I spent a good portion of my younger years searching for my voice. I mostly have a pretty good grasp on it these days. Kids have a good way of helping teach, both in projection and in voicing boundaries. 

Lately though, as I find myself rambling away with friends, I feel a longing to just listen. It took so long to get my voice going that now it feels like a runaway cart sometimes. I miss all that I learned and heard by just being quiet. 

In everything there is a balance to seek. This is mine for now. The pendulum has swung a little too far and I focus on bringing in back. 

It is interesting the thoughts and fears that come up as I lean toward this shift. It shows things I thought I had healed, still wounded on one level or another. It shows the challenge in this age of either overly engaging or completely checking out via media. 

But I feel the stillness calling me. I feel the quiet opening its arms to welcome me. And I notice the reactions of others as I do this. They have their own internal story, as I do, that gives them a context whether true or not. 

I'm grateful for the void of voices. I'm grateful to witness the pull and push of these two options. I'm grateful to have the different perspectives even as I move toward shifting to a place of better balance. I'm grateful to know my silence will be filled with beautiful sounds of the heart. I'm grateful to listen. I'm grateful for this practice that pairs so well with witnessing my breath. 

One of my favorite quotes is "Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much." Time to ease back in to that resonance. 

When do you find yourself talking more? When do you speak little? How do you find your balance in expressing yourself.

May we speak knowing we are heard and may we listen to gift others this same respect. Have a beautiful day!

The first day went off without a backwards glance. My daughter is officially growing up! Even in the short time of being apart today, she seemed older climbing back into the car. She sat there, legs crossed and kicked back, with a look of relaxed accomplishment on her face.

I haven't heard a whole lot about school yet, despite all my questions. I'm sure she is still processing the new school and people. Today was a shortened day just to get them used to the room. 

I could not be more proud of her. When school shut down a year and a half ago we were still struggling with separation anxiety, shyness in making friends, and just the normal young child transitions. But walking in to school today was a confident, excited, big kid. There may be some bumpy days along the path but to see the growth and change in my sweet firstborn just made my heart glow!

I'm grateful to get to be there for these transitions. I'm grateful to get to spend so much of my time with my girls as they grow. I'm grateful to watch all the growth that happens each week in both of them. I'm grateful to see my oldest launch so smoothly today. I'm grateful to know she has the skills to succeed and learn. I'm so grateful she still wants hugs and to cuddle up and read together. I'm grateful to get a little one-on-one time with my youngest. I'm grateful for all the things we will explore together with this time together.

What helps you launch smoothly? Do you have a routine or a mantra that builds confidence leading up to a new transition? When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort level and tried something completely new?

May today remind us that learning and launching are not just for kids. May we support those who are trying something new and encourage ourselves to do the same. 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!

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!

There are nearly twenty things on my to do list this week. Sunday as I looked at it, the list seemed a little daunting...especially considering Monday was already taken up by the one thing not written on the list. 

Today as I look at the very same list, I have a different feeling tugging at me. That feeling is excitement! Yes, there is a lot to get done this week. Hopefully I can knock it all out before the holiday weekend. Yet I feel like a snowball effect is at play. Now that I have knocked off one thing, the rest seem to be rolling along. I have a plan and I am in the flow of it.

Walking fifty miles may seem daunting. Each step takes you closer to that finish line. The first step is the most important. After that it is just keeping up the momentum and spirit. 

I'm grateful to feel excitement as I cross things off the list. I'm grateful to be able to set it aside for the most part and still focus on my girls during the morning. I'm grateful to feel like I am in the flow and things are moving forward. I'm grateful to have taken the first step...a few times, and now be setting a good pace. I'm grateful for a holiday weekend coming up. I'm grateful for all the wonderful support systems in my life. I'm grateful for this day of progress.

What do you need to get done? What helps motivate you? What makes some days particularly productive for you?

May we always take the first step. May we find the flow, get in our groove, and just keep going. Have a beautiful day!

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!

Last night when I powered up my computer to start my blog it was running slow. I was exhausted from letting stress weigh me down most of the weekend. When it finally came up only to discover my website unresponsive it was all the sign I needed to just shut down the computer and go to bed. 

Sometimes one more thing feels like too much. Sometimes I just have to honor my body and spirit and take care of the most basic things, letting the rest go. The beauty in listening to these moments and taking care of my basic needs is it gives me the rest I need to start again. 

Today I woke up ready to dust myself off and start again. As always, I see the symbolism and reflection in nature as well.

Tonight it supposed to snow. We have been in Spring for nearly a month and have even seen temperatures near eighty. My tulips are in full bloom and doing better than any previous year. The trees are budding for the second time as they already were hit with one late frost. They're curveball is coming. 

I've had a rollercoaster of curveballs lately. As I look outside at the trees I see how well they have re-bud from the last frost. I know there is this late snow coming and yet I have full trust that the trees will "shake it off" and come back again. They always do. Nature is very good at taking these curveballs, dusting off, and getting back to work. The tulips may not fair quite so well in the short-term, but come next year they will be blooming again. 

So which do I want to be? It isn't a matter of "if" I will recover or rebound. There is only the question of how quickly I will allow myself to bounce back. Sometimes, as this last week has shown, it will take a series of bounces (yes that means a possibly a few falls too) to fully get back to my feet. So, let's get this bounce going!

I'm grateful for all the patience of my clients as things slowly get sorted out. I'm grateful for an amazing, supportive family. I'm grateful for some extra dinners and time with my family. I'm grateful to spend this extra time with my girls. I'm grateful that this mirror of last year is not due to the pandemic and will not take a year or more to clear up. I'm grateful for all the people working hard to get things set right. I'm grateful to explore some other dreams as I wait. I'm grateful to hear my husband not only supporting but encouraging some of my "wilder" dreams. I'm grateful to bounce and to know I will make it back to my feet.

When was the last time you dusted yourself off and tried again? When was the last time you bounced? What was the outcome of those situations that required your biggest rebound?

May today remind us of all our past successes. May we trust our ability to get back up and keep moving forward. 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!

We have so many words in the english language and yet sometimes they are not enough to fully describe something. Some languages have amazing words that fill gaps english doesn't cover. "Koyaanisqatsi" is a Hopi word for when nature or life is out of balance and isn't sustainable over time. "Jugaad" is Hindi for finding new ways to creatively solve problems without a lot of resources. "Retrouvailles" is French for that amazing happiness you feel when you reconnect with someone after a long absence. (Special thank you to Nicola Edwards and Luisa Uribe for the book "What a Wonderful Word" that introduced me to so many amazing words!)

Then there are other times when it doesn't matter how many words you have; silence is better. Sometimes people need to just be heard without questions, without affirmations, without trying to problem solve or even apologize. Sometimes people just need to speak to someone silently, attentively listening. 

It felt like that was what was needed most today. Perhaps I am feeling quieter because of the rainy, dark-yet-calming sky. As my daughters each took a turn at a big meltdown, I just heard them. I didn't offer my usual, "I hear you" or "That can be so frustrating". I didn't ask them to identify their feelings or walk through how we could problem solve it. I just sat there, silently listening. 

My oldest, in my silence, found her own way through it. She came to a solution, and went through the cycle again as it failed. Then tried again until she got it. I smiled. She moved on. 

My little one had an epic meltdown and rolled around the floor. She came back to me and then did it all over again. Time and again until she had worn herself out. Then she lay there resting and rebuilding her energy just holding my hand and watching my face. I just watched lovingly and calmly. 

It is not easy for me. Children crying is a trigger for me. Perhaps some of it is the mere volume, as I do struggle with loud noises. The other part is the painful shattering I feel in my heart when my kids cry, even if I know they are okay (or will be as they work through it). 

I have taught myself to try not to fix it. I have taught myself to be there for them and acknowledge the feelings they are feeling. I have taught myself rote responses to use so that I do not succumb to the overwhelm of this trigger. But silence? 

I had this mental story that if I didn't say anything they would not feel supported. I worried that not saying anything would make it too uncomfortable to sit in that place of high emotion. I worried without the rote responses my trigger would become my focus instead of my child. But today I sat in that discomfort. I sat in silence and watched my children, perfectly capable, work through the big emotions themselves and seem to still know that I was there for them. 

Silence. Just listening. No words needed. No fixing or problem solving or even affirming the feeling was needed for them to see I was there for them. Just silent presence. 

I'm grateful for the gift of silence today. I'm grateful to honor my own feeling of needing to be silent. I'm grateful to see an old mental story be shattered and see a new story offered. I'm grateful to just sit in those emotions and still be in control of my own. I'm grateful to feel those waves push at my energy and feel that mine is strongly and uniquely my own. I'm grateful. I'm grateful for ways there are not words to describe and grateful for the option to change languages to find a word when needed.

When do you need words? What is something you wish you had a word to describe? When do you need silence? When do you give the gift of silence to someone else?

May today offer us silence. May we bask in it, feel it, and learn from it. Have a beautiful day!

How do we ever express how much we truly love someone? How do we give back to someone who has given us more than we could every repay? How can we show the immense love in our hearts?

Today is my mom's birthday. When I say she is my best friend, I mean it. I can talk to her about anything and I love hanging out with her. 

When I set about to try to find her a gift this year, I found myself falling into the same things I get her every year. It isn't that she wouldn't like those things, but I wanted something better this year. 

This last year was such a crazy year. She was such a vital part of my mental health. She was completely supportive of me taking on homeschooling even when I doubted myself. She reminded me of my strengths when I only felt weaknesses. She did everything she did every year, but it was even more appreciated this year then before. 

The thing is my love language isn't gifts. My mom's love language isn't gifts. So how do I give a gift that truly shows my love and appreciation.

Well in this case I spent an entire week learning origami. After a week of my best attempts I finally had half a dozen flowers and a couple butterflies. I know. I learned origami is not on the list of things I am great at crafting. The four largest flowers got special notes tucked inside of activities to do together. It was essentially a coupon book, but in origami flower form. 

I was pretty proud of it, up until I took it over to her. Isn't it funny how that can happen? She loved it, of course. Yet when I saw it next to the expensive gift my brother had gotten her I felt like I was the kid giving mom a macaroni necklace. 
 
While I know that the activities together will be fun and build memories together, I can't help but feel I fell short of my goal. In truth there is no way I could fully express how much I love her or am grateful for her in a gift. There isn't a single thing in this world that can say that in the full way it is felt. I don't think "things" were ever intended to fully express it. 

So I will do my best, not just today on her birthday, but all year to express to her just how wonderful she is and how much I appreciate every little thing she does. She knows, but it is always nice to hear it. 

I'm grateful to attempt something different this year. I'm grateful to have put in the effort even if it fell a little short of what was in my mind. I'm grateful to have such an amazing mom and role model. I'm grateful to have someone to talk to that knows me so well. I'm grateful for all she does for me and my family. I'm grateful to do my best to give back every way I can think of and I'm grateful to know she knows how much I love her even if I cannot fully figure out how to express it. 

May today and every day encourage us to express our love. May we always know that we are loved as well. Have a beautiful day!