_{Hello friends! My name is Max Daniels and I’m a life coach and a writer. I wrote a short and salty book about the easy way to quit overeating and binge eating. Here I write about all manner of life improvement. And I have a monthly column about self-care over at Modern Daily Knitting.}

_{Please get in touch if you’re looking for coaching. You can also ask me a question.}

No-barrier, no-fee coaching. Three months. Is this for you?

I’ve been doing personal coaching now for about 16 years. Since starting, I’ve only seen the need for coaching grow, as time with friends and others capable of listening with kind attention and asking good questions based on wisdom has only gotten rarer and more precious in our world.

Coaching is a public good and I wish it were available to all. I do my part with a no-fee, three-month commitment to weekly meetings for one person who would otherwise not be able to afford coaching. I have a space for one person at all times, and starting in December, that space will be open.

Is that weekly session for you? You can apply here. This is a non-intrusive questionnaire in the spirit of dignity and basic aloha. Also please know: this engagement is for someone who truly can’t afford it, not for someone who doesn’t want their spouse to quiz them about a line item or something like that. You know who you are and who you aren’t so I DON’T ask that you expose your finances or justify your need to me. So far this has worked quite well.

All I want to know is: what do you want to do together? It will be wildly effective and I predict quite a good time.

People use coaching as skilled support to do all kinds of things:

• launching or completing a big (or not-so-big) creative project

• changing careers (quitting your day job can be a great idea but plz—call me first!)

• come to understanding with a difficult part of your history

• come to thriving terms with an empty nest

• make a thus-far elusive change, such as a big move or a solid exercise routine

• shore up those boundaries, if needed

• or permanently breaking the habit of chaotic eating

Deadline for applying is November 1, and I will remind you again but extra consideration will be given to early responders. That link again: https://forms.gle/441eLQtQ2hWdjdmJ6.

Recent miracles.

So! I really hope I have not complained here about my upstairs neighbor Bigfoot, but I’ve been looking to move elsewhere on the property. So far no dice.

It is no exaggeration to say that in Santa Fe I experienced night after night of deep sleep as a miracle. I was afraid of feeling a bit—I was going to write “pit” but let’s go with “bit”—of despair as I faced returning home.

It did not happen. Three more miraculous things happened instead:

1. I watched The Devil Wears Prada 2 on the plane back. As the kids say: It was not good. But it had a message for me. In this sequel, Andy tours her dream apartment. Looked just like the place I live in now. What a piece of shit, I thought. That’s your dream, Andy Sachs? I feel sorry for you.
   
   Then I got home. I opened the door and my place looked fine, just fine. What did I hate so bad before, I thought. It was neat as a pin, because I had left it tidy for Future Me. But it was more than that. Thanks, Andy! You made my apartment better with your dreams.

   

2. Also while on the plane, I had a stroke of genius and decided to get on Bigfoot’s schedule. I was already on Mountain time, so all I had to do was not readjust to Eastern. It was easy! First night back I slept for eight straight hours, and the next night, and the next…

3. Eventually I started to wonder about Bigfoot’s silence. Maybe he was on vacation? But no! Reader, he was gone altogether.
   
   In another day or two, a new couple moved in. They are a delightful combo of friendly and quiet. I LIKE THEM, and am very happy about this.
   
   But I am also staying on Mountain time because it’s part of the reason why I sleep straight through the night now. (Acupuncture, too, of course.)

There have been more lucky strikes and little miracles. Anyway, all to say, those of you who have expressed your kind concern about my post-divorce Reduced Circumstances and whatnot: plz don’t worry! I’m doing really well <3

RECOMMENDING.

book club.

We had a really good time in the September book club! It was warm, convivial and “transformative”, even. We will go again, most likely in January. Be on the lookout for that announcement in the next couple months.

reading.

Well, if you don’t get it from me, I don’t know where you’re gonna hear about this book: You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong by Trisha Pasricha.

Questions? Concerns? I bet you will find the answer herein. Did you ever wonder, when people tell you about their ayahuasca dieta, where all that … STUFF came from? Answered! All that and more, including the nervous system angle—so rare and so welcome!—and poop humor. (She points out, in case like me you didn’t notice, that her gastroenterologist father gave her a name with the initials TP.)

I found a brand new copy of this just-published book at the Wellfleet thrift for three dollars the other week, and it was my lucky day.

writing.

Over at Modern Daily Knitting, we talked about how September (aka last week) is the new January. As usual, the gold is in the comments, where I always get something personally useful, and this time, personally, some actual life-saving advice. Man, I’m grateful for these knitters!

stationery et cetera.

The stationer Mr Boddington has a delightful monthly newsletter, truly great book recs for kids, and this month, a bookshelf diorama contest. Even if you don’t submit, you might want to subscribe to have a look at the entries.

I am not compensated by this shop in any way: quite the opposite. I just love them and they’ve served me well and they are conscientious. Can’t say that about all retailers.

Do you need more to read? Perhaps something about how to demolish chaotic eating once and for all??

Guess who wrote a really good really short EXTREMELY KIND book about that? Yes, it me and if I do say so myself, this book and the method I describe WILL SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM.

If you are struggling with your eating, whether it’s binge eating or compulsive eating or chaotic eating or dieting or maybe you find yourself against all odds not wanting to eat enough, read this book. I can just about guarantee you will find the support you seek within.

Okay, then! xoxo and see you soon.