me: Join me for another nearly free grounding ritual at the beach because, well, life.

“I don’t like the amount of hate and anger I’m walking around with these days,“ a friend recently admitted. “I want to build community, create connections, but UGH.”

Her sentiment not only resonated with me, it echoed several conversations I’d had recently, so let’s feel things and talk about it!

I couldn’t come up with a better name than Lakeside Gathering. I didn’t want to ask AI because it turns out that AI makes you dumb, like for the long term. An “accumulation of cognitive debt.” Yikes! My brain is shrinking enough on its own, thanks.

Join me on Thursday morning, July 24 at 6:50 AM at Evanston’s Lee Street Beach. Y’all, this is two hours later than Solstice Sunrise!

Sign up to find community, move your body, and sort out which of the angry voices in your head are worth embracing and which ones you can release. Sign up here.

And it’s pay by donation. I’m winning at life, but losing at capitalism.

Related, if you like what Scrappy Affirmations is doing, please help spread the word about our programs or encourage a friend to sign up for one with you. Better yet, hire us for a workshop or ritual. We’re also available for corporate lunch-and-learns and conference presentations. Thank you!

Environmental Stuff

Last month’s homemade spruce tip syrup did not kill me. Nor did it make me stronger. It’s sweet and *slightly* piney. Like, more pine flavor than your average flavored seltzer when added to fizzy water, but not in a Pine-Sol kind of way. If you live nearby and want to sample it, just ask!

Are we living in the world Al Gore warned us about in An Inconvenient Truth? Sigh. This is where I get bummed out and try to reflect on Sunni’s words above. Where I try to remind myself, I don’t know, won’t know, the long-term outcome. I just need to do the work to try to create the future I’d like to see. What do you tell yourself?

Here are some ways to help flood victims in Texas. And here are some ideas for North Carolina, which also took a hit recently.

Generous federal incentives to help you create a greener, sustainable home are on the chopping block. But they’re still here for a few more months! See what might be within reach at Rewiring America. At the very least, see if you can get a free or low-cost energy audit from your utility company. An audit might open to door to additional upgrade incentives.

Until Next Time

Hurkle-Durkle is my aspirational lifestyle.

A true story about making art.

Happy Prime Day? Did you know that if you scroll down the page at ScrappyAffirmations.com you’ll find links to some of my favorite books on Bookshop.org? I earn a tiny commission on purchases you make there after you click through. And there’s free shipping this week!

Let me know what’s making you laugh or think these days.

Kim