I write this like it’s a non-judgmental forum because that’s how I see it myself when I read others’ blogs. A bit of what you are going through, a bit of advice, sprinkled with knowledge that only you have the specific firsthand experience to give in your particular situation. But I know the truth – people read my words and weigh them against what they already feel or know to be “truth,” and sometimes I help them and sometimes I come up lacking. And I keep going on, because for every hundred critics or closed browser, I may get one person I make a difference with, and that’s worth all…
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What if the caterpillar said no?
What if, along the natural course of his life, the caterpillar was called, as caterpillars are, to stop what he was doing and begin the slow, arduous process of building a cocoon, and he said, “No.”Can you imagine the conversation? Natural rhythm: “OK, caterpillar, it’s time to stop what you’re doing – stop eating, stop moving forward, just stop.”Caterpillar: “What? Why?”Rhythm: “Don’t ask questions. Just do it.”Caterpillar: “But I’m hungry, and this leaf is soooo good.”Rhythm: “But you have to do it. You’ve got to start getting ready for something new.”Caterpillar: “But what is it?”Rhythm: “You’ll see.”Caterpillar: “No, that’s okay. See, I’m okay here. I like it here. It’s comfortable, I…
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Let’s Talk About Stress, Baby
Specifically, environmental stress. Did you know you really can be a product of your environment without even knowing it? I’ve seriously been contemplating this for a while, and then recent events caused me to study it in more detail. First, a little background. I worked in a toxic medical office for a little over a year not too long ago. I only worked part-time and only for one doctor directly, but some of the other office staff and people on-site were notoriously difficult to get along with. I stayed in my corner, treating patients and doing my thing, but the few interactions that I had with those people were always…
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Your Ego vs. Your Soul
I’m so excited to announce that I was asked to be featured as a guest author on another blog that I, myself, get motivation and inspiration from! The site, Living Empowered Life, is run by Jessa Leigh Smith and is freaking amazing! Check it out, and check out my post on separating your ego from your soul here. Thanks so much for your support and feedback!
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End of the Year Thinking
If you’re at all like me, you probably follow so many people and groups and businesses that you end up scrolling past most of it (maybe even just looking for the funny animal videos, TBH)…. My inbox is full of notifications of new blogs, solicitations for donations, sales, and junk that I have to unsubscribe from every day. But today I got one of those emails that said “Read ME.” Not in the subject line, but just to my gut. It was from Marie Forleo (if you have a business, blog, or a desire to do better in your life and you’ve never heard of her, CHECK.HER.OUT.) Marie is a…
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Even the Motivators Need Motivation
At one time in my house, we were evenly matched. In fact, if you counted the animals, the females outnumbered the males by a lot. My daughter’s personality is so strong and dominant, and so is mine, that it was definitely a female’s home. She moved out a while ago and, although she still comes around a lot to visit, the dynamics in my house have shifted. It’s now me against two males, one of whom is going through the terrible teenager years at 13. I know, I know, you’re going to jump on my word choice. Me against them. But trust me, I knew what I was talking about…
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Bucket List Adventures: Grand Canyon Day 3 – The End of the Line
Night two was not nearly as miserable as night one for three reasons: I had my warm, cozy liner, I kinda sorta knew what to expect, and I was just plain exhausted. (Oh, and I had peed before I climbed in for the night for good. I don’t care if that’s TMI; you saw me at my breaking point already and came back for more, so we’re like besties now.) I have to say: there’s something really freeing about not being able to play on social media before going to sleep, not worrying about having to call someone or text them goodnight so they don’t think you’re mad at them,…
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Bucket List Adventures – Grand Canyon – Day Two – The Saga Continues
I’d like to say that I pulled the zipper down on the tent and became instantly enthralled with the scenic view before me and all my cares melted away. Instead, I was so sore and my calf muscles were so tight that I barely slid my legs over the lip of the tent and I concentrated on not taking the tent down with me as I slid my butt onto the damp, cold sand. I’d tried up to that point to avoid unnecessary dirt, but I’d also thought at some point we would have some sort of hygienic cleaning facilities. Maybe a makeshift shower or cool, clear river, like the…
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Bucket List Adventures: Grand Canyon – The Beginning
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Bucket List Adventures: Grand Canyon – The REAL Day One
I’d thought waking up at 4 to be ready by 5 might be a bit of an issue for me, but between the 2 hour time zone difference and the fact that I was so excited (read: NERVOUS) that I kept waking up worrying about oversleeping, I was actually up by 3:30. About that time I had realized that in our orientation the previous night, our guide had said nothing about trekking poles, and I remembered that my mentor specifically said to use them, so I started to freak thinking I was supposed to get them myself. Calming myself down out of my irrational panic attack, I began to finalize…
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Tell me your good stories…
This. Tell me your stories. Tell everyone. No matter how minor they seem to you. I’m telling you: There IS more good than bad in the world. The bad may be in huge chunks, but those little snippets of good… those tiny random acts of kindness… they mean so much more to those like me who are holding on so tightly to our beliefs that the world is good, and those little acts add up to huge changes. Some people are bad, yes. But so, so, so many more are good, their acts just aren’t shared because good people aren’t doing what they do because they want credit for it.…
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Bucket List Adventures: Grand Canyon Pre-Day One
I’ve written and deleted a hundred sentences because I’m not really sure how to start my “day one” adventures. Do I start with the day I flew out or the day I hit the canyon officially? Do I jump in with a quip or a quote, or just start at the very beginning? Well, it’s my story, so I’ll write it how I want. The “real” day one of my trip was uneventful, so here’s a quick skim of it before we get into the “official” day one: Flew to Phoenix, Arizona – uneventful flight, aside from some turbulence. Generally I’m super high-strung on airplanes because I have a sometimes…
