September brings the gentle transition into autumn—a perfect time to connect with your Root Chakra and cultivate deep grounding practices. As nature prepares for change, we too can find our center.

As August unfolds, we're still basking in the full power of summer's golden light. This month, let's align with your Solar Plexus Chakra and cultivate personal power through small, intentional acts.

Originally, I called this concept "Chapstick Theory"—the idea of using the act of applying chapstick as a mindfulness anchor throughout your day.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that forcing the same routine year-round feels inauthentic. Just like our skin changes with the weather, our spiritual needs shift with the seasons. Some months call for gentle cleansing and release, others for bold new intentions, and still others for deep rest and reflection.

Seasonal approaches to your Finish First practice honor these natural rhythms while keeping you connected to your authentic self throughout the year.

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years: every beauty product we own carries its own energy and potential for spiritual practice. The key isn’t to analyze why we have them, but to accept what we do have and transform our relationship with these everyday items into moments of mindfulness and self-love.

Think of your beauty cabinet as a collection of meditation tools, each one designed to support a different aspect of your authentic journey.

Granular Meditation provides the mindfulness tools to turn everyday moments into opportunities for growth, while the Chapstick Theory gives you a concrete, relatable practice to work with. Together, they create a gentle yet powerful framework for authentic living that doesn’t require dramatic life changes—just intentional daily choices.

Here’s what the Chapstick Theory reveals: our relationship with lip products mirrors our relationship with ourselves.

Every time we reach for a new chapstick or gloss before finishing what we have, we’re essentially saying the current one—and by extension, our current selves—isn’t quite enough. We need something shinier, plumper, more moisturizing, more perfect.

We pile new things into our lives before fully experiencing what we already have. But how do you know your authentic self if you’re constantly covering it up with the latest trend?