I have traveled to Guatemala twice for mission trips with the God’s Child Project. We built “houses” for multiple families on these trips. By houses, we’re talking 4 walls and a cement floor; something we would consider more like a garden shed here in the States. There is something so eye-opening about providing service in a third-world country. The stark differences between how we live our lives here in America, and how the people of Guatemala live their lives. I was 20 the first time I went and I remember one of the gentlemen from the Project helping us to process our emotions. Someone in my group had talked about feeling guilty for how “comfortably” she lived her life when the people we were building houses for were just grateful for 4 walls and a Quikcrete floor. That gentleman reminded us that our version of comfortable and their version of comfortable was different, but that didn’t mean our families had any more or fewer struggles than...

I'm sorry,  I just had to share

Have you ever heard the phrase,  "seen and not heard"? In past generations, it was believed that this should be true of women and even of children. Thankfully,  this belief system is primarily one of the past.  However,  old habits die hard… we still see remnants of that teaching in common behaviors today.  

One example of this is when we hear someone say,  "I'm sorry,  I just had to share…" 

As in,  "I have something on my heart that I'd like to share,  but I feel bad about drawing attention to myself." 

It is likely not conscious, you might not even realize you’re doing it. But I hear and read some semblance of that phrase far too often. 

We apologize for taking up space,  for being noticed, and for asking to be heard. We apologize for sharing stories, thoughts, ideas, and opinions. We apologize for something we really are not...

In the hustle of it all, sometimes we forget the things that really matter. 

In a world full of negativity, sometimes we tell ourselves stories that are not true. 

In a society that sets unreal expectations, sometimes we feel inadequate. 

Today, I remind you...

You are worthy. 

You are a blessing. 

You are strong.  

You are capable.  

You are independent.  

You are valuable.  

You are patient.

You are creative.

You are compassionate.  

You are smart.  

You are empowered.  

You are beautiful. 

You are radiant. 

You are purposeful. 

You are fun. 

You are a badass. 

You are clever. 

You are adaptable. 

You are intellectual. 

You are inspiring. 

You are amazing. 

You are gorgeous. 

You are unstoppable. 

You are fierce. 

You are sensational. 

You are loved.

You deserve to achieve every dream you have. 

...

While we know it is better to be a lighthouse in someone else's storm, than to join in their chaos, what happens when that chaos is yours? What do you do when you’re in the middle of your own storm? 

When we feel overwhelmed and lost in the hustle, we often do not take care of ourselves. Our energy is low, we are burnt out, exhausted, and feeling lackluster about life. Some circles tell you this is normal,  this is "adulting", and this is life. Others tell you this is abnormal, you're not handling life well, and you need help. Then there's the group that will encourage you to find yourself-read the books,  buy the journals,  and just get better. 

I'm not here to judge or to tell you which of these paths is better than the rest. No, let's look at life a little differently.  

There are many different seasons of life.  Some are busy and hectic, others are slow and steady. Some bring stress and hardship,  other...

Last week we talked about delegation and how empowering others can help them develop just as much as it can help you relax. Win,  win,  right?! 

But what happens when the frustrations you have are from situations you have little control over? A client of mine recently said,  "I just wish people would be nice to each other!" Neither one of us has any control over how others behave,  but their behavior impacts us just the same.  

Hearing about murders, abuse, assault, death, hate crime, etc can sure put a damper on your day. I watch the news very sparingly for this reason. As an empath, it's hard to hear all the heavy, heartbreaking stories without doing a lot of work to keep my light shining bright. But that same heartbreak is sometimes in our own homes, our workplaces, or communities. You can just turn off the news but you can't avoid life. So what do you do? 

First,  you change your mindset. It is so easy to think...

Something that is often taught in leadership development is the art of delegation.  Learning what tasks to hand to others on your team and empowering them to accomplish those tasks can really change the way your team interacts, and of course,  lightens your load too! 

This concept can be the same in your household too. You know better than anyone that you're the captain of that ship. It's up to you to make sure there are clean clothes to wear, grandma gets a birthday card,  and the goldfish has been fed.  Sometimes the weight of it all feels unbearable. Overwhelming. Even frustrating. 

What would happen if you began to delegate some of those tasks or responsibilities? Of course,  you're not going to have your toddler paying bills,  but they could probably feed the fish.  Are your children old enough to wash their own clothes? What about being responsible for a meal or a side dish? 

Now you're probably thinking...

Often we look into self-care when feeling exhausted, burnt out, and overwhelmed. But, what if you looked at it from prevention than from recovery? I’ve always been a supporter of routine maintenance over crisis management. In a perfect world, we would make time for self-care every day. If you’re looking for some quick strategies to support your self-care I have a good list of them HERE. There is one thing that isn’t on that list though. A variety of self-care that often is overlooked. 

Awareness. 

In particular, being aware of your own limits. Knowing your limits in all facets of life is vital for keeping you grounded, organized, and free from burnout. Let’s use this example from my high school days. My nephew was in the class below me and we were both involved in many of the same activities, track being one of them. He was a distance runner. I was a jumper. So when he wanted to “go for a run” his idea was 8+miles at a...

Mom-guilt is such a strange emotion.

It is all-encompassing and sometimes feels impossible to avoid. 

Work too much- mom guilt

Work too little - mom guilt

Clean the house- mom guilt

Don't clean the house - mom guilt

Feed your kids take-out- mom guilt

Don't feed your kids take-out- mom guilt

You add in the ever-changing recommendations and research in raising children and there's a whole other myriad of guilt-inducing challenges (cry it out or don't,  vaccinate right away or delay, allow devices or don't, attachment parenting or free-range parenting, etc etc etc). 

We have these ideals and standards in our minds about what a perfect mom is and allow ourselves to feel guilty when we are less than that imaginary figure in our minds.  It's not easy mama. I hear you. And while there's so much to unpack around those standards and how you feel,  there is a slight change you can make in your home that can help you feel good...

Self-care, self-love, me-time. These phrases are ones we hear often. But do you have any idea what that even means? Do you hear yourself saying, “must be nice” when someone talks about taking some time for themselves? We’ve all been there. Some days it feels like there just isn’t any time for you. Some days it feels too expensive, wasteful, or even selfish. But every day, it is necessary.  

As a society, we always find the money, the time, the space, and the energy, to make things happen that we really want and need. The most heartbreaking example of this is when a loved one is ill. In your day-to-day life, you don’t have the time or money to visit. But when that person becomes ill, you make the time. You find the money. You find the way and get there. Immediately, this becomes a priority, and we always figure out the way for our priorities. I challenge you to prioritize your health and well-being this month. Sure, life is crazy and busy...

I had an experience the other day that really made me think. It was a prime example of how we as women tear each other down. How instead of encouraging and embracing each other in their power, we work to prevent that in one another. Now, I’d imagine that most of us don’t do it on purpose, but it is something we need to begin to be aware of. I’ll tell you the story...

There I was having a conversation with someone about raising children. The struggles, the successes, the challenges, and all the things that come with guiding a young human in this crazy world. We have had different experiences, as she has her own biological children and no nieces/nephews and at that time I had a bonus daughter, as well as many nieces and nephews. During our conversation, she said something to the effect of, “well you haven’t had children so you don’t really understand.” My knee-jerk reaction is to say, “yeah, you’re right” and give this...