My main caregiver last week - Marley! I've been sick for over a week. What started as a bad cold in June turned into a sinus infection in July. By Monday, I knew I needed to rest. Not “kind of” rest either…actually rest. The lie down and do nothing kind. And I was going to. I really was. But then the Should Monster showed up. You know this voice. It doesn't come in loud, demanding and hissing because that would be too easy to dismiss. It comes in reasonable.It comes in small like…You should...
13 days ago • 3 min read
The view from a cabin I stayed at back in 2019. It was one of my regular solo getaways where I take time to rest and reconnect. Do You Ever Want to Run Away to the Forest?To be in a cabin where all you hear is the nearby river... the birds... the trees. The animals rustling around outside. You read. You live off the land. You walk the forest. You create, with no one watching and nowhere to be.Or is that just me? This has been showing up in my journal a lot lately. This pull toward a life...
20 days ago • 3 min read
Three ways I make space for me during a family vacation. Sunrise, a bit of journaling while everyone sleeps, short walk on the beach. It’s summer here in North America…which usually means vacations and time with family and friends. And I’m on one right now…a family vacation at the beach. Our days are filled with beach time, games, meals and lots of laughter. And as much as I love spending time with everyone I also know that I need some time for me. Maybe you know that feeling too. A holiday...
27 days ago • 2 min read
My three photos from Mumford & Sons on Friday night. I saw Mumford & Sons on Friday night and it was AMAZING and…all I have to show for it are the three photos you see above. That’s right…I took three photos the whole night. Not because I made a rule for myself. I just didn’t feel the pull to keep reaching for my phone. Although when I saw the moon peeking out behind the big screen by me, I felt called to capture it at different parts of the evening. But all around me, I noticed how often...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, I'm sitting here in an empty house (well, except for my cat Marley) listening to the quiet. No noise other than the cat fountain, the house fan circulating air, and some far off traffic noise from outdoors. My mind is drifting from thing to thing, wanting to land somewhere but not sure where to go. And it's in this quiet that I realize two things. I need more of it. And I used to avoid it completely. This is not something I could have done years ago. Until a few years ago I...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Yesterday morning, while having my first sip of coffee, I watched the trees blowing in the wind. I wasn’t on vacation or at a retreat. I was just outside on my deck, and I stopped to watch the trees move and dance. Click through the video to hang out with my trees for 11 seconds. 🧚🏻 And I thought: why isn't everyone doing this? What I mean by that is this....Why isn't everyone taking a few moments as they start their day (or as they move through it) to just marvel at the world they're already...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
A reminder to stop and notice nature around you…clouds, flowers, birds… Weekends can get… busy. Especially holiday weekends (it's Memorial Day next weekend here in the US). Errands to run. Cookouts to show up for. Things to check off the list. But somewhere in all that doing, don’t forget about you. Make a little space to breathe. To pause. To just be.Whatever that looks like for you. Here are a few of my favorite ways to slow down, even just for a moment: • Stop and watch the clouds drift by...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Black and white photos from my local walking trail. It’s where I go when I’m stressed and need a longer break. My eyelid has been twitching on and off for the past two weeks. And my jaw has been feeling tight and clenched most days. Based on past experience, this is my body’s way of saying I’m stressed. And I can’t figure out why. I don’t feel like I’m more stressed than usual. I don’t think I’m spending more time at screens. I’ve actually been getting away from my desk more recently (I...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Where I went after my Friday scans…a bit of time with Mother Nature. I shared something on LinkedIn this week that I want to bring to you too…with a smidge more behind the scenes insight. Friday was an emotionally messy day for me. I got my mammogram and had a follow-up with my breast cancer surgeon. And even though it's been three years since my diagnosis, every year when I walk back through those doors, I feel all the feelings all at once… Gratitude for the fact that I’m still here, a quiet...
3 months ago • 2 min read