Hi Reader,

I’ve been making my own kim chi for a while now – something new I’ve picked up recently. Here’s how it looks:

Absolutely nothing like the overpriced, sad versions in store bought. I am so happy I learned to do this on my own.

As I was making this, I have wondered a couple of times as to why most of the best things in life are spoiled.

• Grapes, when crushed and fermented, become wine. 🍷
• Cabbage, buried and aged, becomes kim chi.
• Milk, when soured, gives us cheese. 🧀
• Soybeans, broken down by bacteria, transform into miso, natto, and soy sauce.
• Even tea leaves must be oxidized – essentially darkened – before they become the soothing tea we sip for comfort. 🍵

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When You Feel Like You’re Breaking Down

What if our lives work the same way?

There are seasons that feel like pressing, crushing, darkening. Where things feel broken down, messy, uncertain – and yet, maybe those are the exact conditions for deep transformation.

Not the shiny, Instagrammable kind.

But the kind that gives us depth. Texture. Soul.

So if you’re in a season like that – here are a few things that might help:

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How to Get Through the Fermentation Phase (aka: the mess before the magic)

1. Allow the breakdown.

Stop resisting what’s changing. So many ways to put this:

We hurt when we argue with reality.

What you resist, persists.

Instead, give yourself permission to not be okay for a while.

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2. Learn to be ok being in the dark.

Transformation doesn’t need a spotlight.

Learning to meet not just your light, but also your shadow is an important process of healing and growth.

You know your strengths, but have you met your weaknesses too? The stories you rather not tell.

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3. Add the salt.

Salt preserves and protects. What’s your “salt” right now?

Maybe it’s boundaries, journaling, prayer, therapy, music – whatever helps keep your soul intact while everything else ferments.

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4. Trust the timing.

Fermentation takes time. If you rush it, things don’t mature properly. Let things unfold naturally – even if it feels unbearably slow.

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💭Question for you this week:

If you trusted that this hard season was growing flavor and depth in you, how would you move through it differently?

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You might not know what this season is making yet. But one day, you’ll taste the richness of it.

And you’ll know:
“This is the flavor of growth.”

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👉🏻 Reply to this email if you:

1. Love Kimchi too, or
2. Want to share what fermentation stage you are in and learn more, or…
3. Want to try for free a Kimchi I made. If you’re in the UAE, let’s meet. No, I won’t sell soon lol

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ORRR simply forward this email to someone going through some serious “fermentation”.

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Wishing you the kind of growth only time – and🌶️ – can bring,

Dane (๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)