iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 7h

Why is it that whenever we get on a roll with our plan to drop a few pounds that we discover that bag of plantain chips in the back of the cupboard?!? I mean, just why? 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️😁

000

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 11h

People who live with #chronicillness/#chronicpain also: feel spiffy when they’re having a good hair day love the feeling of a warm cup of tea in their hands care about their loved ones appreciate a phone call from a friend hope for a good life for their kids… …JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

011

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 16h

Something that most people who don’t live with chronic pain probably don’t know: One comes to appreciate the enormous satisfaction in simple things like getting dressed or doing the laundry. It’s the kind of small win that feels like you’ve just won the Olympic medal. 🥇 #chronicpain

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Psst…remember that awful thing that happened and you thought it would crush you? It didn’t. You’re still here. You’re doing just fine. And I’m so proud of you. 💟

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

If you’re navigating stress, exhaustion, overwhelm, or chronic illness/pain and STILL managed to do one or more of the following: 🌸 brush your teeth 🌸 shower 🌸 eat something (ideally nutritious) 🌸 drink enough water… …I want to tell you something: You’re doing great. 💚 #chronicillnesspain

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Just a friendly reminder to s l o w d o w n. Everything will still get done. Everything will still be fine. And…you’re still a good person.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Confessions from the chronic pain vault: Most days I can reconcile with pain and the changes it’s brought to my life. On other days, I just want to go for an actual walk without paying for it halfway through and for a week after.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

For those living with chronic pain/chronic illness: What’s one thing this experience has taught you? Feel free to be honest in your response. It can be something you’ve found useful, illuminating, disappointing, infuriating, etc. #chronicpain #chronicillness

110

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I know that chronic pain isn’t a flashy or sexy topic. I know writing about it won’t likely grab everyone’s attention. That’s okay. I’ll be content knowing it reaches that one person who’s really struggling today and feeling like they’re living this reality all alone. #chronicpain

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Dear Universe: Thank you for teaching me the lessons I never would have learned if you hadn’t brought them to me the hard way.

011

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

What’s one thing you value highly in your relationships? I’ll go first: reciprocity.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Here’s a shoutout to everyone navigating chronic illness, chronic pain, and disability — especially those doing it alone. I don’t think there’s enough credit given to people juggling all that comes with these things by themselves. This is one helluva superpower, one that we wouldn’t have chosen.

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Thoughts from the chronic pain mind: I’m much better at noticing when I’ve already done too much than noticing when I’m about to. I’m still working on that one. #chronicpain #chronicillness

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

There’s a difference between something being familiar and something actually working for us. It would be a lot easier if those two things were a little easier to tell apart. The trick? Keep noticing. Keep observing. Keep being curious.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Every now and then I realize I’m still following a standard I set for myself years ago. The interesting thing is that I’m the one who made it, which means I’m also allowed to change it. No justification required.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I’ve changed my mind about some things I once felt certain about. I hope I keep doing that. It would be strange to keep learning things and insist on staying exactly the same, don’t you think?

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Maybe reinvention is less about becoming someone entirely new and more about noticing, little by little, what we want to carry forward and what we’re ready to leave behind. It’s often the little things that matter most. 💜

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

We talk a lot about finding ourselves. I’m not sure we give enough credit to the parts we get to choose by our own free will. How might you give yourself more credit for your intentional choices today?

011

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Rest is a lot easier to believe in as a concept than something to practice on a Tuesday afternoon when there are seventeen things you could technically be doing. Try it anyway.

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I used to think clarity would feel solid and reassuring, like certainty. But more often, I’m finding that it sounds like: I don’t know exactly where this is going, but I know I want to keep going. And that counts, too. Follow your heart. 💟 It KNOWS. #intuition #motivation #clarity

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I just submitted my proof for the paperback version of my new book!!!!!!📕 🎉 My proof copy should arrive in a few days….fingers crossed! If all looks good, it’ll be ready to publish! Next up: hardcover version and ebook! #author #book #self-publishing

030

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

One interesting part of getting to know ourselves better is discovering how many things we thoughtwere preferences were actually habits. Or expectations. Or somebody else’s preferences that we somehow acquired along the way. As you move through your day today, ask yourself which is which.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Just a reminder: Some days, taking care of ourselves means doing the thing. Other days, it means recognizing that the thing can wait. Which day is it for you today?

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

There are a few things I don’t automatically do anymore, because I finally asked myself why I was doing them. Just telling myself “because I always have” isn’t good enough anymore.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A question I’ve found more useful than “What should I be able to do?” “What makes sense given what’s true today?” It’s a very different question.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Isn’t it interesting how often we feel we need certainty when what we actually need is enough trust in ourselves to keep going without it?

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

We hear “listen to your body” all the time these days, but what does it actually mean? Click below to find out and join the conversation. 🌸 thewordwiseproject.substack.com/p/what-does-...

thewordwiseproject.substack.com

What Does “Listen to Your Body” Actually Mean?

Photo by Darius Bashar on UnsplashJulie Gruber is a reader-supported publication.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Sometimes we don’t need a fresh start. We need permission to continue from exactly where we are, with the information and energy we have now.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

There’s a difference between giving up on something and realizing that you no longer want to spend your whole life fighting for it.

011

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I spent a lot of years believing that if I could just find the right words, I could prevent people from misunderstanding me. As someone who has devoted much of her life to words, I have to say that this isn’t how words work.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Creativity doesn’t always announce itself with a great idea and a fresh notebook.📓💡 Sometimes it looks like figuring out what on earth to do with the day you actually got instead of the one you planned. #creativity #chronicpain #chronicillness

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I’m beginning to think that one of the great luxuries of getting older is becoming less interested in convincing people that I’m allowed to make the choices I make.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

We’re often much better at noticing what we didn’t accomplish than what we navigated, adjusted to, figured out, carried, or made work somehow. Those things count, too. #chronicpain #chronicillness #self-compassion #mindfulness

040

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I think we underestimate how much energy it takes to make decisions when none of the options is particularly good. Sometimes choosing the least-wrong thing is its own kind of labor.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

There’s a particular kind of freedom in realizing that not every unfinished thing is a problem to solve. Some things are simply… unfinished, a task for another day. #chronicpain #chronicillness #challengingourbeliefs #leavingthingsunfinished

030

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I’ve become increasingly suspicious of the phrase “back to normal.” Back to which normal? And what if I’ve learned something since then that I don’t really want to give back? #chronicillness #chronicpain #whatisnormal #healingjourney

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

One of the harder things to unlearn might be the belief that explaining ourselves more will guarantee that someone understands us. #explainingpurselves #chronicpain #chronicillness

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

We talk a lot about finding our purpose. I wonder if sometimes we make it harder than it needs to be. Maybe purpose isn’t one enormous thing we’re supposed to discover over a span of time. Maybe it’s whatever gives us a reason to care deeply about the day in front of us. #purpose

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I used to think being dependable meant always being available to everyone at a moment's notice. Thank goodness I know now that being dependable and available aren’t the same thing. #chronicpain #chronicillness #honoringourselvesfirst

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

thewordwiseproject.substack.com/p/when-i-tho... For anyone who’s ever felt like their creativity has disappeared when they needed it most,y latest article is for you. 💟 #creativity #chronicpain #chronicillness

thewordwiseproject.substack.com

When I Thought Creativity Had Left Me

Photo by Cameron Arksey on UnsplashJulie Gruber is a reader-supported publication.

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

There comes a day when we look at all we’ve overcome and finally, FINALLY recognize our greatness. ✨ #risingagain #surviving #imstillhere

000

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Sitting with discomfort is one of the bravest things we’ll ever do. If that’s you today, I’M SO PROUD OF YOU. ❤️

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Oh to spend one more day nestled up on my grandma’s couch, TV tray set up, that most magical tea and toast warming my heart, and her voice saying my name. 💟

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

What’s one thing you wish others could understand about life with chronic illness/chronic pain? #chronicillness #chronicpain

241

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

If you live with #chronicpain and STILL believe life can be meaningful and fulfilling, let’s be friends. 💟

020

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I’ve learned that some people aren’t looking for solutions. They’d rather stay in the stuckness. It’s less work that way.

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

It’s okay if this day wasn’t as productive as you’d planned. Chances are, you spent time tending to exactly what you needed to. 🌸

011

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

It really IS okay to reserve a little energy in your day just for YOU. 💟

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Here’s a shout-out to all those people navigating some serious stuff in life, who are still asking, “What is within my control here?” and “What is within my sphere of influence?”

010

ABarrelOfPepper-TheWordWiseProject @abarrelofpepper.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Is fear keeping you from taking that first step?If so, then you’re not alone. Here’s the good news: Fear doesn’t have to be the enemy. Lean into it. Make friends with it. Let it become an invitation to explore what might lie on the other side of it. #fear #leanintoit #takethefirststep #justdoit

020