First off, if you read that title and finished with… I’m 24601. We are now best friends! (For those of you who have no clue what I’m talking about. You need to watch Les Misérables… please!)
Ok, now let’s chat.
I’ll be 44 in a week, and I’ve been wondering lately… have I reached the age of a “take me or leave me” attitude?
Maybe.
But if I’m being honest, this hasn’t been some overnight shift. It’s been building quietly for almost a year now… little changes in how I show up for myself, my family, and my business. The kind of changes that don’t always look dramatic to those of you on the outside, but feel you can’t stop thinking about them when you’re living them.
We all have those moments in life where something shakes us to our core, and suddenly, things that once felt important begin to fall away. I’ve been thinking of it like the trees in the fall… how the leaves let go, one by one, making space without protest. And then, eventually, spring comes. New growth. New energy. A different version of what was there before.
That’s what this season has felt like for me. (Although there are days when I want to grab the leaves and try to hold on. But, I know the season change for a reason.)
Over the last few months, I stepped away from my role as community manager at Jane Austen Literacy Foundation. It was something I poured my heart into for the past two years… building that community space from the ground up, watching it grow, connecting readers from all over the world. I’m incredibly proud of what I created there. But I also knew, deep inside, that it was time to move on.
At the same time, something else was growing behind the scenes.
Health and wellness found its way back into my life… this wasn’t just a passing interest for me, but as something I couldn’t ignore anymore. Years ago, I had started down the path of becoming a yoga teacher, but life got in the way and I let it drift. This time felt different. There was no more “someday.” It was time to go all in.
So I did.
I signed up for training. I showed up. I kept going. (Even though I had plenty of WTF am I doing this at 43 moments!)
And now, I’m officially certified to teach Barre, and just about finished with my Pilates certification. The wildest part? I’ll be teaching starting in June… at the same studio I first walked into back in October.
Am I terrified? Absolutely.
But I’ve been leaning hard into the idea of doing things scared. Of not waiting until I feel ready. Of trusting that I can figure it out as I go.
And honestly… it’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
So what does all of this mean for this space? It means things are shifting here, too.
The Literary Assistant isn’t going away. I’ll still be working with my clients and doing the business side of things I love… but that will live in its own space, a tab for those who are looking for it.
This will now be a space for me to talk about life.
This is where I show up as me. Melissa Makarewicz. No more hiding behind a business name. No more only sharing a part of myself to fit into a box.
I think I’ve always felt that a part of me has to stay tucked away, afraid if I just “be myself” I won’t be someone cup of tea. Well, I guess I’ve reached a point where I’m ok with that. Maybe I love myself too much to not show up as me.
So here I am, sharing what I’m learning, what I’m reading, the life I’m building, and what I’m becoming.
Health. Habits. Books. Life in all its messy, evolving stages. Because I’ve definitely learned in almost 44 years of life on this planet, that life is messy, good, bad, crazy, and lots of things in-between.
I hope you’ll come along for the journey. :)
To start this next chapter, I wanted to share three books that have truly shaped me over the years… books that found me exactly when I needed them.
One is Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup. This was a book that came into my life during a time when I was holding back more than I realized. It’s all about facing fear, stepping forward anyway, and building a life that actually feels like yours.
Another is Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. If you’ve ever tried to change something in your life and felt like you kept slipping back into old patterns, this book is a game-changer. It completely shifts how you think about building habits and more importantly, how to make them stick.
And finally, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I love this one for its simplicity. Instead of trying to overhaul your entire life at once, it invites you to focus on one small area at a time. It’s approachable, inspiring, and a beautiful reminder that change doesn’t have to be overwhelming to be meaningful.
So here we are. A new season. A new chapter of life. Me sharing myself.
I’m really glad you’re here.
You will notice a few little changes happening here. I’m changing my domain to melissamakarewicz.com and I’m also making some branding changes as well. ☺️
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