Get Out of Your Own Way

I wanted a memento mori, a "remember you will die" token. It's this ancient practice of keeping a reminder of mortality close by - not to be morbid, but to remember what actually matters. To stay present. To remember why you're doing what you're doing.

I started a death care company. Our logo is a skull and crossbones. I think about death constantly, and my life has never felt more full and lively. I wanted something physical to anchor me to that—a piece of jewelry, a coin, something to hold.

I searched online and didn't find anything I liked, so I said to myself: The perfect one will find me.

The very next day, I was sitting alone eating lunch at my new co-working space. I felt something under my foot as I settled in. I looked down.

It was a coin. With a skull and crossbones. That literally said memento mori.

It felt so spooky I looked around to see if I was being pranked (Ashton?!)—even though that didn't make sense. I didn't know anyone there yet. I was completely alone. And I'd told no one about my quest the night before.

Sometimes the universe provides. If you have faith and remain open to new possibilities.

But here's the thing: I think the magic only works IF and WHEN you get out of your own way.

What’s next: “We’re building city saves,” Park said. “Every stop adds materials, patterns, and creator collabs to the library so the wardrobe gets smarter. By 2026, we want a network of pop-ups creators can spin up in a weekend.”

This came to me as a download from the universe, and I will be forever grateful.

It is not about you.

One more time for the people in the back: It is not about you.

You need to get out of the way of solving the problem at hand.

I'm trying to modernize death care. That's a huge fucking problem that should be solved, and you know what? None of it has to do with me. If I get caught up in my own ego and bullshit, I probably won't make a dent.

So on the days I need to ask for money, or awkwardly walk into a funeral home and tell them who we are and why they should care, I put my baby feelings away and remember: I am in service of the problem.

I am a vessel to make this happen. If I keep getting in the way, the universe will probably find another, more effective vessel.

So. Get out of your own fucking way.

This has been the most effective tool I've found to do the hard things I'm uncomfortable with—things that might not be in my wheelhouse. When it's not about protecting my ego or my comfort, suddenly I can do anything.

The universe sent me that coin the moment I stopped demanding it show up on my terms.

What problem are you in service of? And what becomes possible when you stop making it about you?

Stay spooky folks and always remember to abandon the script.

🖤 Emily