We grow through challenge. Think back to the last time you took a life changing risk or made a huge change. Most likely there was some kind of challenge or stumbling block that set that into motion. 

It is easy to get caught up in the stumbles. It is easy to focus on all the things that need done or that the missteps that we have taken along the path. 

I often talk about focusing on gratitude or changing my perspective when I get stuck in the previous thought patterns. I talk about prioritizing what is important, like family. What about the combination? I think it is time to prioritize high fives. I think it is time to prioritize all the things we did right over the last year, decade, or even just in the last hour. 

We may make some mistakes but we also have a lot of successes. I think it is about time we started patting ourselves on the back for some of our wins. 

I'm grateful for high fives. I'm grateful to prioritize family. I'm grateful to see how even little successes can lead to big steps forward. I'm grateful to keep doing my best to model self-kindness for my children. I'm grateful to get to celebrate their wins with them and that they get to celebrate my wins with me. I'm grateful for an amazing husband to cheer me on and give me those high fives. 

When was the last time you actually gave out a high five? When was the last time you patted yourself on the back for all the successes you have had?

​May today remind us that every little step moves us closer to the goal. May we celebrate each little win, each little step, no matter how far the goal still seems. Have a beautiful day!

Isn't it strange how one word can mean so many different things? The word "brave", for instance, means something different depending on who you ask. Sometimes it even means something different depending on the context it is used. 

My daughter was brave today. She faced one of her greatest four-year-old fears, going to the dentist. The new dentist made all the difference and she had a great experience this time. She bounced out the door feeling happy and brave. 

Brave can be facing something scary and trying anyway. Brave can be taking a risk, like a new job or moving to a new state. Brave can be saying goodbye to what isn't working anymore. Brave can be the willingness to be unique and let your true self shine. Brave is not just one thing.

I believe the more we encourage ourselves to do little acts of bravery, the more brave we become. The more successes we have help us be more willing to try bigger bravery situations. 

Sometimes the need to be brave comes out of the blue. There isn't a warning or a scheduled date on the calendar. It just shows up at our door. These are key moments in learning about our bravery. Hopefully in these moments we can look back at our successes and choose the best, brave way to proceed. 

Take a moment and think about all the brave things you have done in your life, big and small. How did they turn out? Would you be more willing to be brave if you knew a bunch of people were standing with you? 

I think our country is at a point where we need bravery. We are the land of the free and home of the brave, right? 

Mostly I do not watch the news. I prefer to read the news or hear it second hand through my husband so the images don't haunt my dreams. It feels like the stories have made pretty clear by now that our country needs some big changes. We need some big changes in power, infrastructure, and beliefs. We need to make big changes to bring us beyond the racism, imbalances, and injustices. 

Can you be brave? Can you stand up for those in need? Can you speak up to those who are too afraid, too stuck to move past these old prejudices? Can you do it if we do it together? 

I'm grateful to know I can be brave. I'm grateful to be finding ways to try to help my community shift to something better. I'm grateful for each of you that is willing to be brave and stand with those who are suffering. I'm grateful to know that we as a country are strong enough and brave enough to overcome racism, injustice, and gross imbalances that some are suffering. I'm grateful to know we can do this. I'm grateful to know we WILL do this. I'm grateful for my daughter's bravery today as she builds her confidence. I'm grateful to know she will do great things as she grows. 

It's time to move forward. It's passed time to make these changes, so let's not keep dragging our feet. Big change is needed and we are brave enough to handle it. Thank you for the difference you are making each day to make this world a more loving place. Have a beautiful day!

Waking this morning to the fresh falling snow felt like somehow the Universe had pushed pause. Everything was still and white. It was quiet.

The thought that immediately came to mind was "a blank slate". When I looked closer I realized it was not a pause, not blank or even still as I had first thought. There was actually quite a bit going on in today's winter wonderland.

First, it is rare to see the beautiful pink blooms of the tree sticking out of the snow. It is unusual to see the green, fresh-cut grass, rising out. There were big holes in the snow as it lay unevenly, the earth underneath was already working to melt it off. 

Perhaps that is a better picture of this chapter of life than a blank slate anyway. The pandemic isn't going to just disappear all at once. It is going to melt away like the snow. This temporary break from work is not an abrupt end as it felt but rather an opening to blend it into something more well-rounded and whole. The snow falling in late April is a reminder that there is more possibilities than a thin gray line between our black and white understanding. So where can I shift into that beauty of infinite possibilities?

Life is a sort of game. It is always inviting us to see where we are limiting ourself and move into something greater. It invites us to see the beauty even within challenges. It invites us to accept and to request more of what we want from the Universe but even more so, from ourself.

I'm grateful for the beauty of a late snow. I'm grateful to see how beautiful the snow can be amidst the blooms and buds of late Spring. I'm grateful to see it melting nearly as fast as it came. I'm grateful to have gone out with my kids and built a snow turtle and snowman to have a bit of snow reminder a little longer. I'm grateful that the snow fell on the day my daughter was learning about Antarctica because it made the lesson a lot more fun than just making toilet paper roll penguins! I'm grateful for divine timing. I'm grateful to see the messages. I'm grateful to soak in the quiet of the snow. I'm grateful to capture some beautiful pictures of the seasons dancing together. 

Where can you expand your "grey area"? Where do you want to welcome more infinite possibilities? 

May we remember how powerful we are in our creation. May we open our mind to see all the opportunities waiting for us. Have a beautiful day!

Last Spring, when Covid shut down the city, I had extra time at home with my family. I truly appreciated seeing motherhood from another perspective. Homeschooling this year has provided more perspective as well as more quality time together.

This week when I learned I would be, once again, home more with my kids I will admit I did not feel as appreciative. I love spending time with my kids but I have learned I parent best when I have brief times away too. It helps me reframe and renew. 

I decided today I would take a new perspective. This is a vacation with my kids. It isn't how a normal vacation would look. We aren't going anywhere exotic or even out in our camper. Yet we can make little daily adventures. We have checked out two different playgrounds this week and I am actively looking up new adventures for next week. We can make the most of this time together. 

Today we were on our way to pick up our grocery order. We were a few minutes early for the start of our thirty minute window so we drove an extra block and explored a park we had never been to before. True we only had a short amount of time to play but it was well worth the laughter. Laughter is like gold right now. I want to make our extra time together fun.

I'm grateful to have amazing girls to keep me occupied during all these transitions. I'm grateful to recognize the need to reframe my thinking. I'm grateful to see the blessings in spending even more time with my kids. I'm grateful to get to have dinner with my family this week. I'm grateful for impromptu park trips and to make errands a little more fun for all of us. I'm grateful for laughter. I'm grateful to say yes. I'm grateful to make this extra time count.

What would you do with a whole week off work? How do you interject fun or adventure into your day? How do you make the moments count?

May we remember to cherish the blessings we are given. May we enjoy the moments with our loved ones. Have a beautiful day!

Yesterday I took some more time to recharge. There are times for rest and times for growth. I kept picturing the lotus flower slowly unfolding. I wrote yesterday's blog when I still felt "in the thick of it". Yet returning my focus to gratitude and my blog helped me recognize just how stuck and heavy my energy felt.

I'm all for recharging and retreating when needed but suddenly I felt like I was stuck in "the moment". Wait. Don't we always hear, "live in the moment"? I'm pretty sure they mean live in the present moment but even that can be tricky when we have to uphold some responsibilities and planning such as getting bills paid. 

The moment I was stuck in was a version of the present moment. It was the present moment in the middle of a tug-o-war between past choices and the uncertain future. What helps conquer the fears of uncertainty? Certainty, for one, and the one thing that is absolutely certain is I cannot change the past.

Then what can we do about uncertain futures? Some people may answer that all futures are uncertain, but that doesn't really help me feel better. How about you? What helps me feel better is being active. It doesn't matter if the next page isn't written in stone as long as I am still holding a pen. And that is where I was stuck yesterday. I had put down my pen. I didn't know my next sentence. I was waiting for someone else to write the next part of my story.

So I took back some control. I wrote one letter at a time. In this case, I wrote one email at a time. I reached out to see who I could help. If I can't help the way I am used to helping right now, what other ways can I make a difference? 

The thing is, as soon as I got done writing a few emails I got a call. The Universe was responding to my actions. It wasn't a game-changing call, just a small bit of positive news that encouraged me to keep moving. The clouds were parting, or to go back to my first visualization, I was blooming. 

It is great to live in the moment, but when that moment isn't pleasant there may be factors outside that moment invading the space. Perhaps it is a sign to turn inward or perhaps it is a sign to get proactive and take back some control. Only you can answer what you need in that moment. There is no right or wrong answer. If it feels right go with it, but if it feels heavy maybe it is time to try something new. 

I'm so grateful to push through and write yesterday. I'm grateful to honor that lotus feeling, resting and blooming. I'm grateful to get proactive and write. I'm grateful to recognize the weight and cast it off. I'm grateful for those responses I received yesterday. I'm grateful to feel energized by my actions and know I am moving in the right direction. I'm grateful to take a break and go play at the park with my kids. I'm grateful for bits of good news to encourage me. I'm grateful to see solutions now, rather than road blocks. 

What do you do when you are stuck? What do you do to move forward?

May we remember we are all different. May we take the time to figure out what works best for us and use those methods to create our best life. Have a beautiful day!

I am all about watching for signs from the Universe. I love feeling that connection and guidance. Yet sometimes I find myself wondering what's the message? 

Sometimes I can clearly see how I have created something with my intention or focus, for better or worse. Other times there is so much information to sift through I have a harder time finding the purpose. Perhaps that static IS what I am creating. Or perhaps I do know what the message is telling me but I am not really wanting to hear it. 

This weekend was full of signs. I could feel several very key moments that struck an emotion or pinged my brain in an "are you getting this" kind of way. Yet as I sit here at the end of the weekend I feel like there was conflicting messages. Am I giving conflicting intention on what I want and where I am going? 

Even as I type this I know the answer is yes, though I would love to say "of course not". The path of least resistance is nice. It is familiar. It is not really easy but it is comfortable. I love being comfortable. But maybe comfortable isn't my best path anymore. What's more, I wonder if it is a poor path for some of the people I love most. Perhaps these signs, these uncomfortable nudges are to prod me into growth. Perhaps they are signs for choosing change. 

It is time to be silent. It is time to ask, not to hear my mind answer, but to hear my heart and soul answer. It is time to ask with the intention of being open to the real message, even if that message is uncomfortable.

I'm grateful for some extra time this week to listen. I'm grateful to take some time to ask and ponder. I'm grateful to see the need to let go of my mind spinning and listen for the deeper message. I'm grateful to be honest with myself on what I am creating versus what I say I want. I'm grateful to recognize the signs, even when I may not be ready to hear the message clearly. I'm grateful to find the courage to hear.

What signs are showing up for you lately? Are they clear to interpret or is there some confusion? How can you seek clarity?

​May we always know we are loved and supported. May we be willing to take the steps necessary to grow into who we are meant to be next. Have a beautiful day!

Yesterday I wrote about an opportunity to see the signs and roll with it. It changed up what I had planned for the day but it went well. I wrote how I was grateful for that opportunity.

Well, the Universe was listening. It has offered me ample opportunities to roll with it today. I am laughing as I write this because that had not been my intention yesterday but that is what I drew in.

Our science project didn't quite go as planned but there was enough eruption of mess for the girls to deem it a success. We didn't end up having a friend over which changed up a couple of our activities but we made the best of it. We created a new game instead, called Lava Hopscotch, where you can't touch the spaces that have lava flowing over them. And despite planning to spend the whole morning outside before the rain moves in, we headed the little ones meltdowns and moved inside to play.

Today's opportunities to roll with it were pretty easy. We had a lot of fun and I had to give myself some credit for manifesting a shift so quickly. Maybe tomorrow I'll just manifest smooth sailing. 

I'm grateful for the cosmic laugh. I'm grateful to see how my own words created today's reality. I'm grateful I rolled with it in greater ease today. I'm grateful tomorrow will be smooth sailing (see, see what I did there). I'm grateful to share lots of laughs with my girls today. I'm grateful for my vast creativity that can come up with new ideas easily. 

What are you asking for today? How is your language creating your future? What words would you like to focus on and which would you like to shift?

May we remember our power in creating our reality. May we laugh at our misdirections and gently correct course. Have a beautiful day!

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!

Today has me feeling a bit off kilter. My anxiety has been tested. My patience has been tested. My sanity is feeling a little bit tested. So I think it is time, now that I have a few minutes to myself, to test my focus. It is time for a tune UP.

I need to tune back in to all the things that have gone right today. I want to tune back in to all the things I am grateful for right now. I want to tune my vibration back to a higher resonation. This is the kind of tune up I am needing. How about you?

When I am tuning up, the number four is especially important. I need the four senses of my meditation, my grateful four, and at least four minutes. You may be thinking, "wait aren't there five senses?" When I am tuning up, I prefer to have my eyes closed. I prefer to cut our that extra information coming in. I check in on any lingering tastes and have a little drink of water. I check in on what I smell, thankfully nothing funky like diaper trash. I check in on what I hear. In my case it is more important what I don't hear. I don't hear the kids fussing or screaming, just silence...or mostly aside from the dog snoring and my husband working in his office on a creaky chair. I hear peace. These help set the tone because without these first elements I can't properly focus on feel. It isn't so much touch that I am zeroing in on, but rather how things feel inside my body. That vibration of chaos that lets me know I needed this time. 

Once I sink into that physical space, the present moment; I can begin thinking on my grateful four. These are the four things I am grateful for today that hopefully I already outlined when I woke up. If not, they can certainly be found in this moment too. 

I'm grateful for all the ways my kids help me grow as a person. I'm grateful to have a flexible wake up schedule right now to allow me to not be rushed in the morning. I'm grateful to wake up next to my husband every day. I'm grateful for my amazing family and all the love and support we share. 

In this moment I am grateful for this peaceful quiet. I'm grateful for my dog's snores. I'm grateful for wonderful nurses that do their best to keep a doctor's visit moving along smoothly. I'm grateful for my kids' bravery. I'm grateful for easy lunch options. I'm grateful for my husband who is my rock when I am off kilter. I'm grateful to sit and have a tune up. And I'm grateful for the lingering taste of that chocolate covered almond...yum!

What are you grateful for in this moment? When was the last time you gave yourself a tune UP? How does that look for you?

May we remember to take care of ourselves just as we would our kids or our cars. May we nourish our body, mind, and spirit. Have a beautiful day!

What if I told you there was a treasure box hidden in your house? What would that mean to you? What treasure would you want to find?

Often it seems treasure is synonymous with money or gold or jewels. But what if treasure was so much more? What if treasure boxes could be filled with love? Then what would that treasure look like to you?

For me it would be moments like yesterday with family. It would look like crafting and playing in the sandbox today with my kids. It would look like a nice soak in the tub with some soft music for myself. It would look like kisses and hugs and joy. It would look like a nice dinner with my husband. 

Maybe it would be filled with notes of gratitude. Maybe my treasure box would be the sounds of my kids when they are saying "I love you, Mommy." It could even be filled with all the kind gestures people have done that help this world be such a beautiful place. 

My treasure box may look very different from yours. We may have different treasures. Even in different stages of my own life, my treasure box would look different. There is no wrong or right to what your treasures would be.

I actually have a small wooden purse that I use as a treasure box of sorts. It has a handkerchief of my grandma's. It has a rosary of my other grandma. It has a worry doll a friend gave me when I was going through a tough time. It holds my most cherished little stuffed elephant from when I was a child. It has a special momento I collected on an inspiring walk I took. 

Perhaps you have little treasures like this of your own. Perhaps your treasure box is stored just in the beautiful memories you have made. Whatever your treasure is; I hope you find it close to home and often.

I'm grateful to help my daughter make a treasure box today. I'm grateful to have a wider view of all the possible treasures life holds. I'm grateful for the joy opening my own treasure purse can bring. I'm grateful for a box of positive notes I wrote myself that is a treasure box of it's own accord. I'm grateful to know treasure can be found anywhere. I'm grateful to seek out the little treasures in each day.

May today ignite our quest to find our own hidden treasures. May they be simple and fill our hearts. Have a beautiful day!