A little inspiration from Greta Garbo

I recently watched a really interesting documentary on Netflix about Greta Garbo called Greta Garbo: Where Did You Go?

I'd heard of “Greta Garbo syndrome” and her infamous line, “I just want to be left alone,” usually framed as a joke—or as some kind of ridiculous concept for a person who chose a life in the spotlight. But the documentary gave me a different perspective on her decision and a perspective that I deeply resonate with.

Garbo came to Hollywood and entered the studio system at MGM, which she absolutely hated. Her private letters from that time make it very clear that she was not living the life she wanted to.

Even returning to Sweden, her native country, didn't bring back the simple, peaceful life she remembered from childhood. Her fame had followed her there, too, and with it came a loss of normalcy, privacy, and her nostalgia was lost.

After filming her last picture at 35 years old, Garbo retired from Hollywood and moved to New York City. And people could not get over it.

Why would someone walk away from a “dream career”? Why would she give up the money, the fame, the acclaim? What could possibly make someone choose a quieter, more private life?

The answer?

She wasn't living the life she wanted, so she changed it.

Of course, Garbo had the financial means to make those changes in a way that most people don't. But I still find something incredibly powerful in watching someone recognize that the life they built no longer fits—and then have the courage to do something about it.

I had in 2024 when I realized that I wasn't living the life I wanted, either. And I changed it.

It didn’t feel particularly brave or grand at the time, it was organically what needed to happen.

I began building my CranioSacral Therapy practice. I dove deeper into yogic philosophy. I started paying much closer attention to my nervous system and started learning how to set boundaries around my time, energy, and attention.

None of those changes happened overnight, and it definitely didn't happen because I had everything figured out. They happened because I started asking myself:

Do I feel the way I want to feel?

Sometimes we think of boundaries as rigid lines we draw between ourselves and other people. But I've started to think of them more as a way of creating enough space to move toward what feels right for us—and away from what doesn't.

How does this land with you? What are you noticing in your body?

You are always welcome to share your thoughts hello@birch-bloom.com.