May 17, 2026

Cheers to a new day Star,

Happy May! A lot has been evolving in my life, so I took some time to be self-focused and give myself the love and attention I give to others so freely (message!)
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I hope you needed that reminder in the first line. Put yo oxygen mask on first, friend!

With a renewed perspective on my life, I've decided to make The Launchpad a monthly newsletter.

What are you building right now that deserves quality focus and energy? Are you just talking about it or doing it? If you're doing it are you doing it the way you've always done it or are you allowing yourself to remix your approach?

I've been watching this Pluto in Aquarius energy roll through, and it's got me thinking about one thing:

Not differently for the sake of being different. Differently because the old ways are literally falling apart. Differently because what worked for your mother and father... what worked for you five years ago ... is not going to work for who you are becoming.

I want to say that again:

That includes not accepting behavior from yourself that you learned from them. The scarcity mindset. The grinding until you collapse. The "that's just how it is," mantra.

No. That's how it was. You get to choose now.

Look at Zohran Mamdani in New York.

He's doing things differently. He's showing up in a way that's actually making a difference in people's lives. Not because he has more resources or more connections. Because he stopped waiting for permission to do it his way.

That's what happens when we stop performing and start actually showing up.

This is what happens when you let others know your platform, build community, and then take action in all the ways you said you would.

What's your platform for this season? ​
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Who have you told about your platform?

You don't need to be in New York or as influential as a mayor. You just need to be you, the version of you that stopped asking "is this normal?" and started asking "is this true for me?"

​Being self-focused is not selfish.​

It's strategic.

When you fill your own cup, everyone else benefits. Not because you're a martyr. Because you stop leaking all over everyone. You are no longer showing up with the desire to help with your spirit on E.

Often, to become more self-focused, you need to move differently from the people around you.

Maybe your friends are all trying to own a home right now. And you're over here moving into an apartment, letting go of the house you thought you'd stay in forever.

That's literally where I am right now.

I've had my fun and I'm proud of the comfortable community forward space I created. I've spent five years in a beautiful house with all the systems and comforts I could ask for. And now I'm choosing to downsize. Modest living within my means (and soon to be below my means) is what I choose now. Not because I failed. Because I'm setting myself up for even greater success.

That's what my Keys to Evolution™ are all about. The pause from the "normal", being curious, asking more questions, prototyping out your hypothesis, and choosing what will actually create the results you desire. Engage. Enjoy. Evolve.

Sometimes success looks like allowing yourself to transition from living the dream you wanted for so long to being the person who shows up doing the challenging things to build the new dream.

Here's what I've been learning about powerlessness.

I watched a video recently, and someone said, "You build strength by showing up when you feel powerless."

And isn't that the truth?

We all lost a lot this past year. Job loss. The loss of a friend. The loss of connection with family. Maybe even moments when you've lost connection with your own spirit.

The first half of 2026, this right now, is really about reconciling. Retrospecting. With yourself.

Not as punishment. As data.

That's why I made Relax & Remix.

Sometimes I like to call my journal the anti-self-help book.🤣

It's not like a traditional self-help book. I don't come to you with 5 steps to embody your greatness. Instead, I guide you through a system of thinking, being, doing, and reflecting.

It's a journal that gets you into the practice of doing a retrospective with yourself. Every week. Morning stand-up. Evening wind-down.

And for those of you who already have it, I highly recommend you do a retrospective at the end of your four weeks. Really look at your growth. The evolution of your thinking. The evolution of your actions.

The observer effect is real. That's literally what happens when you use this journal. You're able to observe yourself and show up differently because your eyes are on you (an important focus in the age of distraction).

I don't care if it's my journal, a blank page, or prompts from someone else; just make sure you have reflection in your life.

You cannot do things differently if you don't even know what you've been doing.

A quote from someone who thought differently.

He wasn't talking about being reckless. He was talking about refusing to accept the default.

On being in the world, but not of it.

Bible verse:​
​"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." — Romans 12:2

Buddhist saying:​
​"You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself."

Both are saying the same thing: don't let the noise outside become the noise inside. You are not the chaos. You are the one witnessing the chaos. That's your power.

One piece of data to ground this.

According to a 2025 Gallup and Stand Together’s Power of Purpose study, a study on global workplace stress, only 23% of employees feel their work aligns with their personal values and long-term vision for their life.

That means 77% of people are doing things the way they think they're supposed to, and it's not working.

You don't have to be in the 77% anymore.

​Book a call with me if you need a strategist who can help you craft your foundational systems to support the platform of your future success.

Your experiment this week.

Set a timer for three minutes.

On one side of a page, write down everything you are scared to do right now, the "necessary, and I know I should do it list".

On the other side, write down some of your deepest dreams and desires.

When the timer goes off, look at both lists.

Then ask yourself: Is there something on that "scared & necessary" list that could be a direct line into building the person who has that reality I desire?

Not next year. Not someday. This week.

Take one action from that list. One small, terrifying, honest step.

You are the game maker.

I've been rewatching the Hunger Game series and wow it's hitting hard. Watching it reminded me that we are in a game, and we have the choice of which game we are playing. Don't let the things happening in the society throw you off your game.

That's the only game that matters; focus on what you need to do.

That's how you're going to make a difference in the broader collective.

Do it differently. Not because it's trendy. Because you have to.

May you feel invigorated for the weeks ahead. You got this!

Be well, love yourself ✨
​Elayna Ayo

🌎 Good News from Around the World

👶🏽 A baby was “born twice” after being diagnosed in the womb with a rare and often fatal airway condition called congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS).

🐶 About 1,500 beagles rescued from a Wisconsin research and breeding facility are being relocated across the country, with 50 of them headed to Northern California for adoption.

🌳 Ecuador has announced the creation of a new biological corridor designed to connect the eastern ranges of the Andes with the Amazon Rainforest, part of a larger initiative to strengthen ecological connectivity and protect biodiversity.

⭐️ Music star, Usher surprised Georgia mom Rose Diggs on “Good Morning America” for Mother’s Day after she spent years opening her home to more than 300 foster children.

🦜 Kākāpō are large, ground-dwelling, flightless parrots that were once widespread across New Zealand but hunted to near extinction. Thanks to highly specialised conservation efforts, these unique birds are slowly bouncing back.​

🧁A woman in the Portland has built a thriving community-focused microbakery by selling homemade bread and pastries from a self-serve stand in her driveway using the honor system. (I'd love to see something like this focused on healthy nutient dense food!)

🚫 Cities from Amsterdam to Sydney are banning fossil fuel and meat advertising, using the same playbook that helped curb smoking.

🦦 An orphaned sea otter pup named Sunny, rescued from a beach in California, has been paired with another rescued otter named Rey, who is now acting as her surrogate mother.

💰The historic European Union-Australia Free Trade Agreement eliminates over 99% of tariffs on EU goods and 98% of Australian export duties, opening new markets for 450 million consumers. For Australia, it is projected to boost GDP by nearly AUD 10 billion annually. (May we see beautiful trade agreements like this in the future for the US 🙏🏽)

🔬Physicists at CERN successfully achieved the first-ever road transport of antimatter. By moving antiprotons suspended in a portable magnetic "Penning trap" on a truck, scientists proved that this volatile, incredibly expensive substance can be safely relocated without annihilating when it touches regular matter.

❤️‍🩹 The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified that Chile eliminated leprosy as a public health problem, making it the first country in the Americas and second globally to achieve this. Chile achieved this milestone after over 30 years without locally transmitted (autochthonous) cases, with the last local case recorded in 1993.

🎉 Upcoming Event

🏠 From My Home to Your Home

A moving fundraiser. New homes for cared-for items.

Here's the truth: I'm moving, and I'm fundraising to make it happen.

I don't love asking for help. But I'm learning to.

So I'm selling things. Good things. Things I've cared for.

And I'd love for them to find their way to you or someone you know.

How it works:

1. First dibs on Facebook Marketplace – I'll post items there first. Highest quality, best picks.
2. Physical yard sale to follow – Whatever remains will go to an in-person sale (date TBD).
3. Shipping available – Not local? No problem. Just cover the cost, and I'll send it to you.

Want early notification?

Email me at elayna@infoldstudios.com with the subject line "FROM MY HOME," and I'll notify you directly when items go live.

No spam. Just one or two emails when things are ready.

Why I'm doing this:

Moving is expensive. And I believe in asking directly and doing things differently. Old Elayna would stay quiet this whole time and move through this challenge alone.

Instead, I choose to know that there are people who believe in me and my work.

Thank you for helping me move into my new home, and thank you for giving these items a new home, too.

From my home to yours. 🧡
​Elayna Ayo

P.S. – If you don't need anything but still want to support, share this post (IG | TikTok), a kind word, or just holding me in your thoughts and prayers means more than you know. And if you feel called to send a few dollars toward the move, you can do that here: Venmo | Cash App . No pressure. All gratitude.🙏🏽

Build your sustainable systems You don't have a focus problem; you have a system problem People get great things done every day, and most don't have laser-sharp discipline. They have systems designed to sustain them through their worst days. ​ The Relax & Remix Journal won't give you a formula or a 10-step plan. It gives you something better: a mirror and canvas. Understand your baseline: how you are using your time and energy Experiment: try new identities and approaches Map out your journey: plan your week ahead of time to help keep your priorities, your priorities Move from feeling stuck to alignment- not on someone elses terms. On yours. Track your truth. Create your rhythm. Remix your reality. Purchase your copy

Thank you for reading.​
If this sparked something in you, pause, reflect, and share that with me by replying to this newsletter! I love to hear how the messages land.

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