Remember when we talked about life school? How we are always growing and evolving and the world will continue to offer us opportunities to learn until we’ve really got those lessons nailed down? Let’s talk about learning patience. Patience is hard. It’s one of those life skills that we all need to have, but most of us struggle with it. 

What happens when you need to learn patience in life is that you are provided opportunities to be patient. Like a long check-out line. Or when your doctor is running an hour behind on the day you have an appointment. Or when you’re waiting on construction. For some of us, dial-up internet taught us patience. We have been living in a world that is so full of instant gratification that we have lost a lot of our patience. We have become a society that wants things now. If shipping takes more than 2 days I don’t want it. If the store doesn’t get their shipment in for 3 more days, I’ll just order it...

Do you deserve peace? Happiness? Joy? Love? Financial freedom? Health? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. You absolutely do. Some would even say this is your birthright. You might even be willing to fight for it or support those that do. Do you support the American Military that fights to keep our country free? Do you support groups that encourage more love in our schools like an anti-bullying campaign? Do you support scholarship funds that help people pay for college? I’m sure at one point or another you have supported many causes that encourage these values. Now I ask you again, do you think you’re deserving of the same values? This is a yes or no answer. Not a yes/no BUT... answer. There’s no but’s here. 

One of the hardest parts about being on this journey to your best self is thinking everyone else deserves to get there before you do. Everyone else deserves a little easier go at life than you do. You will support other people the best you can and in...

Remember in this blog when we were reminded to stop chasing perfect and how we are all beginners at some point? What do you do with yourself when you’re suffering a hardship? When you’re faced with a new experience and you don’t know what to do? You don’t run from it, because remember our goal is not to be perfect. 

We embrace the hardship as an opportunity to grow and be better. Allow yourself to be humbled, to say, “hmmm… I have never experienced this before and I don’t know what to do. It is time to learn.” 

We are quick to let our ego get in the way when something becomes difficult. “I fail.” “I can’t do this.” “I’m not capable.” “I suck.” “Why does this always happen to me?” and whatever other nasty things you say to yourself. When you start down that rabbit hole of negative self-talk you immediately shut down to the opportunity of...

Over the last year, we have seen a lot of things change in our lives. It has created many changes in our homes, our workplaces, our schools, and our communities. Those adjustments have led to some changes in our relationships as well. Maybe some added stress. Maybe a need for extra effort. Maybe drifting apart under the chaos. Or all of the above. 

THAT IS OKAY. 

Relationships ebb and flow all the time. The people in your life came into your timeline when you were a very specific version of you, and they were a very specific version of them. You will not always grow at the same pace. You will not always WANT to grow at the same pace or in the same ways. Just because you are in a relationship with someone, does not mean you are less of an individual. You may experience the same events: birth of a child, loss of a parent, buying a home, changes in household income, a world-wide pandemic… but you will experience them in a way that is as unique to you as...

What defines you? Is it your hair color? “I’m blonde so I must be ditzy” “I’m a redhead so I am short tempered.” Is it your gender? “I’m female so I’m supposed to enjoy cooking.” “I’m male so I must know a lot about vehicles.” Is it your education? “I have a PHD so I know everything.” “I dropped out of high school, so I know nothing and cannot be successful.” …. These all sound crazy don’t they.

Try these one on for size:

“I don’t have a partner so I am not loveable.”

“I have a chronic illness, so I cannot be happy.”

“I was abused, so I cannot have a healthy relationship.”

Are any of those true? Or just as crazy as saying your hair color determines your attitude?

You are not defined by the way you look.

You are not defined by the things that happen to you.

Yes, there are defining moments in your life. The...

I once heard a story of a new teacher who had been called into her principal's office for a discussion about her class. As the story goes she was told to not expect much out of these kids as she had a few students who were just getting shuffled from class to class to get them out of the school system. Being a new teacher, full of hope and passion, she didn’t think she could do that. Instead, she thought she better figure out which students he was talking about and offer them extra assistance. While the principal stepped out to get coffee, she snuck through the student files and found numbers at the top of each student folder. She was sure that was their IQ and committed them to memory. When it came time to teach these kids, she set the bar very high as these children were all very smart with outstanding IQs and it was her job to bring it out of them. She worked tirelessly that year to mold the minds of these students and they all did an outstanding job. When the year-end came...

I need help. 

Can you help me? 

I can’t do it alone. 

This is too much for me. 

How hard is it to say these words out loud? Do you struggle with admitting you need and/or asking for help? 

Do you know why it’s hard to ask? 

In part, the difficulty comes from society priding itself on a “self-reliant” culture. We have been conditioned to believe that we should be able to do it all by ourselves. We have been conditioned to believe that to need help from someone is to prove that you are incapable. 

That leads to us feeling vulnerable. Exposed. Naked. If I have to ask for help, there must be something wrong with me. If I have to ask for help, I am failing. If I have to ask for help, I am not worthy. 

Remember when we talked about growing constantly and how that doesn’t stop when you graduate from school? We are so quick to say the words, “it takes a village to...

Remember when we talked about why it is so important to grow?

And when we talked about how everyone grows at their own pace? Well, what happens if it is you who is not ready to grow? I recently had someone say to me, “I know I need to do my own work, but I’m not ready yet. So, for now, my life will stay just as it is.” How profound is that statement?! I am so proud of this person for recognizing this. For saying, “you know what, I certainly have some room for growth, but I don’t want to put the work into it so... this is my life right now.” You guys, that is just as powerful as someone who says, “I’m committed to living a different life.” You know why? Because she recognizes it and she chooses. And that is a beautiful thing!

There are wonderful seasons for growth and there are wonderful periods of rest. Watch how other natural cycles work. Your kids for example. Same size clothes for a season and then *poof* they are growing...

Are you an NCIS fan? Gibbs is known for his "gut." That instinct he uses to make impossible judgment calls that always lead to the perfect outcome. I mean yes, this is a TV show we are talking about, but trusting your gut is a real thing! If you're not an NCIS fan maybe you've heard the phrase, "a mother's intuition." Or maybe you've been in a situation where you got a feeling deep in the pit of your stomach that told you something wasn't quite right. Each of these is talking about the same thing. Your intuition aka your divine guidance. We are all born with the ability to be aware of that guidance. As babies, it is this intuition that guides us to take our first breath, how to nurse, and how to trust when we are safe and unsafe. New parents, were you ever told that if you are calm your baby will be calm? That is in part because they can intuitively sense the different vibrations between their seemingly safe world and your stressed-out "unsafe" one. Children use their intuition when...

Purely You isn't the "go-getter" persona you adopt at work. It's not the "soccer mom" impression you leave at school drop off. Purely You probably isn't the version of yourself that shows online either. It's not the face you put on for your in-laws at dinner. It's not the smile you paint on when your kids are misbehaving in the store. Purely You isn't the mask you put on to please your partner, your boss, your kids, or your best friend. 

Purely You is the absolute truest version of yourself. The person you are at the root of your being. The person you were put on this earth to become. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? But I would venture to guess, you have covered up bits and pieces of you to get through this life. Maybe you've done this for so long, that you're not really sure who you are anymore. Do you really like that TV show or do you watch it because your partner does? Do you really enjoy going hiking or do you only go because your best friend does? Does a bubble bath make...