My 2025 Theme
You, and I and everyone are ENOUGH. I promise.
This might be a little self-helpy, but I wrote myself a letter before the New Year and I wanted to share it in case anyone else drew strength or ideas or insight from it.
Dear Felicia,
Since Covid hit in 2020, your life has become very unfocused and meandering, sometimes delightfully so, and other times “why did you agree to do this, OMG don’t you ever learn, girl?!”
We’ve all learned that the world can indeed break down and that all that apocalyptic fiction you love to consume isn’t that great when it happens in real life. Societal rules? Social norms? Maybe those were handy for us humans after all!
Yes, being “rules free” was fun-ish for five years, but some semblance of order is overdue. So, instead of making a New Year 2025 list with fifteen goals you’ll fail on day one, I want you to have one simple word in your head as you travel through the year:
YOU HAVE ENOUGH
Please don’t say yes to every fun opportunity that comes your way anymore. I know it’s hard. Living your passions is great, but if you’re rushing through every opportunity to get to the next one because you’re overbooked, what is the point of doing any of it in the first place? Basically, if you can’t savor it, don’t taste it.
Being hired for things is nice (and necessary as a freelance lady) but always ask yourself if the short-term gains are worth getting in the way of your own personal long-term goals. There’s a reason that novel/screenplay/script didn’t get finished in 2024. Let’s not carry those same items over into 2026! Time is the most precious commodity you have. When you give it away constantly, you end up with nothing for those closest to you, including yourself. Be discriminating. You don’t need MORE in your life. See Header of this section!
Remember that Davis Sedaris “Four Burner” theory of life that resonated with you when someone (sorry forgot who!) told you about it last year? Think of yourself as a stove, and each burner represents a part of your life: Family, Career, Health, Friends. In order to be successful, you have to turn off one burner. In order to be REALLY successful, you have to turn off two. What area do you want to be most successful in? And what are you willing to “turn off” to get there? Can you be happy with everything on a low simmer? That’s fine too! ANYTHING IS OKAY JUST MAKE A DECISION AND BE OKAY WITH IT!
YOU ARE ENOUGH
How many times do you stare in the mirror a week and think your life would be better of your jaw or nose or hair was “prettier” (whatever that means)? Yes, that kind of poison comes with the acting career (and what a terrible industry it is right now) but, crazy thought: What if you decided to embrace your face and body as it is for a while? Just stay healthy and stop worrying about it! Fine, buy your voodoo vitamins and $$ face creams, but stick with a routine for the year and stop thinking about adding to it or changing any of it for 2025. Stop spending money on MORE! Stop trying to optimize everything! Unsubscribe to Wirecutter, it’s okay to use the tenth best sunscreen! Be bold and for 2025 say: “I’m fine the way I am.” What’s the worst that could happen?
How many times do you not stand up for yourself because you don’t want to make someone mad, upset or frustrated, because ultimately you value THEIR opinion of YOU over your own? Stop that! Whenever someone wants a piece of your time or work, ask: “Do these people want ME or what they can get THROUGH me?” Consider yourself valuable and act accordingly! It’s ok if someone thinks you’re a dick. I mean, no matter what you do, someone on Reddit will think you’re an overrated shill. For like, seventeen internet career years now. Those guys can continue to suck it! Bottom line: Stop being a tool for others. BE the tool. (But not A tool, please. Stay in the good guy camp.)
JUST PLAIN “ENOUGH”
Contentment with what you have, what you’ve accomplished, and what you ARE is the ultimate life goal. (Or maybe this is just my middle-aged vibes talking.) Regardless, get your yacht rock playlist out and accept your life and your friends and your career as they are for 2025. Your eye doesn’t need to constantly wander. FOCUS. Time passes either way. And I think you’ll enjoy yourself more!
The word “enough” is REALLY WEIRD if you look at it over and over and over. like a cat without a tail. Enough enough enough enough enough…okay I’ll stop. xoxoxo
Interesting Links:
If you’re traveling to Europe and want to only use trains this is a handy resource.
Speaking of traveling, just got back from Italy and my kid and I LOVED our Culinary Backstreets food tour in Naples. She ate FRIED ANCHOVIES!
Recipe for homemade peanut butter Twix-like bars. You’re welcome.
Personal Links (also interesting):
Remember that 10th anniversary Twitch stream I did for 10 hours Dec 10th? We collectively raised $16k for Girls Make Games scholarship fund! Hooray! Good vibes for a new year. :)
My Felicia Day 3D account on Thangs has ceased monthly subscriptions, but it still has all The Guild and Axis of Anarchy mini models up for individual download. There may be more activity in the new year, but for now, what’s there is there.
“The Guild” musical table read will be end of Feb in LA and online, stay tuned, I’ll send out a dedicated newsletter with the time and how to watch in a week or so.
See you next month, and on my Discord channel in between for chatting and friendship! <3
oxxo
Felicia
Body image is a big one as you get older. I imagine doubly so for someone who is in the entertainment business. It's difficult because youth is something one can't take lightly, and for good reason. There is energy and beauty in youth, which you slowly lose as you grow older, and it can be heart breaking. But as you begin to let go, and somehow finally manage to do so, it frees you up to do other things - that can be fulfilling as well.
A favorite quote of mine on ageing is from the great Carl Jung: "It is a great error to assume that the meaning of life is exhausted with the period of youth and growth... The afternoon of life is just as full of meaning as the morning, only its meaning and purpose is a wholly different one."
Lots of great thoughts! We can reread the letter all year long. The culture of pretty stings every time. I’ve just become aware of it but realize it’s always been there. It’s vulnerable (and brave) to help by letting others know they are not alone.