The new year is coming, for so many of us, that means a new resolve to do better, be better, make a change. Maybe New Year’s Resolutions are not your thing, but constant growth and evolution should be. The concept is the same. The problem with change is that it is hard. It takes time. It takes commitment and dedication. It takes baby steps.  

That is the ticket to any change. Small, consistent steps.  

I want you to be successful. I want to see you reach your goals and become the best version of yourself that you can be. So how can you do that? First of all, your goal/resolution has to be specific. “Lose weight” isn’t enough. “Eat healthily” isn’t enough. “Pray more” isn’t enough. “Be happier” isn’t enough. All of these ideas are good, but your resolution needs to have a bit more of a step-by-step process to be truly successful. Did you know that less than 10% of the resolutions made are kept? Often, it is because these goals are far too broad with no plan in place. No guidance. No c...

Self-Care: the best gift in 2020. In fact, it's the gift that keeps on giving. I’m not talking about your “Jelly of the month membership” from your boss, 😉 or that great vacuum you got last year. You see, no matter if you’re gifting it to someone else, or someone else is gifting it to you, self-care is a pay-it-forward type of gift.  

Self-care looks different for everyone. Understanding what works for you may be a journey and it might certainly change as often as the weather. The important part is that you find your tools for self-care. The things you can do every day to fill your cup. Once you’ve found those, you’re unstoppable. Yes, self-care often means you have to stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off, but it doesn’t mean that you are less productive.  

Here’s how self-care works in your favor. Think about yourself as your cell phone battery. There is only 100% of you to give. Not 200%. Not 300%. One-hundred-percent. You get this 100% every, 24 hours. Did you ...

You are worthy. 

You are a blessing. 

You are strong.  

You are capable.  

You are independent.  

You are valuable.  

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 deserve to achieve every dream you have. 

You deserve to have time for yourself.  

You deserve nothing less than the best.  

Take whatever you need today. Then leave something else for someone in the comments!

Don't forget to join me for a virtual talk on self-care in January!

How well do you know yourself? Seriously. Not just that you like pickles and hate spinach. Or that you know you’d prefer a fuzzy sweater over a fancy dress. But the real stuff. Do you know what type of support you need when you’re feeling overwhelmed? Do you understand how you react when you’re stressed out? Are you aware of your strengths? Do you know how to listen to the signals in your body? Are you even aware of your own body?  

You see, each of those things is a part of what makes you, you. But so often we are unaware of those things. So often we just do whatever it takes to get through the day and overlook everything else. We ignore our bodies, we ignore our preferences, and we certainly don’t take time to honor the signals it is providing us.  

Coming into the holiday season it is so important to make sure you’re staying grounded, protecting your space, and taking time for self-care. Most importantly, listen to what your body is telling you.  

Do you get a pit in you...

Why is it so important to learn who Purely You is? Why does it even matter? You’re getting by just fine in this life, right? Sure, you may be tired, overwhelmed, and exhausted. You might snap at your kids or your partner once in a while. You might show up to work and give less than your best. But it’s no big deal, everyone does it, right? This is what we call, “adulting.” This is why they say it’s hard.
I’m about to tell you something that you may have never heard before.
Your life doesn’t have to look that way. You don’t have to be overwhelmed and exhausted. You don’t have to be short-tempered and snappy. You don’t have to be mediocre. You just have to learn how to care for yourself and become the best version of yourself that you can be. It starts with setting new boundaries, self-discovery, and a few (or a lot) of changes in your daily routines. It’s not an easy transition, especially if you’ve been living this burnt-out life for a while. But I know something special about you: you ...

Feed your soul... like chicken? Or vegetables? Miracle Grow? What does one feed its soul?! Once upon a time, I didn’t get it either. It was a trendy phrase used by a specific kind of person. A much younger version of me imagined her to be someone who didn’t have anything else going on in her life. She lived in luxury. She didn’t have to go to work. She didn’t have any responsibilities. Her day consisted of yoga, sunbathing, and posting on Instagram. Boy, was I wrong! To feed your soul is so much more than the stereotype I had created in my mind. As I grew, I began to understand how important it is to partake in activities that truly do feed your soul. They make your heart happy. You find peace in them. It doesn’t have to be yoga. It doesn’t have to be sunbathing. Maybe its crafting. Maybe its hiking. Maybe it is watching your kids play and relishing in the glory that is a child. Maybe it is your job. Maybe its prayer and/or Bible Study. Maybe it is a walk with a good friend. Maybe it i...

It is so easy to be feeling overwhelmed these days. Nothing is as it was, everything is changing quickly, and the added stress of those changes adds more difficulty to every facet of our lives. That added stress makes it harder to stay productive too. When you look at your to-do list and it is a mile long, it’s hard to know where to even start. Most people do one of two things when they reach a place of overwhelm, they either shut-down, or they go into overdrive. When you shut down, you’ll find that it is all of a sudden “normal” to spend 6 hours of your day on social media. Or maybe snoozing your alarm so much you end up showing up late for work. Or maybe it’s binging your favorite old show. On the other hand, when you go into overdrive you find yourself taking on more and more tasks. Maybe you need to go to the post office to mail out a bill today, but when you sit to write the check and grab a pen, you decide to organize the junk drawer. After that’s done, you finally write the chec...

Have you ever been driving down the road, singing along to the radio, only half aware of what is happening, when all of a sudden a deer steps out onto the highway?! You immediately slam on the brakes, your heart starts racing, and after you know you’re both safe you continue on your way. Except now your heart is pounding and you may be breathing a little hard from that quick burst of excitement. You know the feeling I’m talking about. It is an instant adrenaline rush, stemming from fear.

Now imagine staying in that heart racing state for days on end.

Yikes.

That is exactly what happens to your body when you live in fear. Fear of failure. Fear of disappointment. Fear of judgment. Fearing for your safety. Whether it’s a fear of something physical and tangible, or it’s a fear of an emotion, the way your body reacts is the same. It releases a surge of Cortisol and Adrenaline to keep you alert and able to respond to any life-threatening situation. You know like a Saber-toothed Tiger atta...

In my nursing education, we are trained to deal with many different types of situations. The good, the bad, and the ugly. In one of our training exercises, we are challenged with aiding a pregnant woman who has been in a car accident. Many protocols and routines are in place to aid us in dealing with the bad and ugly situations that we may experience. They usually include having assigned roles in every situation. Everyone has a job. As a new nurse I had asked, “Whose job is it to care for the unborn baby? The team is dedicated to the mom.” The response I received will stick with me forever, “Take care of the mom, and she will care for the baby.”

Let that sink in Mamas. Did you know your body is designed to steal from you so it can support your unborn child? Did you ever think you could live on 4 hours (or less) of sleep a night before you were a parent? Did you ever think that you would go years without buying new clothes so your kids would have new shoes for their upcoming sports sea...

Have you walked by a pool of stagnant water that stunk? One that had a coat of green on the top? One that you prayed your kids wouldn’t play in because that smell is not going to come out of those clothes? On the same token, have you seen a clear mountain river? One where the water is fresh, crisp, and cool? Where it flows peacefully downstream and becomes a habitat for thriving life of all kinds. Your body’s energy is just like this! When it is stagnant, not flowing, and not moving, it is not appealing. On the other hand, when it does flow, it becomes clear and vibrant. A home for growth and vitality.   

So often we allow ourselves to remain stagnant. Sometimes people will say they’re in a rut. They will say they don’t feel like they know who they are anymore. Or that life is boring, there’s no spark. That they are tired of feeling tired. Same S**t Different Day. Same ol’, same ol’... there’s a million different ways to say the same thing, but it all boils down to their energy being ...