Hey Reader
If you've been reading my last few newsletters, you know I still have not gotten over my amazing trip to Tanzania and it still has been on my mind.
First, I came home from that trip with a heart full of memories and a little realization that, as amazing as it was, I wished I had someone special to share it with.
Then I started thinking about something else.
Not necessarily something new. More like something Tanzania brought into sharper focus for me.
How we choose to live.
I've talked before about how struck I was by the way people in Tanzania seemed to find contentment in what little they had. Life looked different from what I'm accustomed to, but there was beauty in that difference.
It got me thinking about my own choices and I've been making some pretty intentional ones lately.
Not because I've suddenly figured everything out. And not because I don 't enjoy spending money because I do.
I like nice things. I love to travel. I like getting dressed and looking good. I enjoy beautiful experiences.
But I've gotten much clearer about the difference between what I want and what actually matters to me.
And that distinction has changed the way I spend my money, my time and my energy.
For example, I'm a social person. Some may say I am a social butterfly. I love getting out, seeing people, meeting new people and having a good time. Usually, when I was out socially, having a cocktail was part of that for me.
Eventually I had to look at the bigger picture.
It wasn't just about how much I was spending when I went out. Alcohol didn't align with the health goals I had for myself either.
So I made a decision.
I stopped drinking alcohol and have opted for water or mocktails when available.
I'm also much more selective about the social events I attend now. Not because I don't enjoy people. I absolutely do.
But everything doesn't get my time.
Everything doesn't get my energy.
And everything definitely doesn't get my money.
I've also stopped feeling like I need a new outfit or a new pair of shoes every time I have somewhere to go.
I've been shopping in my own closet for a while now.
And honestly?
I'm good.
I know how to put myself together. I'm confident in how I present myself. And I'm not dressing to impress anybody.
I like nice things, but I'm not interested in designer labels just for the sake of having them. I'm not trying to make people think I have more than I do.
I've actually found that I really like a more minimalist lifestyle.
There's a peace that comes with realizing you don't need a whole lot of stuff to feel good about your life.
And then there's my condo.
I've lived here for four years now, and I've complained plenty about how outdated it is and how badly it needs to be remodeled.
Then a friend pointed something out to me that I couldn't argue with.
She basically said, "You just spent $5,000 going to Tanzania for your birthday. That money could have gone toward your condo."
Touché. She's right.
That money could have gone toward remodeling my condo.
But I chose Tanzania.
I wanted that experience.
I wanted to celebrate turning 55 in Africa. I wanted the adventure, the culture, the safari, Zanzibar, the memories and the opportunity to step completely outside of my everyday environment.
And I didn't want to come home worrying about the money I spent getting there.
So I planned for it.
I tightened up my budget.
I paid down debt.
I changed some of my spending habits.
And I made room for something that mattered to me.
That's the difference I've been learning between simply spending money and intentionally investing it.
Because for me, travel isn't just a vacation.
When I get away from my everyday environment and give myself permission to slow down and focus on me, something happens.
I get space to think.
Space to create.
Space to hear myself.
Space to receive those little downloads and ideas that come when I'm not distracted by the usual noise.
And this has happened more than once.
When I've intentionally invested in myself and put myself in an environment where I can rest and focus on me, I've come home with ideas, opportunities and creative direction that have generated income and more than replaced what I spent getting there.
I'm not saying that every investment in yourself will produce a financial return.
Sometimes the return is clarity.
Sometimes it's rest.
Sometimes it's a new idea.
Sometimes it's finally making a decision you've been putting off.
Sometimes it's simply remembering what you want.
But there is value in giving yourself the space to receive.
And that has me looking at another area of my life very differently right now.
My career.
I came home from Tanzania and almost immediately found myself looking at my work life through a different lens.
One of my coworkers resigned, and her responsibilities were redistributed. The scope of our department has changed, and we're now working across two systems, two production facilities and two shipping crews.
Technically, it's one company but the work is like working for two a the same time.
But the reality is that the scope and responsibilities have increased significantly.
I've been in this particular industry for more than 30 years. I've been with my company for 13 years and the previous one for 19 years. I know what I bring to the table, and I absolutely believe I should be compensated appropriately for the additional responsibility.
So I'm going to have that conversation with my manager.
But even as I do, I've become very clear about something else.
More money isn't the only thing I want.
I'm 55.
I have roughly eight to ten years left before retirement, and I don't want to spend those years proving how much work I can handle.
I don't want to work late.
I don't want to work weekends.
I don't want to constantly take on more simply because I'm capable of doing it.
I want to do my job well, close my laptop and go live my life.
Because I have a life I'm building outside of my nine-to-five.
And I don't want to spend so much of my time building someone else's dream that I don't have the time, energy or peace to build mine.
That's where I am right now.
I'm becoming very intentional about what gets my money.
What gets my time.
What gets my energy.
What gets my yes.
And what doesn't.
And honestly, I think that's part of self-love that we don't talk about enough.
Self-love isn't always about adding something to your life.
Sometimes it's about deciding what no longer deserves a place in it.
And sometimes it's about deciding what does deserve a place in it, even when it requires you to make some adjustments to get there.
Which brings me to EmpowerHER Soul.
Because I know some of you have been looking at the Cartagena Retreat.
Maybe you've looked at the investment and thought:
"I really want to go... but that's a lot of money."
And I understand that.
It is an investment.
I'm not going to minimize that or tell you to spend money you don't have.
But I also don't want you to automatically tell yourself no without asking a different question:
What would it be worth to you to intentionally create seven days that are about you?
Seven days away from the routines and responsibilities that consume your attention.
Seven days to rest.
To explore.
To be nourished.
To connect with other Black women.
To experience something new.
To think.
To breathe.
To hear yourself again.
I can't tell you what your return on that investment will be.
That's personal.
But I can tell you what creating that kind of space has done for me.
It has given me clarity.
It has given me ideas.
It has given me inspiration.
It has given me opportunities.
And it has given me something I can't put a price on:
Space to be fully present with myself.
That's why I created EmpowerHER Soul.
Not because I think women need another vacation. But because I believe there is power in intentionally stepping away from your everyday life long enough to reconnect with yourself.
To remember what you want.
To imagine what's possible.
To rest.
To reconnect.
To radiate.
EmpowerHER Soul Retreat
Cartagena, Colombia | November 3–9, 2027
Six nights. Seven days.
An intimate retreat experience created for Black women who are ready to make themselves part of the equation again.
Early Bird pricing is currently available, with payment options to help you plan ahead.
If you've been looking at Cartagena and thinking, "I really want to go, but..."
I understand the "but."
I'm simply asking you to pause before automatically making the decision for yourself.
Look at your priorities.
Look at your resources.
Look at the woman you're becoming.
And then choose intentionally.
Because sometimes the greatest investment you can make isn't something you can put in your closet or display in your home.
Sometimes it's creating the space to become more of who you already are.
[EXPLORE EMPOWERHER SOUL →]
Take what you need, leave what you don't but always put you first.
With love,
Ms. Echo
Your Self-Love Advocate + Empowerment Coach
Instagram | msechochantel.com | Payhip.com/MsEcho
