When Grief Moves In and Unpacks Her Bags: How Grief Changed Me
When grief officially moves in and unpacks her bags, she becomes a part of every breath and every moment whether we like it our not. When she came to visit…
Phobias for Fuel: Recognizing the Other Side of Fear
It's hard to know what not to fear because the other side of fear isn’t commonly acknowledged. However, it can be advantageous to do so. When I left the country…
Just Begin Again: The Power of Your Personal Reset Button
We've been sold the lie of perfection. Perfection lies out there, somewhere, with someone else. However, life has never been about being perfect. It's always been about being and becoming. And one of the greatest tools we have on our journey of being and becoming is our personal reset button.
Your Kids Are Going To Leave: Stop Expecting Them To Fill Your Needs
Our children are miracles. They make us proud, frustrate and challenge us and they teach us a lot about ourselves. However, they are not ours to keep. We don't own…
Planning a New Year’s Resolution That Will Be a Success
Our New Year's Resolution The New Year begins and we smile and hug ourselves as thoughts of thousands of new opportunities dance in our heads! Scraping the old, yucky and…
Finding Yourself in the New Year: Awakening Your Creativity in 2020
It seems that everyone sets some type of goal or selects a word for the new year. Today I wanted to share some ways to find yourself in the new…
Learn.Change.Grow; Evolving to Become The Next Version of YOU!
We all make goals this time of year, and we should – learning and growing should be something we aspire to always do. Realizing where we are right now, and…
Finding Comfort in JOMO – The Joy of Missing Out
I have lived half my life with the fear of missing out or “FOMO” – even when this now-popular acronym didn’t exist to describe my state of being. I have…
Ditching Diets and Embracing Self-Acceptance Instead: The Healthiest I’ve Ever Been!
This year I’m turning 40 and I have one intention for the year: to be the healthiest I have ever been. I would venture to guess that when most people…
Exchanging Our Agendas for a Posture of Curiosity this New Year
It’s the New Year and we all know what that means….New Years Resolutions. While I think the idea behind the practice of making goals for the New Year is good,…
Seven Lessons I’ve Learned from Unplugging for Seven Days
I recently took a trip to Jamaica for a week. It was heaven. The weather was warm and the water was turquoise. It was everything my husband and I needed. Before…
Honor the Cycles of the Moon to Reconnect to Your Natural Rhythms
I often look up at the night sky and feel my home is up there somewhere. I can feel my soul pulling toward the stars and moon, aching to return…
Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect: Embracing the Imperfect
There’s nothing quite like one’s first-ever blog post to serve up a big helping of vulnerability, is there? But really, the craving to be more vulnerable is largely what nudged…
Word of the Year: Find Empowerment Through Words in 2020
Someone very close to me once told me that she had a 'Word of the Year' that she reminded herself of frequently throughout 2019. She wanted this word to be…
Hope Deferred Makes The Heart Sick: How to Handle Disappointment
Shattered Dreams Six months ago, our lives became shattered and fractured in one fatal swoop. All of our dreams and our sense of security vanished, leaving nothing but a nasty…
My first Zumba class!
I Hate Going to the Gym: 5 Tips For Making Working Out Fun
Finding Joy in Going to the Gym I have loathed going to the gym my entire adult life. I do not get that “high” that many people feel during and…
Cultivating Patience to Gain Self-Control: 5 Lessons From Avocado Seeds
When we try to cultivate patience to gain self-control it can be a difficult task. To cultivate means to prepare or nurture something, more so in a way of practicing.…
Vision Boards – Express Your Desires and Visualize Your Future
There is a lot of buzz around the idea of vision boards. You've been probably seeing vision board workshops popping up all over your social media accounts. Is this something…
Looking Back: A Heart-Centered New Year’s Eve Ritual
Rituals are an integral part of the holiday season. They are shaped by ancestry, faith, and culture, varying from person to person, family to family. A tree with ornaments collected…
The Universe Gives Us Signs: Listen and Take Action!
"The universe is always speaking to us...sending us little messages, causing coincidences and serendipities, reminding us to stop, to look around, to believe in something else."-Unknown Have you ever received…
Holiday Blues: Coming Face to Face with Loneliness and Discovering Joy
It was a crisp autumn day, down under in the southern hemisphere of New Zealand. Wandering around the city of Auckland, I found myself people-watching while simultaneously soaking up my…
Looking Back to Get Ahead: Gratitude and Presence, not Perfection
Does the quest for perfection in the world and in your own heart constantly nag at you? Looking back to get ahead can become a key factor in living well…
Finding Those Raw, Real, Authentic Connections
Raw, real, and authentic can be hard to find Moving. We’ve all done it. Maybe it was for that dream job or maybe it was to be closer to family.…
Pushing Pause: The Power and Gift of Our Presence
I’m unsure where this year went. It feels like just yesterday, my kids and I were filled with much anticipation and excitement for the return of our husband and daddy…
This Isn’t A Hallmark Movie! 6 Ways to be Present, Not Perfect, During the Holidays
If you know me, you know I really love a good, sappy Hallmark movie, especially a Christmas one. During the holiday season there's little I enjoy more than snuggling up…
The Heaviness of Our Own Expectations Can Weigh Us Down
The heaviness of our own expectations can weigh us down and cause a rigidity that if our life turns out different than we planned, it can feel like failure.
Going for the Win-Win: Decision Making in Relationships
We value strong, healthy relationships, but nothing can damage them more than poor decision making skills. Whether it is a spouse, sibling, long-time friend, or business partner, we want to stay close and feel connected. Going for the win-win is the solution to this problem.
Embracing The Woman I’m Becoming: An Ongoing Journey
"Life is a lively process of becoming"-Douglas MacArthur Do you remember what you wanted to be when you were a kid? Perhaps a teacher, a doctor, a ballerina or all…
Having the Courage to be Disliked: Why it’s so Important
"It's better to risk being disliked for living your truth than to be loved for what you are pretending to be." -Dawn Gluskin Let’s face it, no matter how hard…
A Diamond In The Rough: Embracing a Beautiful Learning and Growing Process
Dear Friend, I have something to tell you that maybe you didn’t know!I I see you with your head down and tears flowing. I see the discouragement in your eyes.…
It’s Not Too Late! 3 Steps to Take Charge and Make Change Before the End of the Year
There are only a few more weeks left in this year—in this decade, in fact! Have you had a chance to stop and think about that yet? At this point…
How to Talk to Veterans: Beyond the Thank You
This Veteran’s Day season I challenge the status quo and invite you to STOP thanking us for our service. Instead ask us ABOUT our service, especially our Vietnam, Korean, and pre-9/11 service members.
Wake Up Girl: Your Body Size Doesn’t Define your Worth
"Dear Body, You were never a problem. There is nothing wrong with your size, your curves, your scars, your flaws, your stretch marks or you. It's not your job to…
Finding the Light in the Midst of Darkness: A Walk In Central Park
Last month, my 40th birthday wish came true. I got to tour New York City and see a Broadway show. It was a spectacular and eye opening adventure. Walking through…
Hate: 5 Reasons We Let Negativity Take Over Our Emotions
Hate has always been a hard topic to discuss. It is usually seen as negative and can be deemed as an unacceptable emotion, making us feel like a bad person…
5 Natural Ways to Manage PTSD- Simple Habits for Daily Life
How to manage PTSD in a healthy and constructive way can feel impossible. There are so many unknown things happening inside our brains that it seems daunting to try and DO anything about it. I hear you. I understand.
What Dancing with My Husband Taught Me
I used to be the girl who was afraid of dancing. I was afraid to be in front of other people and worried about what they might think. Picture this:…
I’ve Been That Girl! Forgiving Myself For Not Knowing Better
"Forgive yourself for not knowing better at the time. Forgive yourself for giving away your power. Forgive yourself for past behaviors. Forgive yourself for the survival patterns and traits you…
The Power of Our Words in Life and How They Shape the Future
The power of words in our life is something that is so underrated that we trip and fall over it! We don’t recognize this power and neither do we teach it…
Mind Your Gurus: How to Manage All Those Voices We Follow
Jim Rohn, a renowned businessman, once said, "You're the average of the five people you spend most of your time with." In short he's saying we emulate who we surround…
Time is a Blessing; Don’t Waste it, Allow it to Elevate You!
Time is precious. We've all heard that old proverb thousands of times, but we still take it for granted. We aren't usually mindful everyday of how blessed we are to…
Three Core Life Values: Inspiration for the Game of Life and Football Fans
Fall is in the air, which means it is football season! Whether or not you love the game of football like I do, there are some really great life lessons…
Never Is Determined By Our Attitude: Discovering The Word Never
Understanding The Attitude of Never "Never, never, never give up." Was a speech that Winston Churchill gave at his boyhood school one October and was passed on to me as…
Three Ways to Deal with Rejection and Live a Healthy Life
No matter what form it comes in, rejection carries side effects that can throw us off track. Rejection can take away precious moments with loved ones, distract us from doing…
Writing note showing Reality Check Ahead. Business photo showcasing Unveil truth knowing actuality avoid being sceptical written Sticky Note paper Wooden background Coffee Cup and Marker
Validation in the 21st Century: The Impact of Social Media and Communication
Validation? Validation is a hot topic in the 21st century. I don’t know about you, but I see it almost every single day. That is the entire reason for social…
The Siren Song Of A Broken Heart: The Aftershock of Trauma
July is hard, August brings healing. Trauma is a strange thing. Every year I think I’m over it, I think I’ve processed enough. Then September comes, and my mind is…
Redefining Rest: Practicing Pause, Presence, and Peace
A few years ago, I was introduced to a new idea to begin the New Year. Rather than making a resolution, I would take a moment to sit with God…
Be the Dog: Lessons I Learned from my Greyhound
Cat people vs. dog people I am not...strike that. I WAS not a dog person. It's been said that there are two kinds of people in this world...dog people and…
The First Time Kindergarten Mama: A New Season in Motherhood
My daughter started Kindergarten this year and it really caught this Kindergarten Mama off guard. Not the typical feeling of how much I will miss her or how hard it…
Motivation Schmotivation: Why It’s Not Sustainable and What to do About It
We've all been there before. You've decided to change a habit or start working towards a goal. For the first two weeks or so, you're on fire! You keep with…
Self Care: It Isn’t Just About Bubble Baths
Take a minute to imagine your typical work week. At what point in the week do you generally begin to yearn for Friday at 5 pm? (And if you said…
Hitting Rock Bottom: Finding the Blessings in the Hard
"Something very beautiful happens to people when their world has fallen apart; a humility, a nobility, a higher intelligence emerges at just the point when our knees hit the floor."-Marianne…
The Benefits of Scheduling Your Daily Life Uncovered
Why I Began to Schedule I was never taught the benefits of scheduling my days. No one ever mentioned that there was even such a need. And so I grew…
Show Up – Lessons in Showing Up For Yourself and Others
As the end of summer approaches, I have started hearing stories about heading back to college. It has reminded me of a lesson that I learned in college, but I…
Releasing: Surrendering Control and Understanding
John and Stasi Eldredge have had a significant impact on my life. Through their books and through their teachings, I’ve experienced a deeper understanding of who I am and Whose…
The Ugly Truth About Depression
Let Us Begin: I have debated for many months whether or not to write about depression. I have spent many nights sweating and in tears because I also knew I…
It’s a Hill of a Life- Lessons From my 450 Mile Bike Ride
I have a problem...I love an epic adventure. I love a new challenge...a physically-draining, heart-wrenching challenge where you have to dig down to the deepest bit of your soul to…
The Secret to Doing It All: Don’t! And Five tips to help you look like you Do!
People often ask me how I “do it all” or how I “keep it all together," and I’m just going to be honest from the start and tell you my…
What’s Eating You? The Secret Affect Stress Can Have on Your Health
Stress. We all have it, in one form or another. Whether it's running around making sure our kiddos get where they need to be or cramming to meet that deadline,…
The Elephant and The Rope: What You Believe is Powerful!
Your attempt may fail, but never fail to make an attempt.
Lessons from the Diary of a Novice Backpacker
I sauntered up to my sixteen-year-old daughter and inquired, “Interested in having a backpack adventure with your mom?” “Just us? Not dad too?” she asked. “Just us. What do you think?” I…
Enough! Determine What Being Enough Means to You in Two Steps
We are enough. They are enough. You are enough. You've likely heard these phrases quite a lot, but have you taken the time to figure out what "enough" really means…
The Problem with Broken: Stop Describing Yourself That Way
I hear people say ALL the time that they are "broken." As a therapist, I would be a rich person if I had a dollar for every time I've heard…
Adding Value To The People In Your Surroundings
Have you ever been at a meeting, interacting and talking to people, when suddenly you felt the entire atmosphere of the room change? You glance around and discover that someone…
My Sister; Lessons She Has Taught Me Growing Up
"Sisters are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly" -Unknown My Inspiration My younger sister Osmara was born with Bilateral Microtia,…
Throwing the Flag on the Phrase, “This is Just a Season”
The calendar said it was the first day of summer. But when I looked out the window, it was cloudy, raining, and the thermometer read 43 degrees. I guess mother…
Coming Clean: The Most Refreshing Benefits of Being Totally Honest
The truth is not always simple, as the saying goes. Ain’t that the truth! Over the last several years, as I grow older and a little wiser, I’ve had to…
Summer Fun or Summer Bummer? 5 Steps to Help Summer Overwhelm
It’s summer! Does that mean it’s time for lots of fun in the sun or time to find a million ways to entertain your kids who are bouncing off the…
I’m Sorry for Judging You: What Judging Others Really Reveals!
Judgement Reveals I'm sorry for judging you! Recently I stumbled upon a similar title while scrolling through my social media feed. Immediately, without even reading the article, my mind summoned…
Senses and Our Emotions
Senses Have you ever just sat and taken in the sounds and smells around you? Isn't it funny how quickly your mood can change because you go back to either…
I’m Not Where I Thought I’d be at This Point in Life and That’s Just Fine.
Some of you will laugh at me. Mostly those who are older and have already been where I'm heading. Others of you will completely relate in this moment right now.…
The Restoration Strategy: Furniture and Self
It was December of 2016 and my final beloved grandparent had passed into the heavenly realm. I personally have found it difficult to endure the transition of grieving loss while…
An Inconsistent Journaling Journey Still Makes You a Journaler
My journaling journey started in high school, the Dear Diary style of journaling where you share your thoughts about friends, school, boyfriends, etc. I was on an inconsistent journaling journey…
Permission to Pause; Permission to be Unproductive
I’ve lived almost my entire life in Colorado, and everyone here knows the weather can be unpredictable. We can get snow as early as September and as late as May.…
Military Wife Life: Tools to Survive the Constant Transition of His Career
The same day I chose this blog topic, I received a “heads up” that my husband’s name was at the top of a list for a deployment next year. He…
Discover Your Strength in the Midst of Life’s Challenges
In Plain View I’ve lived in Northern Colorado for almost three years. Growing up in Texas, I have been accustomed to a much different landscape for most of my life.…
Closing A Chapter In My Life And Preparing For A New One
I recently started a new phase in my life. A phase that, with all honesty, terrified the heck out of me. I made a decision that had been on my…
Surviving May: Advice from the Mother of a Graduate
May is always a busy month. Add to the mix a child in high school and May is just crazy. Make that child a senior and the month is insane.…
Life Experiences – Bad Things Happen, Don’t Let It Stop You From Living!
On one hand I’m the helicopter mom, full of anxiety that something horrible will happen to my children. On the other hand, I encourage my daughter’s to travel the world and…
It is What You Say it is: The Pivotal Power of Perspective
It was a warm summer evening and our family was taking a walk together, which is something we do often when the weather is nice. We were walking and talking…
Forgive Yourself and Find Peace – Stop Drinking the Poison!
Recently a member of my Take Care of You Community asked me to share some helpful tips about forgiveness. I was so glad she asked because this is an important…
WAKE UP! It’s 6:00 a.m.
Wow! Wake up! It's 6:00 a.m. Don't you love when someone else tells you that? I also just love waking up really early in the morning…said no one ever. If…
Grief Happens: Enduring Hardship
Grief is shifty and can be such a thief. Especially in moments where there are squeals of laughter peeling through the air as children chase each other. Or, shrieks of joy…
My Authentic What Now? Finding Your True Voice When You’ve Stopped Listening
One scroll through social media or a quick internet search and you’ll have no trouble finding posts about authenticity. “Unlock your authentic self!” “Find your authentic self!” “Love your authentic…
Is your Soul in need of Refreshing? Let it Rain!
As I sit here and write, the rain is falling heavily on my roof. After a particularly challenging few months personally, I sit here with a sense of heaviness and…
Dreaming and Planning Gets You Nowhere Without The Doing Part
Dreams become reality when we begin to do..
The Women are Rising; Time to Build Ourselves Up
For the last ten years I have owned a small strategic sales consultancy. Most of my decision maker clients have been women. Working in and amongst sales and marketing teams,…
Attention All Self-Proclaimed Control Freaks, It’s Time to Let it Go!
At the end of March, my husband and I took our kids on a two-day getaway to Legoland. The park is only about 40 minutes from our home, so this…
Nourish Your Soul; How Travel Connects You with Humanity!
The trifecta in reaching your ideal state consists of a sound mind, a healthy body, and a peaceful soul. The first two are fairly straightforward and academic. We all want…
I No Longer Show Up For My Family
This one shift has helped me love those around me better. I am able to accept the humanity of those around me and allow that they are doing their best.
Learning to Trust Yourself When You Don’t
Do you trust yourself? When you say you’re going to do something, do you know without a doubt that you’ll get it done? For me, for a very long time,…
Royalty free photo by Josh Willink
Military Brat Parenting: Five Things I Tell My Kids in Hopes They’ll Be Better Humans
My dad was an Air Force colonel, a fighter pilot and a Vietnam veteran. In addition to being a proud (and dutiful) daughter, my upbringing in a military household shaped…
An Invitation Into Your Name
As I began to process through the writing of this article, I hit a wall. While this is not unusual, this wall felt different. Talking through my SFD (shitty first…
Letting Go Of Things That Don’t Serve You, Without Apology.
“One of the most courageous decisions you’ll ever make is to finally let go of what is hurting your heart and soul.” –Brigitte Nicole When I was fourteen, I found…
Be Silent, Be Still: The Power of Pausing in an Ever Chaotic World
Being mindful and focused is hard! Often times I sit down at my laptop intending to send some follow-up emails to clients or update my calendar for the week. It's…
Sacrifice: Not Just a Dirty Word
SACRIFICE is not just a dirty word. Or is it? What does this word conjure up for you? Perhaps its sadness or heartbreak. Maybe it brings with it, a sense…
A Penny’s Worth of Thoughts: Collecting Valuable Moments with your Children
The glimmer of sweet, sweet coins Nothing makes me happier during a run or a walk than catching a small glimmer in the street. A small glimmer that is of…
What a Headache Taught me About my Life
April 2018 I was worried that 6 weeks of daily headaches meant I had a tumor or something major going on. I had put off calling the doctor for fear…
Learning to Love the Hard Times- A Lesson From my Children
Hard times. Are they fun? Do we like them? No! Never! We normally don’t even want to talk about them! They make us cringe and tuck our tails and run!…
The Day I Cried Over Spilled Milk: My Journey of Self-Care and Embracing my “Enoughness”
In 2012 I began my self-care journey and it changed my life in ways I'd never imagined. Sharing this story has become part of my mission because every time I…
The One Thing That Shifted My Marriage Struggles
Have you ever had those moments where you wonder, “Why did we get married?” I would like to say this question only arose after children were born and we were dredging through the exhaustion of raising small babies. But no. This question arose in the first weeks and months of marriage and I wish someone had told me this one thing that might have shifted our marriage.
Awaken to Who You Are
Stepping up to the microphone, the girl's hands trembled. Her mind focused on deep breathing and the mental exercises needed for calming her nerves, as well as her voice. She…
Cambodia – The Journey to Visit my Daughter and Myself
An unexpected work trip to China opened the door of opportunity for me to visit my daughter in Cambodia in March, for 5 days. What were the chances that during…
Discover Your Piece to Create Peace in your Home.
Finding the pieces to create a peaceful spot in your home for you to rest and recover. I’m a sucker for all things that make me feel organized or peaceful.…
4 Ways to shift your Journaling Mindset
Do you get excited to start writing in a new journal only to find it sitting untouched a month later? Are you intimidated by the blank pages, or just don’t…
Growing Forward: 3 Life Lessons I Learned That Aren’t Taught in School
Recently I was reminded that in order to grow forward, we must embrace our past. It is a part of me that made me into the person I am today,…
Finding Your Purpose
The Journey to Find Happiness Within
Happiness Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why everyone is chasing happiness? How can one word have so much meaning that it has literally become interwoven into our ever…
Don’t be a Hater – 5 Reasons to Start Loving your Body Now!
"Dear You, Make peace with the mirror and watch your reflection change." - Sohini Did you know that you don't have to like everything about your body to love it?…
Looking for friendship? Spend time with people you like
Have you ever struggled with friendships? You're not alone. Making friends is uncomfortable for most of us. Let's take the pressure off of friendship.
When the heat is on: Surviving life’s challenging seasons
Summer in my rugged, beautiful homeland of Australia is always HOT, but this summer has been THE most intense heat I can remember of all the summers I've encountered in…
Healing energies, the link between a hot stone massage and Hawaii
I recently discovered why I receive such amazing & similar healing energies from both a hot stone massage and from being on the island of Hawaii. How, you might ask,…
The Benefits of Giving Back: Why Volunteering is Good For You
When was the last time you went out into the world and actually gave your time – more than an hour – to an organization or a group of people…
4 Easy Steps to Creating Your Vision and Why You’ll Want to Do It NOW!
“Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe.” - Oprah Winfrey Have you ever thought about what your vision for your life is?…
Growing Up Together – Part 2 – It’s not just about the Writing
In my first blog I introduced myself and a few of my inner writing companions; Tendency to push away, Giving up and Calm who all pop up at different times…
Life is Like a Box of Chocolates?
Have you ever wondered why they even use the saying life is like a box of chocolates? Think about it? You take a bite of a piece of chocolate. You don't…
Which Comes First: Self-Acceptance or Personal Growth?
TRUE OR FALSE? You can't accept yourself and desire personal growth at the same time. Go ahead and think on that for a second. I’ll wait.
Mind Games: The Subtle Art of Telling Yourself to Get Lost
How often do you find yourself in a dialogue…..with yourself? Daily? Weekly? If you are anything like me, this dialogue happens so often throughout the day you may not even…
Growing Up Together: Part 1 – Setting The Scene & Being Honest
If you’ve arrived here in this sacred space you are probably like me; a fellow change-maker, peace-creator and sprinkler of love on our planet. I answered a call from the…
Eat the Cookie! How We Self-Sabotage in our Efforts to Better Ourselves
So, there I was sitting there on my couch, staring at the half empty package of Double Stuff Oreos, and thinking (not for the first time), “Well I blew it!…
Our Mind is the Enemy: Control Thoughts Before They Become Actions
*Disclaimer- Experiencing depression and anxiety are incredibly real and frustrating situations. If you find that you cannot pull yourself out of dark thoughts, you need to talk to someone immediately…