Change is scary. Or at least that’s the narrative I’ve been telling myself lately. But who said that? And is it true? Getting where you want to go requires you to evolve.

I tripped over my shoelaces in the middle of recess. Now, I can tie shoes in my sleep. You probably can as well. You practice and practice until you just do it so naturally you no longer have to consciously think about doing it. It becomes a part of your DNA.

The real reason you aren't where you want to be... 🤯 Thinking about doing the thing isn’t the same as actually doing the thing. The enemy of implementation is contemplation.

Here’s the hard truth - it's actually not the other person that's making your work difficult. 🤯 Yep, I said that. Think about it for a moment. That other person is just being herself, right, wrong or indifferent. We can’t control other people’s behavior. What we can do is control our experience of that person.

Do you ever have those days where it seems like everything that can go wrong does? Those are the times when you can really experience the life-changing power of gratitude.

My monkey moment. It’s the day my life changed. 🐒 I was at a low point in my life. To the world, I had it all together. Yet, I was slowly crumbling inside. I was overworked, overwhelmed and at a loss for how to change. Maybe you feel this way? Bali changed that. But how did I get to Bali?

What brings you joy? Did reading that question cause your heart to skip a beat? Do you find yourself holding your breath? If this is you, you're not alone. Take a deep exhale and keep reading. When I ask clients this question, I usually hear crickets. Many can’t immediately tell me what brings them joy as they’re often operating on autopilot from a place of stress. Joy is a state of being often tied to feelings of pleasure and happiness.

Turbulence. Chaos. Disarray. Conflict. It comes in life when you least expect it. It seems as if it’s always there, lurking in the corner wondering the best time to strike. When it does, how do you respond?

I was 19 when I met this Jackie. Clear as day, I remember sitting on the couch with my ex-husband (then a nervous 21-year-old) as we awaited his mother’s arrival home from a softball tournament. Little did I know then that her vivacious spirit would help raise me from a young, naive college student to a grown woman.

To me, the Christmas season is the most wonderful time of year. As I sit here, I’ve got a fire roaring in the fireplace where my stockings are neatly hung, and the smell of balsam fir lingers in the air as the lights on my tree twinkle at me. It’s blissful. Why then, did this season previously give me so much anxiety?

Gratitude. It seems like the latest in a long line of mindfulness trends taking place lately. Everywhere you turn, you’re bombarded with the buzz word - especially as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday. But rightfully so. Gratitude is one of the easiest and most effective tools you can use to change your life. 

Recently, I was driving down a bumpy, country road littered with potholes. The entire width of the road is basically one, giant pothole. And, being the expert maneuverer that I am, I effortlessly guided my car around each said hole. In the distance, I noticed one pothole that seemed larger than the rest. As I approached, I closed my eyes, tensed, and braced for impact. Fortunately for me, I’d guided my car correctly and was able to successfully avoid the giant. Last night, I wasn’t so lucky and blew out a tire. UGH! How many times are we traveling throughout life just bracing for impact?

Confidence. I briefly mentioned this in my last post regarding my 30-day adventure.
Something magical happens when I step on my yoga mat. I’m transported to a different world, where all that matters is my breath. For one hour of my day, there are no peer pressures, outside influences or society telling me how and why I should do something. It’s just me, my breath and my movements. I am capable of anything. And let me tell you, that’s when I feel most confident.

Early last fall, I was pretty grumpy about life. It seemed as though everything that could go wrong did. So, at the suggestion of a friend, I started a gratitude journal. Rather than focusing on what was wrong in my life, I began looking for what was right. Each night before bed, I wrote down three things for which I was grateful.