Hope vs Belief

If you missed my blog post a few weeks ago about the “Fear of Hope”, you can read it here.

I have a few more thoughts on the subject that have emerged.

I think Hope vs Belief has a subtle, yet important, distinction.

Hoping to me feels like an anxious passive energy.

Like you’re sitting in your chair wringing your hands and biting your lip…Oh geez, I sure do hope…

Belief feels enlivening and igniting.

It feels active and engaging. You’re doing it and you believe you can.

Hope feels like it’s cloudy or behind a wall. You can’t touch it. You’re not sure.

Belief feels…well, you can FEEL it. It’s around you. In you.

Belief feels sparkly.

I like living in belief.

If you’re stuck in hope and want to embrace belief, I have coaching tools that will get you feeling sparkly and into aligned action. You can schedule a session right here. We’ll turn your passive hopes into action!

photo of the tree in the snow from unsplash.com. Can’t find the artist’s name.

How I’m doing December

We started our Calm The Chaos 4-week series on Monday night! We’re walking through my framework for intentionally creating the December that you want.

I’ve been feeling into my December theme this past week and came up with “warmth”. 

Watching The Family Stone movie really got me in that warm holiday vibe. 

I just love the feel of that house and the kitchen, specifically. 

When I went to grab images of the kitchen for my Pinterest holiday vibes mood board I found that I really didn’t like it at all. It’s cluttered and there really isn’t anything in it that I’d like to replicate.

That got me to thinking…it’s not the material “thing”, or the event, or the <arguably> perfect meal…I mean MAYBE it’s the perfect meal. No really. It’s not. 

It’s the FEELING that you create around it. I want to sit down in that kitchen with Diane Keaton (RIP) and a cup of coffee from her precious coffee pot and just BE there. It’s the warm feeling that the family creates that makes it feel appealing. They are not perfect by any means. That creates warmth too. And that cluttered kitchen. Not perfect. That doesn’t matter either. It’s the felt sense of warmth that calls to me.

So how to create warmth? That’s what I want in December.

I am looking to my 5 senses:

• I love images. Looking at a collection of images that say “warmth” creates the feeling for me. And then I can express warmth to others.

• I have some “winter warmth” essential oil diffuser recipes I’m rotating.

• Hot chocolate is going to be my winter go-to warm treat.

• I have a few blankets and cashmere sweaters that give that “warm” texture. And I got a super soft rug for beside my bed.

• I have a few playlists on Spotify that make me feel like I’m nestled up on an old lived-in velvet couch in a NYC coffee shop with brick walls that are 200 years old sipping rich thick hot chocolate and watching it snow. Ahhhh that’s warmth. Cozy Christmas Jazz & Cozy Coffee Shop.

I’m also considering activities and places that give me a sense of warmth.

Stepping outside last night and watching the snow fall in the street light gave me the ultimate sense of warmth. And sitting here on the bed looking out at the way the snow clings to the trees feels SO warm.

The goal is to FEEL a sense of warmth on the inside. I first have to create it within, and then I can express it. 

Others can feel it…whatever it is that you’re feeling. They feel it. I want it to be warmth that they feel this December.

What’s your December vibe? You’re creating one. Might as well do it on purpose.

If you missed signing up for my group, I can lead you through it 1:1. Grab a zoom coaching session here.

The fear of hope

“Hope is the conduit for miracles.” 

That’s my weekly card for contemplation from Gabby Bernstein’s deck. 

Yes, it’s true. But Hope is a tricky little guy. Let’s dig deeper, shall we?

I do monthly training and mentorship for the coaches at Goodwill. They do amazing work with employees of Goodwill. We just completed a series highlighting points from Ross Ellenhorn’s book “How We Change, And Ten Reasons Why We Don't.” 

He talks about the research on The Fear of Hope. This was new to me.

Here’s how my man Ross sees it: “When you hope for something, you YEARN for it. But you don’t know if you’ll actually get it. That makes it different from optimism, which is a strong belief that you’ll get it. When you hope for this something, you’re giving greater importance to it than you did before you began hoping. As a result, your potential disappointment over the loss of that thing becomes more intense the more you hope for it. The higher you go up the hill of hope, the farther you could fall because you’re making that want/wish/goal more and more important as you pursue it.” …or in some cases just think about it.

This is resonate to me. I have learned about myself that I really hate disappointment. And I see how I try to avoid it by not always going for the thing I really hope for. I have also learned that you feel disappointment anyway, because you don’t get the thing you hoped for either way. So you’re not really avoiding disappointment at all, you’re just guaranteeing it.

I tested this theory out with a coaching client and found that hope (supposedly the conduit for miracles!) was actually her block to her forward progress!

She had such a fear that could not find the job that she hoped for that she was doing nothing. SO SHE CAN HOLD ONTO HOPE. She has no idea what would happen if she can’t find a good job where she lives. Not getting it feels like worst case scenario to her. She jokingly/not joking said it feels like someone is chasing her down a dark alley with a chainsaw. The disappointment of not getting the thing she hopes for felt unbearable. At least if she does nothing, she can hold onto hope.

I then explored this with another client. She too was sitting in inaction because if she puts her work out there, it may be rejected. She may be told it’s not good, she’s not good. Then she would lose her identity as an “artist” and that is worst case scenario. So she sits alone with her beautiful creations hidden from view so that she can hold onto hope. Hope that they’re good. Hope that she is worthy. Hope that she is enough. Hope that she is a good artist.

Makes sense doesn’t it? The discomfort of losing that particular hope, the disappointment of it, seems so unbearable that you’re not willing to feel it. 

But here’s the thing. You’re still miserable sitting with your precious hope in tack. It feels bad to have what you hoped for not turn out, but it feels as bad, and eventually worse, to not to try. 

Then nothing ever happens. And you cultivate a fear of hope, because hope feels worthless. And then you stop dreaming because you keep experiencing that hope goes no where.

So yes…Hope CAN be the conduit for miracles. It can also be shackles that keep you stuck.

If you’re struggling with inaction, it might be a fear of hope. I’m good at helping people find the root of their stuckness and getting into action. Both of these clients are now taking action, btw! After years of not. So, you see…there IS hope ;-).

You can schedule a Zoom coaching session here for help.

photo of me by the amazing Emily Schwank.

Divine Guidance for Navigating Change

I recently wrote about navigating endings. Specifically the desecration of farm land in the small rural community where I grew up to make room for pharmaceuticals and a Meta data center. A sign of the priorities of the time. If you missed it, you can read it here.

The day after I wrote that, during my morning meditation time, I was directed by my guides to a passage from the book “Casting the Net”, by Sharon McErlane. She’s a lovely woman now in her 90s who channels a manifestation of The Divine she calls “The Grandmothers”. Here’s the message they had for me:

“As you move closer to the times of change that are coming to earth, all sorts of pain will arise. The horrors will become more and more evident and as they do, you will need to maintain your link to what is real, to what is changeless. As evil behaviors become more pronounced, stay connected to The Divine/God/Source (whatever form of the Divine resonates for you) and you won’t be swept away by the shock of the moment.

Much is changing on earth at this time and you must allow it to change. Don’t fight it. It’s supposed to change. It’s part of the “play”. Life is supposed to change, so let it. In order for the new to come, the old must pass.

You’ve forgotten about it being a play. You think everything that happens on earth is real. Nothing ephemeral is real. That which is real is changeless and that which is not real is always changing. Life on earth is always changing. It’s supposed to.

As this change comes, give your attachment to suffering over to us. You contract whenever these so called losses occur. You try to prevent them from taking place. Every time you do that, your heart clutches and holds onto pain. Just let it pass. It’s only a story. Let it flow. Let it go. Pain isn’t permanent. So let it pass.

Whenever you feel pain like this, remember that you’re holding onto something, thinking it’s permanent when actually it’s just flowing down the river. Let it flow. Relax now and remember that at every moment you are being carried down the river. Carried downstream with the flow, to peace.”

Isn’t that just magical?! If we get quiet long enough to listen, we receive guidance.

I can also help you with transition and releasing to the flow of change through pranic healing energy work or coaching. I do both those on Zoom! Support is always available.

Transitions & Change

Let’s talk about transitions.

My baby girl went to college last month. Transitions and change are top of mind.

Plus - the autumn equinox kicked off Mabon season on The Wheel of The Year. A season of transition. The themes for this Mabon season are:

the balance of light and dark

transition

completion

preparing for winter rest

releasing

I’m in a period of transition as we explore empty nesting so this theme is very present for me. I’ve found this book I’m reading/listening to “Falling Upward”, by Richard Rohr, really thought provoking and helpful as I process. It’s about the first half of life themes versus the 2nd half of life themes, from a developmental perspective.

Life transitions.

I really loved the example he gave of the Japanese ceremony to transition their soldiers out of war. “Discharging Your Loyal Soldier.” He describes how after war (could you call raising a child “war”?! Arguably yes.), the soldiers need a broader identity in order to rejoin their community as useful citizens. And they have a ceremony for this.

The soldiers are publicly thanked, honored, and praised effusively for their service to the people. Then an elder stands and announces with great authority something like: “The war is now over. The community needs you to let go of what has served you, and served us, well up to now. The community needs you to return as a man, a citizen, and something beyond soldier.”

He says this kind of closure is needed for most of us at a transition point in life. A rite of passage, a clear cross-over, a closure and transition into a new period. An invitation to consider your new direction, and your importance as part of the whole.

He talks about how the US is “ritually starved.” I agree. We have no/few rites of passage ceremonies where we say - “That was then. This is now. And it’s a good thing!” We’re just like - yeah have those babies and good luck. Or drop that kid off at college and then…idk…whatever bro. Go have a beer.

So I’ve been thinking about the transition of mothering in this “discharging the Japanese soldier” way (cuz let’s be honest, mothering felt alot like war to me ;-)) and I made some journal prompts for myself. I imagined a wise elder saying these to me:

· Thank you for the service you have provided. <Praise yourself ALOT here>

· Your job then was…

· You are now something beyond who you were.

· Your job now is…

· Your community needs you to…

· You can contribute in these ways…

It feels really nice and uplifting and important and sacred to have an elder (albeit not in human form) walk me through this.

Maybe this is helpful to you too, no matter the nature of your transition. You could look at it as the transition of our global community, of the collective consciousness…transitions of all sorts abound.

And your community needs you!

Thank you for your service.

You are now something beyond who you were. Who are you now?

If these prompts spark some things you’d like to work through, I’m available for coaching and guidance on your path. You don’t have to do it alone. It helps to say it out loud. Schedule a session!

Navigating Endings

I come from a small rural farming community west of Lebanon Indiana. I grew up plowing fields and helping tend the garden and frog giggin’ and riding snowmobiles for hours through the countryside. Most people around knew me, and my great, great grandparents too.

As we speak, there are a million big trucks and earth-moving equipment tearing it all up to make room for industry – pharmaceuticals and a Meta data center. A sign of the priorities of the time.

Farm houses, giant old trees, peonies, barns, and yards where kids used to play. All leveled. Acres upon acres that were family farms when I was growing up. All bare dirt now. 5 miles of road that I traveled zillions of times in my youth to get to town now looks like a nuclear bomb went off. It’s a wasteland.

It’s hard to witness.

I’m using The Wheel of the Year to help me process it.

The Wheel is an invitation to tap into the energies of the season. To connect with the natural world and the rhythm of things. Life and death. Light and darkness. It helps us tap deeper into our innate knowing. Our own sacred cycles.

We’re in Samhain season on The Wheel of The Year. The themes of this season are:

• Endings…that always promise new beginnings

• Allowing for the darkness, the void. It’s in the void that the creative impulse can emerge.

• Releasing. Like the falling leaves, what you release is compost for the next creation.

• The element of water- flow. How can you welcome more flow. Less resistance.

• Connecting with our ancestors. This is a time for stories and home.

• Exploring the magic and mystery in the dark unknown.

It’s so fitting isn’t it? The themes all apply. It makes pain poetic.

And this is life, right?

We can’t always change the circumstances. This circumstance is certainly out of my control. Lots and lots of people in Boone County fought it. It happened anyway. Sometimes it does.

So when the circumstance feels icky, and sad, and wrong…how will we choose to hold it? Cuz sometimes we get handed a pile of stinky shit. The darkness comes.

This is my work. I help people process circumstances that they do not like. I help them explore it and feel it, and decide how to navigate it.

We always have a choice about how we show up for any circumstance.

I know these tools well because I use them to navigate my own life. I’m a human, and I’m in this human game just like you.

We can’t escape the darkness. But there are tools available to navigate the path.

If you are faced with a pile of shit and want some help navigating, you can schedule a 1:1 energy healing session, or a coaching session, or join one of my groups.

Connection breathes new life into us. Sitting in a circle of women is powerful support. It elevates us out of our own pain, and our limited view.

I’d be honored to support you in any of these ways….Sign up buttons right there…

Who's Influencing You?

That’s a theme with my clients (and me) right now.

We are being asked to grow our awareness and discernment around influence.

• What is influencing us?

• Who is trying to influence us?

• How are we influenced?

• How can we remain clear so that we are sovereign beings?

I had a pranic healing client yesterday who is trying to make a big decision. She’s been asking for guidance but the messages she’s getting don’t feel good or right. 

She was seeking clarity. 

I hear over and over that my clients get clarity from a pranic healing session. 

The pranic healing process clears all of the outside influences:

• Our thoughts – “I should do this, I shouldn’t do that.” Those thoughts become things.

• Limiting beliefs and old stories

• Other people’s opinions

• Our emotions – fears, old hurts

• Past lives

• Ancestors

We clear all that fog so that you have access to your clear guidance.

I have noticed a pattern of chakras that are clogged and have been told that these chakras are the portals where outside influences try to plug into us.

My client kept coughing during the session and I got a frog in my throat. Once I got her chakras cleared, our throats were totally fine. I didn’t even need to clear the throat chakra. That was not where the block was, but the blocks in other places were influencing her voice, her expression.

As the session went on, she continued to get more clarity about the situation.

So many ah-has.

Once you clear all the noise of outside influences, you can hear what’s right for you. You know.

If you’re seeking clarity, I invite you to schedule a pranic healing session.

Manifestation: 4 Steps

Manifestation. It’s a buzz word these days. 

Here’s how I see it: Manifestation is making things happen and creating a feeling of things flowing. Maybe those “things” are spiritual connection, inspiration, your health, energy, material things, ideas, emotions, relationships, opportunities. Anything really.

One manifestation seems to create a chain reaction of all kinds of things happening. It shifts your energy and that changes lots of things.

I got in that manifestation energy last week after having been out of it for a few months. It feels so good!

I decided to dig into how I created the environment to get the energy flowing again so that opportunities could manifest. I thought you might like to hear it!  Here’s what I did:

1.     Ask. I asked for what I wanted. Very specifically. And I wrote it down. This required me to get clear on what exactly I wanted and why. The details of how it will happen are not that important. In fact, a focus on the details of “how” is counter-productive because it rarely looks like what my brain can conjure up. I think the most important part is to stick to what you want and why and write it down in the form of an ask. 

2.    Get clear on your mission. Why am I here on this earth in this body, in this place, in this life? What are my priorities? Where can I have the biggest impact? What is my calling? What are my gifts (that I should be using)? I have figured all that out, but I needed to remind myself. Here are a few practical tools I repeatedly use:

Writing in my journal and sometimes typing it out and arranging it in a way that I can explain it to someone else. Like I’m doing here! Whether I share it or not, preparing it as if I’m going to share it creates clarity.

My spiritual practices – meditation to calm & center me, and get out of my monkey mind brain chatter. It reorders me to the truth, which is not about the silly human stuff. It creates a knowing clarity – “oh yes THIS is what’s important.” I also often draw an oracle card to receive a divine message. It’s ALWAYS on point. I also often open to a random page in one of my spiritual books. It’s usually a Grandmothers book. If you haven’t heard me talk about them, you can read more about them here.

Once I have clarity, I ask is this thing I think I want staying true to that? Knowing my mission, does this ask fit into it? If so, how exactly? How can I contribute value here? This keeps your efforts and desires in line with your mission and values.

3.    Take back my power! Get out of the victim energy. Victim energy can dress itself up in a cute little outfit and make you think it’s strength, or fortitude, or something else more noble. Tricky guy. It may sound like this:

“This is just the way it is (poor me). I’ll just bloom where I’m planted.”

“This circumstance/situation/structure/person is wrong and stupid and bad (And I’m right and have all the answers, of course).”

“I don’t want or like this (and you should magically know that and give me what I want and like without me asking).” 

Ok. Fine. Whine about it and get all indignant if you must (I usually must ;-)). THEN… how can you take charge in some way? What CAN I control/command? If I don’t want this, then what DO I want? How can I take action to influence the situation?

A side note on action: The action just needs to be the next right step. You don’t have to have it all figured out from A-Z. Figuring all that out makes you tired and overwhelmed and you’ll probably be wrong anyway. Just do SOMETHING. One thing. The first step in that direction. How can you be IN action, rather than stuck in inaction?

4.    Now share it with the humans. Get it outta your noggin girl! Declare it to someone out loud. Talk to friends about it. I’m usually not looking to them for advice or confirmation, but talking it out helps me gain further clarity and builds my conviction and confidence. It also helps me to feel supported. 

Then, in this case, I had a tough conversation. I showed up to a meeting to share my truth, to speak with compassion and power, serious and strong, but playful, as is my way. Use your own brand of communication and expression. Stay true to that. 

The oracle card that I drew for that week said “My capacity to tune in to the energy of love gives me the words I need when I’m ready to speak up, the compassion I need when it’s time to forgive, and the power I need when I am lost.” I considered that the formula that I needed to use for this tough conversation.

Those were my steps.

So here’s what happened: I had the conversation. I was clear and strong. I was light and playful. I was not tied to the outcome because I was clear on where I stood. I had love and compassion in my heart. No one was right or wrong. I felt powerful and grounded. I knew that whether I got what I wanted or not, that I would be ok.

And the outcome COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BETTER! I was seen, heard, respected, AND I got everything I wanted! Which isn’t always the case and wasn’t my goal. But it’s fun when that happens isn’t it? 

And then the energy dam broke. People and opportunities started magnetizing to me. Because that’s how energy works. Dominoes. Two emails that were hanging out there for weeks suddenly replied with enthusiastic “yes let’s get together”. A collaboration opportunity suddenly popped up. A client/friend emailed me and said “I keep seeing things that remind me of you and I thought that means I should reach out!”

Magic seems to be sparking everywhere! I feel alive and motivated and energized!

A qualifier: All of this being said – I think “manifestation”, whatever that means to you, is complex and not always a neat 4 step process. If you follow this formula, results may vary. Or maybe not. Maybe I just unlocked the keys to the Universe. Haha! I’m betting no. There are unforeseen forces at work that our little human brains can’t see or control. So I like to play with the process, and hold it loosely and trust that all is unfolding as it should.

So tell me…what do you think of all this? How do you manifest? I wanna hear it!

If you’d like help with this process, schedule a coaching session here and we’ll dig into it together!

Painting: The Blade, by Amy Kirchner

The logjam in your brain

I have an intake form for new coaching clients. It gives me an idea of where you’re at even before our first coaching session. And it helps you gain clarity so that we can make the most of our time together.

I have noticed that simply filling out this form leads to so many revelations, and even change-making…before we even get started with coaching!

For my newest coaching client these questions sparked SEVEN pages of notes! So many insights & awarenesses came up for her.

I thought you might like to see them. So grab a pencil and at least 7 pieces of paper ;-). Here goes:

• What do you need to let go of?

• How is hanging on affecting you?

• Why do you think you’re having trouble letting go?

• What have you tried?

• What is on the other side of letting go?

• What do you want to get out of our time together?

• Is there anything else that you want me to know?

Pretty simple questions that can help clear a log jam in your brain so that things can flow easier.

I hope these questions unlock some insights for you. If you’d like help once you get it all out, schedule a Discovery Zoom Call. It’s a free session. We’ll decide together where to go from there.

photo: AI generated via @lizsunshine on IG

Different Angles On Choosing Love

Did you read my blog post “WTF Does ‘Leading With Love’ Mean?

Several of the wise women in this community responded to me with really inspirational, practical, deep, creative thoughts and perspectives. And y’all need to hear them! They graciously gave me permission to share their wisdom with you.

So here they are! In no particular order. “What does it mean to choose love?”:

First from Linda: Choosing love: Allow-acknowledge-accept. Have you heard of Bashar? He speaks of this formula. I feel I choose love when I drop from the head to the heart.

Next, Alana: We must be channeling the same energy because I have been hearing the words “choose love” chanting through my brain for about 5 days now.  

And then you put Georgia O’Keeffe and that quote about doing nothing all summer but waiting to be yourself and THAT has been my summer mantra! Getting back to being my fckn self!!! Andddd I just got back from the Georgia O’Keeffe Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu NM and had a magical plant-y experience with goldenrod, who firmly and playfully reminded me to get back to being myself :)

Tracy note: Isn’t it so cool how we’re all connected? I’ve heard synchronicities from so many of you. I took Alana’s share as a message for me to take my goldenrod tincture that I made!

Next up – from Pam: I launched myself into choosing love earlier this year and continue to explore it as well!! 

When I was feeling neutral, I pulled out my journal and began to document situations or people that made me feel negative emotions (fear). Was there a different perspective that I hadn't explored? Was that situation really to blame or did I react from a wounded place? As I practiced writing/analyzing, I also got better at being in the moment without immediately becoming angry or frustrated when I was being challenged. It's still a work in progress but keeping in mind that the Universe is always working FOR me and not against me helps too.

I've also circled back to the Four Agreements, which includes "never take anything personally" and "don't make assumptions," AND I always hear you asking me what I'm mirroring. These little reminders have helped me explore as well. Am I making an assumption? Am I mirroring fear?

I also have The Universe Has Your Back card deck (Transform Fear to Faith) that has been helpful. Drawing a card at the beginning of the week and then looking at it helps me remember to consider if I'm seeing something through the fear or love lens.

Some of the messages:

• My outer experiences are a reflection of my internal condition.

• I let go of the shadow of the past by seeing someone for the first time with the eyes of love.

• The moment I realign with love, clear direction is presented to me.

• When I lean toward love I am led.

• I recognize that I have chosen fear, and I choose again. I choose love.

Tracy note: I ordered that deck! And I’m drawing a card of the week. 

I've noticed that I continue to pull weekly cards around this topic week after week after week when there are lots of others in the deck. :) 

Anna shared this: I was moved to share this podcast episode with you from my favorite podcast. It really speaks to the choose love, openness concept in a way that fills out the picture very powerfully.

Thank you friends for sharing your perspectives! I am so very grateful.

Do you have something you’d like to share on this topic? We’d all love to see it in the comments below!

It's Never Just About The Dishes

“I just can’t get motivated to keep up on housework these days.”

That’s the opening line of a coaching session I had last week. Seems like a simple and not uncommon issue huh?

But here’s what I know from years of coaching:

IT’S NEVER JUST ABOUT THE DISHES!

In less than 30 minutes here’s what we found:

She’s a recent empty-nester. Housework used to be about serving her family so she enthusiastically did it. “Now it’s just adulting so it’s not joyful”, she said.

Her kids provided a constant reminder about what is important to her - love, family, playing in the sprinkler, doing fun things. Now she doesn’t have a built-in reminder. And she’s stuck.

She also realized that she has been resisting the grief that also comes along with the joy of this phase. She said she is so happy for her kids and proud that they are out on their own now and doing so well. “It’s a good thing. I shouldn’t be sad about it.”

We explored how she can be both. Change - good or bad - brings all sorts of emotions. And they’re all ok. And it’s not a linear process. But if we say that an emotion is not ok, or we “should this or should that”, then we create resistance. And resistance doesn’t just stay in one place. It creeps into everything. And then you feel stuck.

She had been going through all of this unconsciously. When she felt a negative emotion come up, she shoved it back down and tried to shift her focus - unconsciously. The result of that emotional repression was that she felt yucky, but she didn’t know why.

Once we brought awareness to it, acknowledged it, didn’t try to change it, got rid of the “shoulds” she was having, the resistance went away.

She opened - I could see it! Her mood lifted, her demeanor changed, she started coming up with solutions, she shifted into possibility, and even excitement for her new era.

She said “I want to figure out how to re-orient in this new phase of life. How am I living my values?”

We talked about visualizing this next era - what does she want it to be? What are the possibilities?

Through conversation, she ended up creating some action items for herself: she’s going to spend time in quiet prayer asking for help and direction. She’s going to find some books on this topic, she’s going to check in with friends who have been through this.

And btw- these were not my suggestions because coaching isn’t about me telling you what to do. She came up with all of these ideas.

THIS is the power of coaching.

When you feel stuck, or yuck, a good coach can illuminate the shadowy corners for you. A good coach listens for you to reveal what you need. Because you DO know.

If you’d like some help excavating the answers, let’s schedule a session!

WTF Does "Leading With Love" MEAN?!

“I have done nothing all summer but wait for myself to be myself again.” - Georgia O’Keeffe

This is me << Well, not literally. That’s Georgia, but I’ve had a rough summer too, Georgia!

My daughter, my husband and I all got pneumonia in 2-week waves starting July 4th. Scott and I are not yet fully recovered. And we had to put our dog to sleep, and we found a mold mystery in our bedroom closet…and I could add a litany of other things to this pile but you get the idea.

I have been reading from The Grandmother’s book 4, as I navigate these challenges. You can read more about them here if you’re interested. I have found their teachings to be massively helpful over the last several years. I find comfort and direction in their lessons. Here’s the quote I recently turned to in their book:  

“Let go of judgment and simply love. It’s not your job to fix things or figure out what to do. We (The Divine) do that. Your job is to stand in love with your hearts and arms open wide. When you do this, you make room for us to enter in. You make room for us to live and act through you. Keep it simple. Choose love. Choose love every time. Say yes to loving and then let everything else go. When you are happy, love. When you are sad, love. When in doubt, choose love. Always, in every moment, choose love. Make that choice and the correct action will follow.”

This pissed me off. WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEEEEEEAN!?  “Choose love.” 

I didn’t seem to understand this concept of “simply choosing love”. That frustrated me. 

I feel like I’m a pretty loving person. I love a lot of people and things. But what does it mean to “choose love, to stand in love”? Like on a practical level…what does that mean? It seems like a basic and silly question. But I didn’t get it.

Spoiler alert: I’m not here to tell you the answers. I’m using both present and past tense as I write: “didn’t know, don’t know”, because I have had some insights but I’m still exploring and wrestling with it. I’m inviting inquiry. I’m exploring the topic with curiosity and maybe you’re interested in that exploration too. 

I decided to start by thinking about how I love my daughter Ruby. I thought about how she delights me, how funny she is, how caring, how capable, how thoughtful, how determined, what an affectionate little love bug she is. 

Those thoughts created a warm fuzzy feeling. Ok. That feeling is love. I get it. But now what…

I shared my angst on the subject with a few wise friends and I’ll share their perspectives:

My friend Amy said to her “leading with love” means to find your steadiness – that centered, grounded, solid, knowing feeling - and then love radiates from you with no effort. She said “like when you stand next to an amazing tree and you feel better…the tree is just being a tree. It’s not trying to be or do anything else. It’s just standing steady in its tree-ness.” 

My friend Chris said it’s different for different people and at different times. She shared a practical example about how she gets so angry about politics, but that anger makes her feel bad and it doesn’t change anything or anyone. So she found a group that is writing post cards to people who are registered Independents in swing states. She feels this is something proactive that she can do to make a difference. Likewise, when a family friend of hers was killed many years ago by a drunk driver, she channeled that anger and grief into creating a local MADD chapter.

Then I remembered “Heart Math”, a tool that I use and teach, and the “Twin Hearts Meditation” that I learned in Pranic Healing workshops. Both of these tools bring your focus to your heart space, direct your mind to think of something that makes you feel the feeling of love, and then you expand that feeling. In the case of Heart Math, they have measured with an actual scientific instrument that your thoughts and feelings literally change the frequency of the space around you. 

You’re just being a tree and others feel it ;-).

So that’s where I’m at with this business of choosing and leading with love. 

So many different ways to choose love and lead with love and spread love. I’m on the lookout for more… 

What do you think? How do you see it? I’m curious. I’d love for you to share in the comments.

Shoving Food In My Mouth

Did you read my 6/20/24 blog post about Father Greg Boyle and his conversation with Tara Brach? If you missed it, you can find it here.

I wanted to elaborate on it from a practical perspective, cuz I’m a practical gal. 

Father Greg said:

“The focus on behavior is the wrong focus. We need to find the thorn underneath that is causing the behavior. Get curious about it.”

Here’s how I applied the teaching: 

I got into a habit of overeating over the winter. That’s never been an issue for me, so it was a weird thing. I just wanted to shove food in my mouth and yet I never felt satisfied. And I’m not talkin nourishing food. I wanted junk. I wanted fast food and cheeseburgers and ice cream and potato chips. 

I tried the behavioral approach a few times to try to shift it. I tried shifting my mindset. I tried thought work. None of it changed anything. 

But the podcast conversation prompted me to look at it a different way. I began to ask questions:

I wonder what this behavior means? 

What’s the thorn underneath? 

What need am I trying to meet with this behavior? 

Where am I suffering?

And I found some answers!

I have always loved food and everything surrounding the meal experience. I love getting my food from a farmer who is invested in the care and nurturing of the food and the land. I love the process of preparing food. I am really into complex, sometimes strange, and big flavor. The atmosphere of the meal is a big deal to me. All of this contributes to my satisfaction and nourishment. 

But I had shifted my focus away from much of that. I just wanted food on the table fast. I even began grabbing fast food - gasp! ;-). And I didn’t even need food “on the table”, per se. We had gotten into a habit of eating on the couch and watching a show. It started as a novel thing one night and it felt good - cuz it was novel, and felt a little naughty. So we did it again and again. And then it wasn’t novel. It was unconscious and it led to further disconnection from my food experience. 

My unconscious response was to just stuff more food in my mouth to try to satisfy those needs.

When I got curious and asked the questions above, I got some insight. That prompted me to shift my attention back to everything I love about the food experience. I started spending time on Sundays looking at recipes again. This has inspired me to cook yummy meals again. I put a linen table cloth on the table and some flowers and we ate there again. I take time to notice and appreciate all of the summer food bounty.

And you know what? I stopped overeating! Just like that. Curiosity. Inquiry. No judgment. No shaming. Thanks Father Greg.

If this resonates for you and you’d like someone to guide you through the process, this is exactly the kind of thing I do in coaching. Schedule a coaching session and we’ll find your thorn together…

Control/Alt/Delete

I got a pneumonia! (*PSA below) And so did Scott and so did Ruby. I was the last to fall.

I don’t like being sick. I was miserable and missed some special events and I felt discouraged.

But here’s how I’m seeing it now:

It was a hard reset that I needed. It was a control/alt/delete for my brain. I had been feeling stuck in some thought patterns and this wiped the slate clean. My brain got emptied! I think the fever burned everything that was stuck in there. Like a wildfire.

I was so sick that I would just lay and stare. There were no thoughts, no ideas, no ruminations, no urges. It was blank.

As I slowly come back to life, I’m feeling a sense of relief. Things look and feel different. The landscape is clear and new sprouts are coming up, like in the forest after a fire.

I’m thinking about different things and in different ways. I’ve knocked out some tasks I had been dreading and procrastinating. They didn’t seem like a big deal. I have some new creative ideas for my business. They’re not coming in a fury, like a tornado, as is usually the case. They’re slowly poking up out of the scorched soil.

I’m definitely moving slower in every way and the pace feels nice. My physical body is still weak and depleted and I’m reveling in rest periods in the sun (don’t tell my dermatologist!) and a renewed feeling of connection with the Earth. Everything feels delicious.

Now that I’m on the other side of the misery of pneumonia, it feels like it was essential. We need hard resets periodically. I’d prefer an amazing vacation next time, but it showed up as pneumonia and I’ll accept the gift.

*PSA: We’ve been told by several providers that pneumonia is rampant in the Indy area right now. They’ve never seen anything like it and don’t really understand it. It’s not presenting as a secondary infection, but you have pneumonia right outta the gate. Lots of children are getting it, which is uncommon. If you have a fever and a cough, then consider asking for a chest x-ray. They did not hear Ruby or Scott’s with a stethoscope, but they are showing up on x-rays.

If you need a hard reset but want to pass on pneumonia, I can help with coaching and/or pranic healing. I’m not taking pranic healing clients this week because I’m still physically depleted and it’s contraindicated to try to heal in that condition, but I’ll be ready to roll August 27!

photo by my hubs

Finding Joy & Gratitude

I had one of the most rewarding experiences last Saturday.

It was seemingly simple. 

We are the host family for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) - a group of families pays an organic farmer to bring us weekly food deliveries from May to October. 

Every summer they invite members to their home. We tour the farm and share a pitch-in meal. They are “Amish adjacent”, as my husband put it. While no longer technically Amish, they still maintain most of the lifestyle. They mostly don’t wear shoes, they dress like the Amish. But many of them drive cars and they have cell phones and electricity.

Scott and I wanted to go but when the time came, we were conflicted. Well. Not conflicted really. We just plain didn’t want to go. 

It’s a 1 hour & 45 minute drive to the farm. We don’t know anyone so it requires social energy. It was a long block of time – farm tour at 2, meal around 4. That’s a 3 hour minimum stay, probably longer. You can’t just eat and run – that’s rude! Plus 3 ½ hours in the car. We were kind of dreading it actually, and sorry we said yes.

I used to be a huge extrovert and loved all social gatherings pre-2020. But I found during the pandemic that I LOVED the more quiet pace of the COVID days. I have never really gone back to my pre-COVID social leanings, which is both good and not. Getting outside my comfort zone always feels good after I do it, but the pull to the quiet couch is strong. Since 2020 it is a bit of a challenge for me to engage. 

We went anyway. We started the drive with a conversation about our conflicting feelings and that helped: We hated to commit a whole day (why?!), what if it was boring, small talk is mind-numbing, it was bloody hot and humid. Are we wasting a day?

But we care about where our food comes from, we’re interested in the growing process and how they do it, we’re interested in people and their life is VERY different from ours. 

Acknowledging our ambivalence helped a ton, rather than silently fighting our conflicting thoughts and feelings in our own brains, which we both have a tendency to do. We didn’t make ourselves wrong for our negative feelings and didn’t try to look at the bright side. We just verbalized all the good and bad thoughts and feelings we had. Got it all out there.

Then we decided to shift our thoughts to why we wanted to go – why we said yes and thought it was a good idea when we committed to it. Just saying those reasons out loud helped to boost our mood and shift our attitude.

And IT. WAS. AMAZING. 

Here’s what was amazing - first the cast of characters. It was an interesting mix – a strong set up for a comedy skit: Elam & Mary, the farmers, their late-teen/early 20s 2 sons, 3 of their cousins. A few other CSAers - an intellect from the city, a wacky-eccentric older lady, a middle-aged woman from the Philippines and her 20-something son, Scott and me, with my wacky hair & my legs showing cuz it was 90 degrees and 84% humidity!, and my dangly brightly colored beaded earrings cuz I love them. 

We all seemingly had very little in common. But what we did have in common was interest in our food source and care about the land. And that turned out to be enough. 

Mary was preparing a zucchini casserole when we arrived. I asked how I could help. She said – “just pull up a chair and talk to me.” It was awesome.

We were relaxed. The talk was not small. It was curious and open, and that didn’t feel small.

I got to know Naomi and Ruth, the teen Amish-ish girls. They told me how they had 14 kids in their family and they loved it, they told me how they spent their days. 

They were all so joyful. The kids flitted about – they played volleyball, talked with us, played with their drone, they even had cell phones, but weren’t obsessed with them. 

An old tractor show was in the county that day and paraded by the farm. We stood and watched them for a while. 

Scott helped the teens bring the cows in before the crazy storm rolled in. The lightening was awesome. We all gave thanks for the much needed rain.

After our meal we walked back to the spring-fed swimming pond they dug in the woods, with a solid rock bottom, a delightful surprise they discovered about 12 feet down.

We talked about cover crops and birds and pollinators and tree identification and homeschool and recipes. If you told me ahead of time that’s what we would talk about, I would have probably rolled my eyes and said no thanks. But it all felt so rich and real and true and I loved it. 

I didn’t look at the clock once.

I shared how I made Kim Chi. The Pilipino woman shared how she uses bitter melon, a crop that was new to Elam and he started growing it at the request of an Indian customer. Scott identified a few trees for Elam. 

We had homemade ice cream (from their cow’s milk) with sorghum on it, which of course they grew. It is a winning combination that I HIGHLY recommend!

Their house was simple, there was nothing fancy about it, except that she had a really nice stove and frig! They built it with the help of their community. We sat in a circle on metal folding chairs in the living room. And it was perfect.

As I hugged Mary goodbye, she expressed her appreciation for the part I play in the coordination of the CSA, and the part that Tony plays. I expressed my appreciation for the hard labor that she and her family do to bring us this food, and all the driving John does to cart it all to Indy. She said:

“We all have our parts to play, what we’re good at, what we’re interested in. When you do something that interests you with whole-heartedness, it shows.”

I felt like it was one of the most wise and true statements about life. 

What is your heart pulling you to? 

What are you good at? 

What comes easy to you? 

What do you WANT to do? 

What are you craving?

That’s the thing. Do the thing you’re drawn to with your whole heart.

We all have a part to play.

When Scott and I reluctantly got in the car to leave - after 6pm! – we were FULL of joy and gratitude. We felt like we got right with the world. Our priorities and our hearts felt reset. There is no greater feeling.

What gives you that feeling? I wanna know! Share in the comments!

If that feeling is illusive, I can help with coaching and/or pranic healing. That’s the goal of my work - to help you uncover the magic that’s inside of you. It’s there. I promise we can find it again. Schedule a call and we’ll come up with a plan.

photo: esteban-amaro via unsplash.com

Finding The Thorn

Do you know about Father Greg Boyle? He’s a priest in South Central LA, one of the worst gang neighborhoods in the country. He is NOT what you might expect when I say “Catholic priest”. He’s a disrupter. He founded Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world.  

I feel like he’s one of the most amazing humans alive today. 

His approach is rooted in curiosity and relationship. Not instruction and othering.

I heard him on a recent podcast talking about how the focus on behavior is the wrong focus. 

We need to “find the thorn underneath” that is causing the behavior. Get curious about it. Ask questions. “What does this mean, I wonder?” 

Tara Brach, the Buddhist meditation teacher who I also love, was interviewing him and added, “We need to see beyond the fault to the need.” 

This isn’t just for gang members.

Father Greg, known as “G” by the gang/former gang members he works with, said he prefers the Buddhist way of “looking at the suffering” versus “seeing the sin”, which he says is the way of western religion. 

I love this perspective: 

• I wonder what this behavior means? 

• What’s the thorn underneath? 

• What need am I trying to meet with this behavior? 

• Where am I suffering?

I invite you to try it with whatever rub you have right now. I tried it with my recent bout of overeating, which is not like me. I tried to just make myself stop overeating, but I just kept shoving food in my mouth. So I asked these questions, which led me to the thorn, which changed everything. I didn’t even need to address the “behavior” per say, just the thorn.

If you’d like some help, this is the kind of thing we do in coaching. You can schedule a session here.

PS: I HIGHLY recommend Father Greg’s first book, “Tattoos On The Heart”. It is one of my all-time favorite books. I loved listening to the audio. He reads it and his voice and the accents he does make it a really rich and touching experience.

photo: my hubs

A Magical Tale

Magic! I love when pure magic happens.

I had dinner with my cousin last night and we were talking about how God/Source/The Universe and our ancestors communicate with us.

We shared some wild serendipitous stories of divine intervention. He said he’s learned that if he drops something twice, it’s a message, so he stops and asks, “Ok Grandma, what am I supposed to see?” One time it was an iron that was still plugged in.

I’ve learned that when I get a shrill tone in my ear that it’s an incoming message. I stop, take a breath, and say to my guides – “what’s the message?” And I get it.

I was driving home and my cousin calls me to share another fun story. I had just been thinking about a story so I told him about it:

One morning many years ago when I was outside meditating and the wind was WILD. I felt my dad’s spirit and I heard him say “I’m in the wind today, baby.” He called me baby a lot, in that casual cool guy tone. I loved it. I said, “Oh Dad, that must be so cool to be in the wind.” I LOVE a windy day. Wouldn’t it be cool to fly around in the wind?!

That was super cool. But there’s more…

So I get in the car a few hours later and a song starts playing. That was weird. Where did it come from?! It was a rental car and I had not hooked my phone up and I was very confused. I pick up my phone to investigate and somehow it had automatically connected to the car stereo (this had never happened before or since), it had “randomly” connected to my Apple Music library which had about 3 albums on it because I had used it for a minute when it first came out but never again. And guess what?

You know where I’m going with this don’t you? The song was “In The Wind”, by Lord Huron. Yes it was! I kid you not.

How in the world did my phone connect to the car without prompting and how in the world did it go to Apple Music, which I never used, and how in the world did it go to that song?!

Well. Magic, of course. My dad was talking to me.

But that’s not all.

I texted my sister a bit later and said “Hey! Dad told me this morning that he’s in the wind today.” She texted back something to the effect of “get the hell out of here! Hold on!..” Then she sends me a photo of her journal entry that morning.

She had been walking in the woods at our family farm that morning and laid on a log to rest. A strong wind came up, “like she had never felt before”, she wrote. She had a knowing that it was Dad and he told her it was time for her to move back to the family land and start a farm.

WHAT?!

She did, btw. That message from Dad started her plan in motion and now she lives there and is regenerating the land and sells the most amazing chicken and eggs!

So I’m telling this story to my cousin last night and right at this very moment a rainbow appears in front of me, directly over the highway! It was undoubtedly my dad appearing to say hi to us. We were in awe. It was so special.

So I told him a second story of when my dad’s spirit came to visit, and then a SECOND rainbow appeared!

Yes it did.

And you know what? The minute we ended the call, the double rainbows vanished.

My cousin and I were saying that magic happens all the time, all around us, but we’re often so caught up in the noise and distractions that we don’t see it. Or we try to explain it away- “just a coincidence.”

But if you tune into your knowing, you feel it. You feel the truth. You know it’s real, in your gut or in your heart.

So here’s to magic. May we never be too busy, too caught up in the noise, or too jaded, to miss it.

Wholeness Over Goodness

I had a phenomenal week! Holy cow!

I went to Boone, NC last Friday to the Art of Living Retreat Center (that place is amazing – check it out!) to a 3-day workshop called “Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness”. It was hosted by Elise Loehnan and Courtney Smith (more on these phenomenal women below). I would venture to say that it was hands down the best event/workshop/retreat/thing I’ve ever been to! IT.WAS.BONKERS good!

The weekend was based on Elise’s recent book “On Our Best Behavior: The Price Women Pay to be Good”. The book is, as Elise says: “an exploration of the Seven Deadly Sins—ancient ideas of morality that still control and distort women’s lives today—revealing how trust in our natural instincts can return us to a more balanced, peaceful, and spiritually complete way to live.” Elise hooked up with her friend Courtney, who is a consultant, group facilitator and coach…THE BEST group facilitator I have ever experienced!

We identified 3 stories that are charged for us – that are causing angst and holding us back from our fullness. Old stories that are no longer serving us. Then we learned and practiced tools to de-program these limiting beliefs.

We looked at:

• our conditioning and unconscious choices

• the facts vs stories that we make up in the situations and circumstances that are causing us pain and suffering

• how we choose to play victim, hero, or villain in different situations and how that keeps us stuck

• how we do or don’t take accountability for situations in our life. Where do we give our power away?

• the many parts and personas that we play and how they both help and hinder us

We practiced somatic tools to connect with the sensations in our body and how those sensations are a guide to YOUR truth.

We rewrote our old stories and limiting beliefs.

All of this over 3 days with about 40 women.

Listen…a group of women in a room is SO powerful.

There’s nothing like it. The level of vulnerability and honesty and acceptance and understanding in that room allowed us to go deep and be real, with ourselves and others. It allowed us all to lay down our arms, to take off the masks, to really get to the very heart of the matter. We realized that we often feel alone in our struggles, but that they are felt by so many other women! It felt good to hear “me too.” Sharing the stories you tell yourself is powerful!

If you’re craving that…read on…

I asked a question in hour one and Courtney asked if I’d come up and work through it with her using one of the tools she taught us. I’m not gonna lie, it was unnerving to be the first to stand in front of a room full of strangers and talk real. To risk sounding stupid.

You know those little voices that you keep to yourself because you think they’re crazy and you know they aren’t really true, or worse yet – maybe they ARE true? And you push them aside but they keep haunting you?

You know those thoughts, right?

Well I said them OUT LOUD. In front of 40 strangers! Then another woman did. Then another and another. And our power grew. The grip of these stories released.

Over the rest of the weekend so many women thanked me for being the first, for sharing my story, for being real. So many said they resonated with what I said and it made them feel better to know they aren’t alone. It made me feel better too.

That’s the power of group work.

By the last day we were all clamoring to stand in front of the group and be coached by Courtney. To be witnessed in our vulnerability and struggle. It’s freeing to say those thoughts out loud to another person. You think it’s gonna make you puke. You think it’ll pull you under. But it makes you free. Keeping them in the shadows makes them grow and get stronger. Their strength holds you down.

It was so moving to hear people’s stories and we all found at least some resonance within each story shared. Even if our life circumstances were different, our feelings and thoughts had so much in common.

I feel like I got back to the root of who I am. I felt her again. I got past all of the societal expectations, all of the expectations I have of myself that are total bull shit, all of the stories I was telling myself that aren’t really true – they’re just fear talking. It feels so liberating to get out from under all that muck. Soooo…

I AM INSPIRED TO HOST A WORKSHOP LIKE THIS HERE!

WANNA COME?

I’m hammering out details now.

If you are looking for transformation, if you want to get your groove back, if you want to rewrite some old stories that you’re entrenched in…

Comment on this post and I’ll put you on the list and share details as they unfold.

I also do this work in 1:1 coaching, which is amazing and transformative too. But let me tell you, doing it in a group of women is next level.

IT’S TIME FOR WOMEN TO RISE!

No more living out old stories and narratives that keep us small.

The world needs you standing in your power.

You’re here on this earth right now for a reason.

Your family needs you, your neighbors need you, your friends need you, your clients need you, your company needs you.

YOU ARE NEEDED. In your fullness.

It’s my dream for us all to step into the fullness of who we really are and I am committed to offering the space to help you do that.

Ostara Season

We enter the season of Ostara on The Celtic Wheel this Tuesday, March 19, The Spring Equinox.

Ostara is about new beginnings, birth and renewal, planting seeds- spiritually, mentally and physically.

The energy of this season is about coming alive, expansion and fully embracing your YES!

New cycles begin. There is a sense of endless potential.

Where do you want to turn your attention in this next cycle? What new beginning is calling you? What wants to come alive? How can you express your YES!?

For the next 6 weeks we are invited to notice and explore the themes of the natural world and how they are reflected in us. The natural world is a mirror for us. As without, so within.

If you’d like to dig into these seasonal themes more deeply, and in community, join my Ostara Zoom group on 3/27/24. I’d love to have you in the circle.

Magical Thinking

Has anyone ever accused you of “magical thinking”…and not in a good way, but with a derisive tone?

This term really gets my goat. Big trigger for me. It’s said by someone who’s scared and stuck to someone who isn’t afraid, as if the fearful way is truth and you’re delusional and ignorant.

Here’s how I see it – the only way you’re gonna to be happy and fulfilled, the only way the world elevates, is with magical thinking. Magical thinking is good. Magical thinking is imperative.

Thinking thoughts that seem crazy and hair-brained, thinking outside the box. Thinking thoughts that might not make sense. Believing things that you feel in your heart but there isn’t data yet to prove it. Believing that ANYTHING is possible…

That’s all “magical thinking”.

And it leads to innovation and self-actualization.

It’s the path to happiness. It’s the path to creative problem solving and elevating the world.

When we force ourselves to stay within the confines of “practicality” (often the term used as an antonym to magical), we might reject our calling.

We think “I can’t make a living doing what I want to do so I’ll settle for this job I hate because I get a nice paycheck and benefits.”

We think “I’ll just do what everyone else is doing because that must be safe.”

We think “I don’t know where this idea/desire/wish/dream is leading so I’ll just stay here.”

We shut down our fire. We shut down our creativity. We shut down our vitality.

NO! That shit has got to stop.

Believe you are capable of adapting and thriving, no matter what the path holds. Believe in your scrappiness. Believe that the things you love, your gifts, what lights you up – THAT’S what the world needs. The world needs you to be lit up and alive.

Believe that the path you truly WANT is the path that makes the MOST sense. Even if it doesn’t seem “practical”. Even if you don’t know where it’s going to end up.

If you’re feeling the pull, that’s the path.

It takes trust. It takes faith. It takes courage and conviction.

And it’s imperative. And you’re capable.

Don’t let the nay-sayers snuff out your fire and shut you down.

Believe in magic.

Magical thinking has gotten me everything good in my life. Magical thinking helped me take leaps that made no sense. Magical thinking led me to adventure and deep joy.

I’ve worked with too many grown adults who followed the safe and “practical” path and ended up miserable. Who are afraid to put their gifts out there. Who get stuck looping on all the what-ifs and doubts and fears.

Do not do this to yourself. And do not impose your fears onto our children.

Magic scares stuck and fearful people. It’s why they burned the magical women. It’s why we turned away from it.

But it’s high time we believe in magic again.

I WANT my daughter to be a magical thinker. Magic is empowering. Magic makes the “impossible” possible. I want the fearful stuck and miserable people to think she’s crazy. Because that means she’s alive. That means she’s fearless and free. That means she refuses to settle for the status quo.

And that means our world will change for the better.

AMEN! <she says with a red face and sweaty brow>

Now I’m gonna step off the podium and take a drink of water cuz I got myself REAL wound up.

If you are longing for magic, if you want fearless & free…come work with me. Schedule a discovery call and we’ll talk about what you want and if I’m the right witch to help get you there.

Photo: hans isaacson, via unsplash.com