Feeling energized doesn't really happen from sitting in a chair. It needs ignited and it needs the right fuel to get good energy. 

In some ways energy is like a puzzle. You need the right pieces, in the right place to complete the picture. For energy you need the right balance of rest and good foods to build up energy. But just those elements alone don't complete it; you have to physically DO something. The puzzle doesn't put itself together. Energy doesn't just appear. 

I am seeing all the signs that my girls and I are needing more movement in our day. We are needing physical activities. It is in the lack of energy I feel. It is in the rise in number of their meltdowns. It is in the boredom requests for snacks. It is in the climbing on everything that should not be climbed. And it is in the vibration of my body that is asking to move. 

This morning I woke up before the alarm again. I haven't been sleeping well lately so it has been tempting to just stay in bed gazing at the ceiling. Today I decided I needed to apply effort if I was going to get my energy back. I got up and worked out. It felt great but it was short. I can feel my body asking for more. 

If I put forth the energy I will see the improvement. I will feel the energy returning. I will sleep better. I will have a clearer mind and even more patience. I know these things from experience but in the cycle of things it gets put off sometimes. Not today.

I'm grateful to feel my muscles moving. I'm grateful to get some good deep stretches. I'm grateful to remind myself the effort is worth it. I'm grateful to offer this gift to my body. I'm grateful to know I sleep better on days I work out. I'm grateful to help guide my kids toward a more active lifestyle. I'm grateful to know we can get back energized together. 

What is your favorite way to exercise or move your body? How do you energize? How do you keep the balance?

May today remind us the effort is worth the outcome. May we find ways to get ourselves motivated for whatever it is we need to accomplish. Have a beautiful day!

My husband and I were talking over lunch about a study he had ready about that offered potential compensation. Participants have to surrender their smart devices and go for a minimum of twenty four hours without technology.

My first reaction was, it is absurd that this is considered a challenge to go twenty-four hours without your phone or television. Then as I thought a minute longer I asked what all constituted technology. Do the washer and dryer count as technology? If you have a newer refrigerator or oven that has wifi capabilities, are you provided basic ones to use during the study?

In my mind I was thinking of when we do tech-free days a couple times a year and spend time together as a family without distractions. It is a sort of vacation. Yet even our camper that is a fairly basic model has solar panels that communicate via bluetooth to let us know the battery charge. It's okay, I still enjoy a good tent camping trip. 

Then my husband added the part that made it a challenge; you are still supposed to go about your typical day, work and all. Suddenly this study just got a lot more complicated. I mean not too many people still have a landline phone. And wouldn't hooking your computer up to the internet in order to work remotely, or even at the office, break the technology free part? Yes. My husband said it denied use of computers and internet.

It got me thinking, how many jobs can be done without a computer these days? My job has minimal use of the computer for intakes and if someone uses a credit card. I would also have to dig out a cd player for music and put my mp3 player away. It could be done for some occupations at least. 

​Wait. What about cars? Even if we don't consider the car itself technology, newer cars with hybrids or engine assists or smart cars definitely seem like a technology to me. Then you add the fact that the dash is smart screens with apps and satellite radio. Do the cameras  and sensors for lane departure and blind spot monitoring count? 

What started as a "how is this even a challenge" mindset has blown my mind way open. Technology is all around us. As I think about all the facets of life that technology has become a part of these days, I can feel myself creeping toward technology overload. Obviously it is the fact that I am focusing on it in this moment, but take a moment to pause and think about all the technology we use and take for granted each day. If I turn it around a bit I can shift it from "overload" to "awe". It is pretty amazing the advances we have made in just my lifetime. 

I hope this study pushes the envelope as much as it can to see how people would fair in today's world if we lost our technology. I think it is a brilliant study. I also hope that moving forward we find new advances that help society come together and find healthier ways of living. Maybe in the process we can let go of some of the technology we don't need. 

I'm grateful for this fun, spirited conversation with my husband. I'm grateful when we get to bounce ideas back and forth and watch it grow and shift. I'm grateful for the people behind the study. I'm grateful to think that in the future I will get to read the results of this study, as that is a passion of mine. I'm grateful for the technology we have that makes life easier, safer, healthier, or "greener". I'm grateful to do my best to take breaks from technology and monitor when I feel I am getting too attached to things like my phone. I'm grateful to think back to childhood and see how much things have changed with a fairly neutral view. 

Would you participate in a study like this? What technology would be the hardest to give up for you? Would you be able to do your job without technology?

May today remind us to give thanks for all the technology we often take for granted. May we celebrate the technology that heals. And may we find balance in the use of technology as in all things. Have a beautiful day!

I returned today from a weekend of camping with my family. It felt so good to be back out in nature. It felt so good to be out of the house and away from the everyday to do list. Even when the temperatures dropped to freezing and the winds blew, it still felt renewing and revitalizing as I snuggled up with my family. 

Spending a couple days with nothing to do but play with my kids, take walks in nature, and fix some easy meals was exactly what my mind needed. I find myself more ready to face the work week and all the more excited to plan the next trip. 

I'm so grateful for a weekend to renew. I'm grateful to get to continue learning about and getting comfortable with our camper. I'm grateful for my girls' sense of adventure. I'm grateful for their ability to entertain themselves for hours just playing int he rocks and grass. I'm grateful to try to make peace with the wind. I'm grateful for the warmth of the sunshine. I'm grateful for all my husband does on camping trips that makes it go smoothly. I'm grateful for easy meals to make it an extra simple and relaxing trip this time. I'm grateful to have a smooth return and get things put away to start the week without additional tasks. 

What helps you to fully relax? When was the last time you had a good, relaxing vacation? What do you like to do when you go on vacation?

May today bring us renewal and relaxation no matter where we rest. Have a beautiful day!

The wind is working hard to bring in some cooler, rainier weather tomorrow. Today is still bright and warm! The nice temperatures have been a welcome break from winter. We even opened up the windows today to let some fresh air blow through.

I normally feel a kind of aversion to wind. I'm not sure what it is exactly. It rustles at my clothing and hair and seems to activate my nerve endings all over my skin. (I recently listened to a podcast reassuring me that lots of people feel this way, which was nice to hear.)

Knowing this about myself I have tried to find activities to help accustom myself to it... or at least make being out in the wind worth it. Watching my girls' excitement over flying a kite, for example, is a good reason to be out in the wind. Today we played bubbles and with the wind it was more like a test of ninja reflexes, trying to pop them before they got swept away.

From inside the wind is blowing through the house reminding me of papers that need filed and tapping doors that are not latched. It is a gentle reminder while also giving me the gift of fresh air. It is nice to just let it blow through, a promise of Spring being just around the corner. 

I'm grateful for all the time outside this last week. I'm grateful to have this beautiful change in weather. I'm grateful for the wind clearing out the house today. I'm grateful to play outside with my girls. I'm grateful to see the flowers coming up in the garden and know Spring is near. I'm grateful for the rain that is supposed to come over the next week to help nourish my gardens. I'm grateful.

Do you like wind? What is your favorite windy day activity? How does a fresh wind inspire you?

May today blow the dust off and ignite our spirit. May we find fun ways to enjoy this day. Have a beautiful day!

This year I have challenged myself to read at least ten minutes each day. It seemed like an achievable goal that would bring me some joy and so far it is working. To add to the pleasure I have chosen a book called A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen. 

I will admit this book has been on my "want to read" list for a couple years now. The Complaint Free World movement started not too far from my hometown which makes it even more special!

The choice to start with this book came from a feeling of not really feeling like a gratitude "coach" anymore. I am great at digging gratitude out of regular days or even rough days but it was feeling like a lot of my words were negative. Even here in this blog I have noticed it goes something like "this went wrong and this went wrong and this went wrong but I am still grateful". While this ability is an important practical step of any gratitude practice, it is better if we focus on what is going RIGHT to begin with; as you may imagine this makes gratitude even easier to find too.

So I am taking the beautiful challenge to make it 21 days without complaining! According to the book this takes people, on average, four to eight months to be able to go 21 consecutive days without complaining. A reminder bracelet is worn and each time a complaint is voiced, the bracelet is moved to the other hand. It trains us to recognize when we are complaining. I imagine this also does a good job of making us mindful of the triggers or situations where we complain most.

Today I have moved my bracelet no less that six times. The eye opening part for me is that a lot of my complaining is actually to my preschooler. I am certain we will both benefit from my commitment to this challenge. I'm excited to bring more positive messages back into my conversations!

I'm grateful for this book. I'm grateful for Will Bowen that started this hoping to impact his community. I'm grateful to hear that so many people worldwide have now taken the challenge. I'm grateful to be learning about my communication. I'm grateful to be gaining mindfulness about my triggers. I'm grateful to see how it plays out within different relationships. I'm grateful to be taking simple steps to be changing my life, holding my power, and voicing my beauty. 

​What goals have you set for yourself lately? Are you interested in raising the vibration of your life? Are you ready to find more beauty, more joy, and more gratitude in 2021? 

​No matter what this year brings, I believe, there is beauty to be found. May we choose to view and voice our story in a positive light. Have a beautiful day!

I will admit I am finding some humor right now in writing a blog about finding peace as I am working through some seething anger. Yet this is exactly why I have chosen to write about it. 

Yesterday I watched the news as they recounted the Capitol building being breached. I listened to the people in the crowd call for something to be done, that something had been stolen from them, for violence. It was like watching another level of my confidence in humanity being peeled back. And as I felt the feelings of sadness, anxiety, and shock wash over me I felt something else creeping in too, anger. 

Outwardly I balked that this "small" group of people had lost their minds. I tried to convince myself that they are the rare few extremists. Yet over the last few years I can no longer feel confident in that ideal. I have witnessed the blatant racism and acts of violence. I have seen the swarms of people turn out to cause damage and chaos. It is not one side or the other because the violence has come from all around. We are in a war even without giving it the name. 

Why are people so angry? I could list a hundred reasons from at least three or four viewpoints. But only one matters. The only anger that matters is my own. If we dealt with what was causing our individual anger then we would have made great leaps to ending the violence and starting a productive step toward solutions. Anger is a great call to action. But it DOES NOT need to be a call to violence. It needs to be a call to look within.

Anger is often the result of fear or a feeling of lack of respect (a lack of being heard). Perhaps even in saying that I am repeating myself because isn't the feeling of lack of respect the fear of not being respected, not being equal, not being acknowledged? 

When I felt my anger creeping in yesterday I can't say I was surprised. I am not knew to this sadness moving to anger or fear moving to anger transition. I do not like to feel afraid. I do not like to question my beliefs, especially one so core as people being mostly good. (Though I do realize the duality the word "good" creates") I do not like to hear about someone being harmed, bullied, or killed by another person. 

Yet anger is not what solves the problem. Anger is just to get our OWN attention. It is then our job to look at that anger and make an action plan. This action plan is not one of violence, not of insults, not of retaliation. It is a plan to decipher what we need to feel at peace and what channels to go about making these changes happen legitimately and to bring understanding. 

We will not get World peace by pointing the finger. We will not get World peace by judging, accusing, and belittling. Peace comes in understanding. Peace comes in compassion. Peace comes in love. 

If you do only one thing this year, let it be seeking to understand your own triggers. Take the time to look at your anger and see what the root cause is and then start open talks about it. Be willing to hear the whole conversation. Be willing to readdress any anger that keeps popping up. Be willing to be the change. We only change the world by starting with ourselves.

I'm grateful to witness my anger. I'm grateful to see how one trigger can make other much lesser triggers more exposed. I'm grateful to know the things that feel like they are seething today are really the root of something much deeper that was triggered yesterday, and the last several years. I'm grateful to take time to breathe. I'm grateful to take time over and over again today to sit with these feelings and dig into the full scope of its roots. I'm grateful to know that we all have the choice to be kind and loving. I'm grateful to believe people want change and are willing to do so with their voices if they are given the opportunity. I'm grateful to ground and reground today so I can continue to make my own choices based in love. 

What makes you angry? What fears does it bring up? How do you respond when a core belief is shaken? How do you respond when you are not in control of something? How can you dig into the root of your feelings this year? How can you offer space to hear someone else?

May today remind us change starts within. May we find ways to give ourself a green light to flush old fears that are no longer our truth. May we heal old wounds so we can continue moving forward in love. May this year bring positive change and a chance for all voices to be heard without violence. Have a beautiful day! 

I'm feeling a little weary today as I learn of two more Covid deaths in my circle. Just yesterday someone was telling me there have been four deaths recently in her circle, three from Covid. Is it just me or have we been faced with a lot of death in the last several months? I hope for your sake it is just me but from the growing numbers of deaths recently I can't imagine my situation is uncommon. 

I am a gratitude coach. Shouldn't I be talking about happy stuff? Shouldn't I be wearing rose colored glasses that make everything seem ok? You may be surprised the number of times I hear this. I cannot tell you the number of times someone has balked at me when I have a bad day. I'm human. Gratitude isn't a magic bandaid, it is a practice to to help us focus on what is good. Some days that comes easier than others.

For all the power gratitude can hold, it does not instantly heal wounds. It doesn't make death easy, though sometimes it can help the sting just a little. 

Last year felt like a year of examining what was truly important. It felt like the year offered a lot of opportunities to see alternatives to our normal lifestyle. For my family that meant seeing what a blessing it was to slow down and spend more quality time together.

Perhaps this year is about facing fears, healing wounds, or even saying goodbye. I say this because it is hard to say it. I cringe writing the words and even more so reading them. I can feel my head scrunching down on my neck at the thought that more loved ones may pass before this pandemic is over. It would be easy to let my head swirl in anxiety even as I know it is beyond my control. 

I will never be good at goodbyes. It isn't in my personality. I get attached. I love easily. Most of my clients feel more like friends than just acquaintances that come each month. I take the time to get to know people, to ask questions, to wish them joy. 

In life there are times of growth, times of change, times of rest. Perhaps this year will provide opportunities for growth and reflection. Perhaps we will be offered the chance to heal old wounds or address old fears. I do hope that these opportunities will come gently. 

I am grateful. I'm grateful to  every challenge is an opportunity for growth. I'm grateful to breathe into this. I'm grateful for my health. I'm grateful for the health of my immediate family. I'm grateful to start asking myself some hard questions. I'm grateful for all the safety protocols in place to help keep me and my loved ones from getting sick. I'm grateful to have met these two special people who have passed. I'm grateful for the hope the vaccine will help slow this pandemic. I'm grateful for the reminder to allow my feelings and to be honest, even here.

What could this year's theme be for you? What lessons may be in store? How are you doing with all the changes this pandemic has brought? How is your joy and gratitude? 

This can be a tough time of year, even without the things going on this year. If you are feeling down, please reach out to someone you trust or to someone who can help. If you are struggling with a deeper depression or harmful thoughts, please seek help immediately. You are loved. You are needed. This world needs your light. If you would like to start a gratitude practice to help you find the good, please email me. 

Now, I do not want to close this blog on a heavy note. We will get through this. We all have a role to play and the world needs each one of us to shine our light. Tonight would be a great night for holding space, saying prayers, meditating, whatever you want to call it. Take some time and send some positive vibes into the world. Ask God to give you some comfort. Whatever you need, ask for it. Perhaps we will find we get everything we ask for...until then, feel hope and have a beautiful day!

My body has had a lot to say lately. The messages have all been pretty subtle and easily tuned out, but I have tried to keep a mental note anyway. Today as I added another mental note to the growing list I realized it is probably time to start listening to all these little things before my body decides it needs to send a bigger, louder message.

Things like an itchy eye that has persisted off and on for days or my dry, cracking hands are easily written off as allergies and excessive washing. But as other things start ticking in I definitely need to stop writing off and start listening.

I have not been drinking enough water lately. My sleep had been doing better now that my littlest one is back to sleeping at night, but last night I was up with my preschooler's nightmares. One interrupted night made me realize how far behind on sleep I still am from the previous weeks (or maybe years at this point). 

My abdominals have been pleasantly sore as I try out a new exercise the last four or five days but now my back has a bit to say about it. I am tempted to mimic my clients and say "getting old sucks". Instead of accepting it as fate I would rather use these messages to make little changes.

The body is designed to work. It is designed to have checks and balances and be able to repair itself if it has the tools it needs. It is my job to listen, find out what it needs, and provide it. Even a fine tuned machine needs a little oil on the gears from time to time. 

I'm grateful to stop listing and start listening. I'm grateful to see I am not drinking as much water as usual and make conscious steps to remedy this. I'm grateful to see how that may be affecting my eyes and skin. I'm grateful to be working out again. I'm grateful for the beautiful feeling of sore muscles for a good reason. I'm grateful to be committed to decoding my body's messages. I'm grateful to do my best to balance sleep and be present for my kids when they need me. I'm grateful to receive subtle messages and make corrections before a bigger message is needed. 

What is your body saying? What can you do to fine tune your body and meet its needs? 

May today remind us our body is a temple...and the only one we have, at that. May we also find the messages our body speaks easily translated. Have a beautiful day!

I have had plenty of time lately to sit in stillness. To sit quietly and think about what path I am choosing and what I need to do differently. It's a time for me to dig deeper.

I will admit it is not often comfortable in this space. My physical body is peaceful but my mind can be brutal. It is a delicate balance of being honest and asking the hard questions of myself without letting my mind slip to the dark side. I am human. I have to remember to give myself grace. 

Last night I asked for clarity on some areas that I was having trouble consciously working through. My dreams provided a parade of people from my past in different settings and situations. The settings and situations were not real or even realistic in some cases, but they all reflected to me pieces of the answers I was seeking. 

There is more to be done, yet it can all be down from a place of rest...a place of stillness. So I navigate today slowly. I give myself the space to allow processing. I give myself some grace even as I witness repeat mistakes. 

I'm grateful for a day to slow down. I'm grateful for a day to rest. I'm grateful for the questions that circle my mind but I'm also grateful to let them process in their own time. I'm grateful for the clarity that comes in my dreams. I'm grateful for each bit of sleep I get. I'm grateful to keep the negative thoughts in check as best I can and remember grace is for me too. I'm grateful for a positive, fun day with my girls, moving at a slower pace. I'm grateful to just sit and play.

What do you do with the stillness? What path are you choosing? What answers are you seeking?

May today be a step toward clarity. May truth always bring healing and growth. And may there be grace for ourselves and others every step of the way. Have a beautiful day!

Ahhh. I return to you feeling refreshed and rebooted after a few days away in nature. I would say it was a few days unplugged but only from phone and internet. We made the leap and purchased a small camper. We ordered it a couple months ago but got to meet her this weekend. 

It is the perfect combination of staying connected to nature and cooking outdoors while still having the convenience of a small fridge and air conditioner. Haha, I might be getting a little soft in my age. It was a great trip and despite a couple hiccups and yes, a couple meltdowns I am feeling clear in mind and spirit now. 

My oldest didn't want to return home and I definitely could feel that same yearning. Luckily we have a great reason to get out even more now. The youngest took most the trip in stride despite her schedule completely going haywire.

The best part was being out at the river, exploring and splashing. We got to witness first hand how rain makes it rise and then fall again, multiple times. Most of all we got to see each of our strengths and interests merge and emerge as we explored. 

I'm so grateful for this trip. I'm grateful to get away. I'm grateful to have the perfect camper for our family. I'm grateful to have named her and gotten in our maiden voyage with love and success. I'm grateful to watch my girls play and explore. I'm grateful to have been cut off from phone and internet. I'm grateful for the insights I got on the trip, especially from my parents who came along with their rv for some special family time. I'm grateful for all their help and generosity. I'm grateful for my husband who drove an extra ten plus hours to pick up our camper. I'm so grateful to feel renewed.

What renews you? What was the best thing to happen for you in the last week? What are you grateful for today?

May today remind us to truly take deep care of ourselves. May we take the time to unplug and step away from our daily routines from time to time. May we feed our soul often. Have a beautiful day!