Kimberly’s Wanderings & Wonderings (February 2026)

Picture this: I am sitting in my therapist’s office, and he is coaching me on how to be more selfish. Yes, you read that right. Selfish. Just the thought of it makes me uncomfortable (and still does). Let’s also remember it is February (years ago). It is “love” month. A little ironic, don’t you think, that there I am, practicing how to say “no” or “that doesn’t work for me.”

After 30 years in corporate environments, in a family business, no less, “selfishness” was the worst thing you could be in my mind. It triggers me. I am not a collaborator. I am putting myself before others. I am disappointing people. I am failing. I am not enough.

So, we reframed it. What if self-love is not selfish, it is strategic?

Okay, I know, I know. I know I sound like something from a leadership podcast trying too hard. But stay with me.

I got really good at compartmentalizing. Work me. Home me. Public me. Private me. And I genuinely believed that made me a better professional. Building KWW has blown that apart. There is no compartmentalizing when you ARE the business. When your values ARE the product. When showing up fully integrated is not optional, it is the whole point.

And I am learning something: loving myself is not separate from loving my work or loving my life. They are interconnected.

Loving myself enough to set boundaries? That taught me how to help clients set theirs. Loving myself enough to choose rest? That showed me rest is not the opposite of productivity; it is a component of it. Loving myself enough to ask for help? That reminded me leadership is not about having all the answers.

When I love my work, I bring my whole self to it. When I love my life, I make intentional choices about how I spend it. And both of those require loving myself enough to know I am worthy of that integration.

 Here is what I am sitting with: If I cannot extend compassion to myself, for the mistakes, the learning curves, the days I get it wrong, how can I help leaders do that for themselves and their teams?

What about you? Where might self-love actually be the most strategic thing you could practice?

Love is in the air this February. And for the first time in a long time, I am learning to breathe some of it in for myself.

SPEAKING AT NYU: The Power of Travel

Early this month, I had the privilege of speaking to graduate students at NYU’s Travel and Tourism program. The topic? The Power of Travel, both as a career and as a force for global impact, and how the hospitality industry can leverage generational diversity to create stronger, more innovative teams.

These students are at that pivotal moment, standing at the edge of their careers, deciding what kind of professional life they want to build. And their questions were sharp, thoughtful, and deeply curious. They wanted to know how to find work they love in an industry that is constantly evolving. They wanted to understand how different generations bring different strengths to the table. They wanted permission to care about purpose alongside profit.

What struck me most was their hunger for meaning. They were not just asking, “How do I get a job?” They were asking, “How do I build a career that matters? How do I contribute to something bigger than myself? How do I bring my whole self to work?”

These are the same questions I ask myself. The same questions that led me to leap from a 30-year career into building Keep Wondering Why. The same questions that fueled The Wonder Tree.

Here is what I told them, and what I want to share with you: Loving your work is not about finding the perfect job or the perfect paycheck. It is about bringing curiosity, integrity, and your whole self to whatever you do. It is about asking better questions. It is about building bridges across generations, perspectives, and experiences. It is about creating work that reflects your values.

This generation (Gen Z) is not just entering the workforce; they are redefining what it means to work with purpose. And I, for one, am here for it.

FULL CIRCLE MOMENT

I recently attended a women’s leadership retreat, and we talked the “art of saying no.”  Seriously I thought? But I had another ah-ah moment. Similar to “What if self-love is not selfish, it is strategic?”  Try this out:

“Every no makes space for a deeper yes.”

Wow! Right? When I say no to projects that do not align with my values, I am saying yes to work that does. When I say no to commitments that drain me, I am saying yes to rest, reflection, and renewal. When I say no to being everything to everyone, I am saying yes to being fully present for the people and projects that truly matter.

This is self-love in action. This is loving your life by designing it intentionally. This is honoring your work by protecting your energy for what lights you up.

This month, I invite you to try one small shift: Practice saying no to something that no longer serves you. Notice what yes becomes possible as a result. Pay attention to how it feels to create space for what you absolutely love.

5-MINUTE EXERCISE: The Deeper Yes Discovery

Set a timer for 5 minutes. Grab a pen and paper. At the top, write: “If I said no to ___________ (leave enough blank space), I could say a deeper yes to __________ (leave a blank space).”

Fill in the blank with something that is currently taking your time or energy (if you are stuck and inspiration, look at your calendar and what immediately triggers you or zaps your energy when you see the words).

Then brainstorm what becomes possible for you to commit to a deeper yes to something else. How does that make you feel? Write it down. Embrace it. And if you want a little more soul-searching time, think about what you are really protecting when you say no.

The art of saying no isn’t about rejection, it is about redirection. It is about trusting that your yes matters most when it is intentional. It is about choosing LOVE over obligation.

Cheers to expanding our definition of love this February. Cheers to work that matters, lives that reflect our values, and the courage to honor ourselves in the process.

With love, curiosity, and intentional yeses,