On September 2, 2019, the world lost a young man to suicide. Unfortunately, this is not a unique story, especially to those in the Millennial and Gen Z gap. The message of not enough is an old one, here long before Facebook or any other media, as is bullying and violence and every other hate we witness. But today, we are surrounded by a proliferation of messages telling us we are not enough, bombarding us from all sides. Technology originally created to connect people has cre

Ignoring the soul’s call leads to doubt, anxiety, pain. What is your soul saying to you? What MUST you do? Following your own path can be a frightening and often lonely endeavor. Breaking away from the usual modes of thinking, doing and being is difficult. There is no getting around this part, no way to skip ahead to the happy ending. But as these parts of us are discovered, examined and ultimately released, there are new parts underneath you never knew existed. Deeper parts

“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” ― Rumi One morning during my regular reading and writing time, I came across this message, “Old and negative habits, patterns and beliefs are being replaced with new, more positive ones.” I was struck by this message because it wasn’t telling me to replace the negative, but rather that it was being replaced. Then I thought maybe, just maybe, I simply need to let go and allow the Universe to bring positive change

(This post is in response to the prompt “What’s your Storytelling Superpower” for the DIY MFA Book Club. To learn more about the club, click here. To take the quiz yourself, click here.) It comes as no surprise that my “superpower” came back as Survivor. The stories I’ve enjoyed most from childhood on have had a main character(s) facing a formidable enemy, oftentimes while simultaneously fighting their own inner demons. My own survivor story got its start during my childhood

(This post is in response to the prompt “Tell a story about a time when you had to honor your reality” for the DIY MFA Book Club. To learn more about the club, click here.) When I started down the writer’s path, I quickly realized that setting boundaries and being occasionally selfish (gasp!) with my time is okay, even healthy. As a born people-pleaser, I created a lot of codependency in my relationships. The line between true reality and perceived reality became fuzzy. I wou

(This post is in response to the prompt “How did you become a writer?” for the DIY MFA Book Club that started today. Click here for more information on the club.) I have heard from many writers that the desire to write began early on. My own journey to the keyboard came a bit later. For over half of my life, I felt I had nothing to say that anyone would want to hear. I had no voice of my own. The word accident was mentioned often in my formative years and left its mark – I sp

As I drove out of my neighborhood one day last week, I passed a teenage boy riding his bike. He wore no helmet and had one hand on the handlebars, one on his phone while his eyes were fixed to the screen as he rode. He did not once look up in the time it took me to pass him, riding along oblivious to the beautiful day happening around him, numb to the present moment. Before the days of information instant gratification, people wondered. How far is planet Earth from the sun? W

A few days ago, as I walked down an aisle in Target, I passed by a woman speaking to a clerk. As I wandered past, the clerk nodded his head and proceeded to lead the woman to what she was seeking. The woman, following his lead, said with a slight giggle, “I’m just a mom. What do I know?” I responded in a whisper to her question, “Everything.” I’m sure she was kidding, at least to a degree. Now obviously, I know she doesn’t know everything. But having been a parent for almost

When we seek to make positive changes in our lives that are in line with our personal truths, others that are close to us may respond in ways that are less than supportive. Some responses are downright mean and nasty. For example, a son has a parent that is a crazymaker and has always been. The son is unaware of this and has spent his entire life bowing to the needs of this parent, disregarding his own. Time goes by and the son hopes in vain that things will change. This is h

When I was about twelve years old, I went to the beach with my family. I loved playing in the ocean. I had no fear of it. I especially loved finding sand dollars! It was an amazing little gift from nature to find them. One day, I ran headlong into the ocean water, jumping waves as I ran and managed to catch my foot just right on the edge of a sand dollar. It ripped a gash in my big toe that kept me out of the water for the rest of the trip. Where I came from, you only saw a d

Today I woke up with a great deal of pain. I could have easily given in, stayed in bed and let this day go past. But I can’t. Even with the pain I can get up and walk on my own. I can take care of myself and those I love. Because of that, I am grateful for today. In fact, I have many reasons to be grateful. I am grateful that despite growing up feeling unworthy of love, I now share an epic love with my husband that is beyond anything I ever dreamed. I am grateful that despite

mere: being nothing more or better than During my quiet time this morning, I found myself writing something I frequently say, “I don’t believe in coincidence.” And this is true. I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe that everything happens for a reason, though it may be a while before the reason is apparent, if ever. Then out of the blue, a question appeared. “If you don’t believe in coincidence, why do you still question your own existence?” Growing up, I was frequently

We all do it. At some time or other despite our best intentions, we eat food we know will make us miserable, drink more than we intended, lash out at those we love most or succumb to our own negative self-talk. We know exactly what is good for us, yet we struggle to consistently incorporate healthy habits into our lives. It is a part of being human, albeit a frustrating part. In my own journey to wellness and healing, patterns have emerged. Anytime I began to move toward succ

So you had a bad day. The bad day to beat all bad days. A spirit-breaking, heart-aching bad day. The good news is that your today is not defined by your yesterday nor does it define your tomorrow. Breathe. Stay in this moment. Ride the wave of emotion running through you. You will reach the other side. And you know what? Your today does not define your yesterday either. Even if you stumble and fall, it does not erase the ground you’ve covered, the growth you’ve achieved. So g

I am at the barrier of my comfort zone and I want to push it. HARD. Not just push it – I want to blow it out of the water. I spent the majority of my life prior to college in a near constant state of fear. I was 36 when I started college. That adds up to a lot of fear. The trajectory of my life shifted when my husband said to me, “You’ve taken care of us for the last twelve years. What do you want to do?” No one had ever asked me that. Not on that level. I had always been som

I have this acquaintance I’ve known for many years. She comes to visit from time to time. It is never what I would call a pleasant visit, only comforting in its familiarity. No matter where I’m at or what I have happening in my life at the moment, she will drop by unannounced. Most often these visits come at the worst time for me. You know what I mean…life is upside down and you feel completely overwhelmed. Yep. That’s when she stops by. I have known her for so long, as long