Recently, I was chatting with a friend of mine. School had been cancelled for consecutive days in a row, thanks to massive amounts of snow dumped on our side of…
I’m cuddled up under one of my grandma’s blankets. A Mendoza painting of hers is now hanging in my entryway, a statement piece I’d overlooked countless times when it hung…
I used to say it all the time. "I am a recovering perfectionist." What I really meant was more along the lines of, "Yeah, yeah, I know it's a bad…
As I listen to my internal and external dialogue, it strikes me that I hear a lot of complaining. Coming from me. I'm the one doing all the complaining. So…
A Different Kind of Mask Recently I found a series on Netflix called Imposters. Essentially there is a crew of thieves that create lives to leave their victims heartbroken and…
Perhaps the only legacy worth having is to have been known as a kind and compassionate person. -Unknown What exactly is kindness? A quick google search gives a simple definition;…
Due to a series of unexpected events at the beginning of the year, I had the opportunity to spend 5 days of extreme self-care by myself at the beach. I'd…
Warning: traumatic birth story detailed below. Please read on with caution as the material or descriptions may be triggering. Every January, as his birthday draws near, I have a tightness…
I was 26 years old when I birthed my daughter, the final child we were to have...the icing on our cake. She was, like her older brothers, a joy to…
Each year around half of Americans set a New Year's resolution. In contrast, less than 10% stick to it or remember the goal past February. However, I think most people…
If you’ve been following me for even a short time, you probably know that I am passionate about Intuitive Eating. It is my absolute delight to help my clients free…
“Thank you for your interest, but unfortunately your post was not chosen this time around.” Those words were tough to read, and even tougher to swallow. When I started writing…
Old Before My Time I thought I was old at thirty-nine. Through no fault of our own, my husband and I had suffered a devastating financial setback that left us…
What do you think of when I say the word balance? Do you picture the perfect system or a schedule that FINALLY makes motherhood feel balanced? What we experience in…
Being a peacemaker is a lot of work. I’ve been trying to keep the peace in one way or another, with one person or another, for years. And in today’s…
With my cup of coffee steaming, the notion was simple: it was the perfect morning to enjoy some creative writing. Free from any plans and distraction-free, I was excited to…
So often we focus on the problem we have at hand, we obsess over why it happened. We complain, we vent, we get it off our chest. I do this…
As she entered this world, she needed me to physically care for her every need. It was essential that she have me hold, change, feed, bathe, clothe, and nurture her. Then,…
I love the recognition that humans are never complacent creatures, that we embody different versions of ourselves during different times of our lives. This concept is as equally exciting as…
Worthiness. I am going to be honest with you. This word makes me uncomfortable. Like, to my core. I suffered years of emotional and verbal abuse in my childhood and…
I have a dirty little secret. Actually, for those who know me well, it’s no secret at all. I am a procrastinator. On the surface, I seem to be a…
June 30, 2002, I walked into a random church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Little did I know that a handsome man would hit on me there and later become my…
Lessons I've learned from my curly hair. Where do I begin? Curly hair. Love it or hate it, it’s mine. There’s no escaping it. Since the moment my hair began…
The doctor glanced up at me after examining my daughter and gently explained, “We’re going to go ahead and make an appointment for her at the children’s hospital downtown.” Well,…
These last few months have been disorienting. To gather enough focus to put pen to paper and write down my thoughts has been daunting. The struggle to identify up from…
Remembering back to my childhood, I reflected on arriving at the base of my favorite tree. I was ten years old looking up and squinting into the Texas sunshine. I…
I love helping people. It makes me feel purposeful and fulfilled. Every time I’ve taken an Enneagram test, I’m a 2. “The Helper.” I want to bring meals to you…
"Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage."-Brene Brown Life is filled with so many amazing moments. There is so much to celebrate, so much to be grateful for, so…
I. Need. Help. Three words that bring rise to a myriad of feelings, emotions and physical reactions. To ask for help is to be vulnerable. It’s scary. It’s risky. And…
My maternal grandmother lived in a small town in Iowa. She wore curlers in her hair at night and didn’t leave the house without lipstick. Just thinking about her lasagna…
How many of you cringed just reading the words "Let yourself go"? From a very early age we are exposed to external forms of control. Parents tell us when to…
I recently attended a personal development conference called Rise, created by Rachel Hollis (more info here). This excited me so much that I bought the tickets the day they released.…
I'm a big believer in finding our circle, squad, or tribe. Individuals who have similar ideas, beliefs, and values is important because they will encourage, support and cheer us on.…
The quieter you become, the more you can hear.Ram Dass Losing My Voice; Literally Last week, I lost my voice. And I mean that in the literal sense. I went…
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.
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…
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,…
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…
I walked into my very first appointment with a therapist around the age of 12. I don’t remember if there was a particular instance that led my parents to make…
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…
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…
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…
"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…
Every December for the last five years or so, when my husband and I sat down to list our goals and intentions for the next year, I’ve included “make new…
My life is in a current state of unrest. I'm a wife, mom of three kids (two are 5 and under), an employee, and an entrepreneur. In my quiet time,…
"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 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…
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…
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…
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…
"The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something."Antoine de Saint-Exupery I just recently celebrated my birthday, my 31st birthday to be exact. Birthdays are a…
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…
Today I turned 40 years old. I am now what is considered "mid-life," "middle aged," and "over the hill." All joking aside, It stops me in my tracks to think…
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…
This year my husband and I celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary. That's 9 years of some hard work, let me tell ya. I'm not here to tell you about…
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…
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…
"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…
...well...not entirely. But, if he was the only one I continued to learn from in balancing my budget, then I would have lost an opportunity to grow in my ability…
Your attempt may fail, but never fail to make an attempt.
How many personality tests have you taken lately? There are dozens that all put people into categories of colors, animals, numbers, letters, or languages. There are some good, and not-so-good…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
Every kid wants a hero. Someone who is bigger, stronger, and more powerful, who will defeat the bad guy, and inspire them to be more. Often it is quoted that…
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…
Words Are Powerful He was hurting! It all began years before. He was too young to connect the dots of what was happening. It was just life. He didn’t know any…
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…
I have a vivd memory from my childhood of going to a birthday party with my parents for someone who was turning 40. There were black balloons and black signs…
We all have times of overwhelm, exhaustion, sickness, and just plain frustration. I'm here to remind you that you have a choice of how to handle those times. Many times…
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…
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!…
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,…
I love March! Not only is it the start of spring when daffodils start popping out their bright yellow heads out of the ground, it's also MY birthday month...and a…
“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?…
“Some people think that to be strong is to never feel pain. In reality, the strongest people are the ones who feel it, understand it, accept it and learn from…
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.
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…
*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…
By the title of this article, you are probably interested in what is actually going on in my head. You might say “Julie, do you know how many days are…
On this episode of The We Podcast I interview Maryanna Brunkhorst. Maryanna is a writer, dancer, explorer, lifelong learner, woman, and veteran. She talks to us about her story and…
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