Yesterday we gathered to watch football with the family. It has been a while since the family got together like this. Even though our team lost it still felt good to spend the day together.

Family is a big part of my life. I know not all families are that way, but I am still very close with mine. I hope to raise my girls the same way, with celebrations at each holiday and lots of time shared laughing together. 

It is good to have a family, whether born into or found later. It provides security. It gives you people to lean on when life throws a curveball. Win or lose, family has your back. 

There are people whose family has not acted like family. Hopefully everyone can identify some person that has become their family; someone who has their back no matter what. 

Maybe the place to start with world peace is right there with the idea of family. If we treat each other as family should, always there to help someone up or offer love rather than judgment; that is a good step toward peace. I can't say it is always easy. I can't even say I am great at doing this for people outside my family. But I can try. I can put in that effort and so can you.

I'm grateful to know that win or lose my family is here for me. I'm grateful for all the love and support I grew up surrounded by. I'm grateful to have a large extended family. I'm grateful for the wonderful family I gained through marriage. I'm grateful to give love as often as I can and keep watch on judgments that I feel creeping in. I'm grateful for a day spent with family yesterday. I'm grateful for many more of those days to come.

Who is in your family? How can you take steps today to treat those you meet as family?

May today bring less judgment and more love. May we love each other and always support each other. Have a beautiful day!

Today is the big day! My daughter officially turned five! Five seems to be a big year. It is like overnight she has become even bigger. She is moving away from the toddler years and fast becoming a big kid. 

Her dream was to ride a big kid roller coaster. We found one that would allow her height and still be fast and exciting. She loved it!

I'm so grateful for my spunky, sweet rainbow baby. I'm grateful to be here every day watching her grow. I'm grateful for all she has taught me, even when she corrects me with an eye roll. I'm grateful for the amazing sponge she is at retaining information. I'm grateful for what a sweet sister she is (mostly) to her little sister. I'm grateful to give her this day and dreams fulfilled and excitement galore! I'm grateful to watch her laugh and play. 

What are your goals this year? What can you celebrate today?

​May today be one of many spent watching the next generation grow. Have a beautiful day!

One of the things I love about this area is the abundance of parks and trails. The county and those nearby have done a good job of keeping green space and trails for people to enjoy. 

Many parks have been named after sister cities around the world. It is always nice to take my girls out to a playground and get a little cultural lesson too. It is nice to read, however brief, about somewhere else and it often leads to questions and exploring more.

I have spent a little time in Ireland. It was a beautiful trip and I hope someday to return with my family to explore more. It was fun to feel a little nostalgic as I read to my girls about Listowel. 

I'm grateful for these beautiful learning opportunities. I'm grateful to have traveled there in person. I'm grateful to offer my girls these glimpses of other places even as we stay close to home due to the pandemic. I'm grateful for the people who put such beautiful effort into making this, and all the local parks, beautiful and manicured. I'm grateful to the city planners that kept lots of park space. I'm grateful to live in an area where we can tour and explore safely.

What is the last trip you took that made you joyful? When Covid is over and travel restrictions are in the past, where will you go? What is the one place you would like to visit above all others?

May today allow time to dream about the trips to come. May we find ways to safely explore and fill the need for culture even in our own communities. Have a beautiful day!

Today my husband and I set out to accomplish a challenge. The challenge was to climb a mountain. Thankfully, they provided an equivalent number of stairs or flights of stairs to achieve the 1,000 foot elevation. Living in Kansas, it was much easier to find stairs than a mountain in a single day. 

We set out this morning eager to see how challenging 1500 stairs would be. I will admit it was tiring but I was surprised to find it was not as hard as I thought it would be. In fact, it did not take all that long. 

While a mountain hike would have been fun, it also probably would have included switchbacks that add to time and distance. Stairs are a straightforward way to reach a height goal. 

As I climbed the stairs I couldn't help but think about life's challenges and business. I just finished reading Leveling Up and as I climbed I felt the connection to some of the practices in that book. It felt good to set out with a goal and climb toward it's achievement, literally. It was confidence boosting that the goal turned out to be easier than I had imagined before I started. 

How can I apply that to other aspects of my life? What can I climb toward? How many things are actually easier to achieve that I imagine, if I just start putting one foot in front of the other?

I'm grateful for this book that my four-year-old happened to grab off a shelf at the library and give to me. I'm grateful I listened to her "recommendation" and brought it home to read. I'm grateful for my husband joining The Strenuous Life challenge and to let me tag along on some of these physical challenges. I'm grateful to have some time to chat with him while we climbed. I'm grateful to let my mind wander in quiet moments to how this could apply to other aspects of life and business. I'm grateful to have accomplished this challenge today. I'm grateful to impress myself with its ease. I'm grateful for a beautiful day.

May today remind us we are more capable that we often give ourselves credit. May we set out to achieve our goals one step at a time. Have a beautiful day!

Life is an adventure. It is hard to predict how some things will turn out. What it usually comes down to can be answered by a single question. Is it worth trying? A lot of things are definitely worth trying because the repercussions of them not working are usually minor and at least you tried. (Obviously use some common sense if it is something that could present a danger to yourself or others.)

Most everything in our day to day is a choice. Most of those choices we make without even realizing it. Will I go to work today? Will I call a friend or just read a book when I get home? What will I eat for dinner? We already know the pros and cons of these little choices we make every day and hopefully our choices create a healthy habit. But sometimes it is good to get out of our comfort zone too.

Last weekend we ate a new (to us) brewery called Norsemen. Looking at the menu, my younger self would have said "nope, too different, let's find something else." Instead, my more adventurous self said, let's try it!" It was delicious!

You never know what you are missing if you don't give it a try. So try that unusual new recipe. Visit somewhere new. Try out a new activity that you have always been interested in but never tried. Write up a business plan and see if you can launch a business. Make the most out of your adventure! After all, you wouldn't fly halfway around the world just to hide in your hotel room, would you? Why spend life that way?

I'm grateful for some delicious new food. I'm grateful to be trying new things and living my adventure. I'm grateful to see my girls trying new things too. I'm grateful for microadventures that have really added to our family time and gotten us out and about. I'm grateful for a husband that is very willing to experiment with new recipes. I'm grateful for a husband that is up for an adventure. I'm grateful to be living this life.

May today remind us to enjoy the time we have on earth. May we always be willing to try new things. Have a beautiful day!

Don't you just love it when you want something and then it manifests. Today has worked out so well for bringing my desires to fruition. It is a wonderful feeling!

I found great outfits for our family pictures next week. I even found them cheaper than I anticipated! It warms my heart to think of the next set of family pictures up on the wall, showing our growth.

Work is going great now that business is actually moving forward. I'm excited to check out a space today even as I know I am moving into another space tomorrow. It is nice to see how many wonderful options there are for us. 

I also received an email for a contract to teach some of my coaching programs again. It has been a few years and I am so excited to get back to this line of work! 

Some days things seem to go sideways. Some days everything seems to finally line up. While I am loving this day of my desires being fulfilled; I'm also so grateful for all the sideways days that it took to get me here.

I'm grateful for all the upheaval that led me to this place and taking control of my life and business. I'm grateful to be manifesting and thriving. I'm grateful for all the wonderful people in my life that have been so supportive. I'm grateful for all the amazing clients that have been so patient. I'm grateful to continue doing the two things I love most and getting paid for it. I'm grateful to be opening a new chapter and all the excitement that brings. 

What do you desire? How do you take action to manifest those dreams? 

May today help us see all the ways the sideways days are blessings. May we bask in the days where things fall into place. Have a beautiful day!

There was a moment yesterday when I found myself thinking "okay, I've got my battle plan." I was crossing stuff off the list and pushing emails through with a clear picture of what I needed done today. But when that thought crossed my mind it gave me pause. Do I need a "battle plan"? 

I will admit the last couple months of frustrations with the city and former employer and all of that has kind of put me in what feels like a war. It isn't a war of physical fighting, just a war to fight to get back to the surface and back to work. What if this thought, this energy is exactly why it is a struggle? 

What if I changed it around the same way I try to model and encourage for my girls? What if this isn't a struggle but an adventure? What if I don't need a battle plan but rather an adventure plan? The energy of that feels so much better to me.

So I move forward today with an adventure plan! It is also freeing other areas I didn't realize I was limiting myself. I feel bolder, braver because I am moving in a positive direction. 

I'm grateful when I am able to identify limiting beliefs. I'm grateful to notice a phrase that isn't sitting well and change it. I'm grateful to find a better phrase. I'm grateful to remind myself that I am an explorer of this life adventure. I'm grateful to keep exploring this trail with sure steps and even excitement. I'm grateful to know the path is worth the effort.

What phrases do you prefer? What imagery is helpful to you and which does not feel helpful? Are there any phrases that may be holding you back?

May today remind us of our power to create our story. May we choose the a path consciously and with excitement. Have a beautiful day!

Today was my chance to get clear on what I want. It was my chance to have my voice heard and my wishes put out into the universe. 

It is interesting to witness the emotions that came up as I sat down to really lay it all out. "Am I being greedy?" "Is that possible?" "Can I ask for that?" But I did. I asked for what I wanted and was proud of myself for only making one small adjustment to my original outline.

Today's exercise was only focused on one small aspect of my life. I want to sit down again later and get clear on what I want for the bigger areas of my life. I want to get clear. I want to make my wishes known. I want to take this first active step toward them.

I'm so grateful for these little exercises. I'm grateful to really start digging in to what I want and what little voices are holding me back. I'm grateful to know that this is a big step for me. I'm grateful to find beauty even in the challenging parts. I'm grateful to celebrate what this will bring and the new beginnings it will create. I'm grateful to feel heard.

What do you want? What areas could you be more clear in declaring your wishes? What things may be holding you back?

Today is a great day to take the next step. May we allow ourselves clarity so that we may voice our wishes and needs to the universe. Have a beautiful day!

My brain has checked out for the evening. It has been on overdrive for a few weeks. The last few days I pushed it even harder trying to make things happen that are outside my control and weigh and reweigh each alternative. 

This weekend I took time to be present with my family as we did a barefoot hike challenge together. I took time with my best friend to catch up and to hear the story I am living spoken out loud. 

This is one small chapter, only one beginning of a new chapter. This chapter is not going to be driven by stress and lack of sleep any longer. I am pushing restart. Tomorrow I will step back into my role as writer. This is my story. 

I'm grateful for the beautiful, intentional moments this weekend. I'm so grateful to have my family and friends by my side. I'm grateful to hear about the wonderful things happening for the people I love. I'm grateful to feel the dirt and rock trail beneath my feet. I'm grateful to share a meal with someone who has been my friend for over twenty years. I'm grateful to reset, regroup, and take control of my next steps.

When was the last time you pushed the reset button? When was the last time you needed to quiet your mind? Who is writing this chapter of your life?

May we take time to reset often. May we write each chapter with intention. 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!