Week 14 • October, 20, 2026
“Little town, it’s a quiet village. Every day, like the one before…”
The very famous line from Belle’s song in Beauty and the Beast has been the theme of my life for the past several years.
But guys, I have to tell you something.
Something has started to shift. I can feel it.
This week, life moved in a way that made me feel as though this little country, Cyprus, had finally started to answer my wishes.
And let me tell you, I know exactly why.
For a long time, searching for belonging and adapting myself to fit in have been recurring themes in my life.
But recently, I’ve become more aware of what I’ve been doing, and I’m trying to stop.
I’ve withdrawn from activities I joined simply to occupy myself, because I didn’t want to feel too lonely. I’m allowing myself not to be part of anything for a while.
And in that quiet space, something interesting has happened.
I can hear myself better. I can see where my interests are taking me, rather than constantly searching for somewhere to fit in.
And somehow, life seems to be opening a door.
I’m so excited and nervous to tell you that I’m taking part in a musical theatre production of Beauty and the Beast here in Cyprus!
Now you know why I started this newsletter with that song.
This is by far the most exciting thing that’s happened since I moved to Cyprus.
This little town, which sometimes feels as though it has nothing to stimulate my creative mind, has finally given me something to look forward to.
What role will I play?
Honestly, I don’t know. And I’m trying not to get my hopes up too high.
I’m a beginner in every area: acting, dancing, and singing.
But secretly, I wish I could be Belle.
Because in so many ways, I feel that I am her.
I connect with her story so deeply that I sometimes cry when I listen to her songs.
A girl who feels out of place. Who doesn’t belong. Who is misunderstood and considered odd.
A girl who grows up without her mother, immerses herself in stories, and dreams of a bigger life.
Sometimes I wonder, Is this really a coincidence?
It almost feels too familiar to be one.
I’m allowing myself to dream about playing Belle, even though I have no idea whether it will happen.
But by the end of the day, I’m already grateful to be part of this production, no matter what role I get to play.
For once, I have something in front of me that genuinely excites me. Something I want to explore, learn, and experience for myself.
A little update on last week
I started sharing my old creations on YouTube every day.
I’ve also put together a mini-series called If I Could Be Anything, taken from Good Girls Cry, Bad Girls Mourn.
It’s a part of the story I love so much.
Lalita, the young, shy girl who longs to be loved, reflects me perfectly as a creator who longs to be seen.
There are so many layers of metaphor in this story, and the more I look at it, the more I recognise myself in it.
You can watch the series here:
Watch If I Could Be Anything on YouTube
Despite telling myself not to expect anything, guys, it hasn’t been easy.
There’s been a lot of resistance and doubt, even though I know this isn’t about making everything perfect. It’s about allowing my work to exist in the world.
How hard can it be to let every version of myself exist?
Apparently, pretty hard.
But I keep pushing through, and there’s still more to come.
And guess what?
I’ve gained nine new subscribers!
That’s something I didn’t expect at all.
I’ve also received a few negative comments. And God, this might sound sarcastic, but I’m actually happy. So happy to see them.
When you’ve spent so long longing to be seen and to connect with people, even an argument can sound sweeter than silence.
At least something I created has reached someone.
At least it’s out there, living its own life in the world.
And then there’s Snow White
I haven’t updated you guys about the little white street cat who appeared out of nowhere at our home.
Well, she’s still here.
Look at her day 1
And I think we can officially call her our cat now.
Her name is Snow White.
She has shown me so much trust, and she’s absolutely adorable. There’s barely a trace of the frightened street cat she once was.
She loves being indoors and sticks to my side wherever I go.
Looking her now!
Watching her transform has made me think about how much can change when we feel safe enough to let our guard down.
How the things that once frightened us don’t necessarily have to define the rest of our lives.
How our history doesn’t have to dictate our future.
And I find myself thinking about all the things I’ve been through, all the versions of myself I’ve been.
Maybe we can learn to trust again, discover new parts of ourselves, and become something we couldn’t have imagined before.
Where we are right now isn’t our final destination.
Don’t underestimate yourself.
You have so much more in you than you can see right now.
And perhaps, like Belle in her little town, you haven’t yet discovered just how big your world can become.
Love,
Lalita Janette ❤️
A musical in a little town where nothing seemed to happen, I love that plot twist. Being a total beginner at acting, dancing, singing all at once says a lot about you: you're doing it because it excites you, not because you'll be good at it yet. And Snow White won me over. The frightened street cat who now follows you around is such a gentle proof of what happens when something finally feels safe. I hope you get a role that surprises you!