Celebrate How Far You’ve Come
5 Ways to Use Movement (Not Exercise) to Support Your Mental Health
“Nothing is more revealing than movement.” ~Martha Graham
It seems like only yesterday that I was at home with a newborn, a kindergartener, two dogs, and a husband who, just like me, was working from home, when we were thrown into the unthinkable COVID19 pandemic.
It didn’t take long for the stress and tension to build in my body. The feeling of instability, uncertainty, and fear, not to mention the post-partum anxiety, took its toll on my body as it became more rigid, bound, immobile, and frozen.
All the ways I had relied on movement as exercise were taken away, …
Make “None of My Business” Your Mantra
Get the full 30-Day Take Your Power Back Challenge here! And get Tiny Buddha’s Inner Strength Journal here.
How to Release the Fear That Holds You Back and Keeps You Small
“The purpose of fear is to raise your awareness, not to stop your progress.” ~Steve Maraboli
I used to hate my fear because it scared me. It terrified me that when fear arose, it often felt like it was driving me at full speed toward the edge of a cliff.
And if I were driven off a cliff, I would lose all control, all function, perhaps I would collapse, perhaps I would shatter into a million pieces. I was never totally clear on the details of what would happen if I let the fear get out of control. That’s …
My Second Mother: When Someone Steps Up Like Family Never Did
We are all blessed with two birth parents, and if we are lucky one or two of those are positive role models and on board for at least some portion of our lives. If we are really lucky, we may have the good fortune to score another mom or dad figure, someone who appears virtually out of nowhere, as fate or serendipity might have it, and takes us under their propitious wing.
Such a thing happened to me in the form of a bright, spunky, and emotionally generous woman named Joanie Arnesty, who helped me through the veil of darkness …
Coping with the Grief of a Layoff: 5 Tips If You’re Looking for a Job
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” ~Seneca
We are in such a hard season of the economy, and the implications of people getting laid off are so real and unfortunately painful.
No matter how competent or qualified you are, the job search process is hard. And even when you know your layoff was due to reasons completely outside your control, it still hurts.
The fear, instability, and uncertainty about what your next job will be or when it will come to fruition are emotionally unsettling, and our collective toxic positivity conditioning isn’t always helpful.
Yes, it’s true …
“Old” Isn’t a Bad Word: The Beauty of Aging (Gracefully or Not)
“Mrs. Miniver suddenly understood why she was enjoying the forties so much better than she had enjoyed the thirties: it was the difference between August and October, between the heaviness of late summer and the sparkle of early autumn, between the ending of an old phase and the beginning of a fresh one.” ~Jan Struther, Mrs. Miniver
As an adolescent, I was always keen on looking and acting older than my age.
As the youngest amongst three, I always felt that my siblings held more power and their grown up lives seemed more glamorous to me. They would prance off …
What Happiness Means and How I’m Boosting My Day-to-Day Joy
“Don’t let this silly world trick you into starving your soul for material things. Cause someday you’re gonna be sitting out under the sun and realize how little you actually need to be truly happy.” ~Brooke Hampton
Three years ago, at the height of pandemic, I made many pitchers of lemonade from scratch. This newfound ritual was one of the better things about being on lockdown.
I’d hand squeeze a big bag of lemons for about one-third cup of juice, and experiment by adding vanilla extract, mint, and tablespoons of honey. I’d bring my drink outside, where I sat for …
Dear Parent of an Estranged Adult: What Might Repair Your Relationship
Dear estranged parent,
I know it’s not easy to feel cut off from your child when you still feel love and maybe even remorse. I know you might feel confused about why your adult child is so upset, and you might even feel angry and wrongly accused.
Perhaps there’s some truth to that. I don’t know why your child cut ties with you, but I can share a little of my own experience and then offer some tips that might help, regardless of your unique situation.
So why did your son or daughter cut you out of their life?
I …
FREE 30-Day Take Your Power Back Challenge
Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a pattern of waiting?
Waiting on things to change or people to change.
Waiting for closure or clarity or certainty.
Waiting for life to get easier. Waiting for your heart to feel better.
Waiting for an opportunity or a relationship or something you think you need to finally feel happy and at peace.
I suspect most of us spend years and even decades waiting, feeling powerless over some, if not all, aspects of our lives.
I know I’ve been there before. This is when I was the most depressed. When I felt …
Don’t Wait to Open Your Heart: There Is Only Time For Love
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness.” ~Iain Thomas
Looking back, my most cherished childhood memories can be traced back to my rosy mother.
Intricate forts in the backyard with Spice Girls playing in the background. Sleepovers using Limited Too’s finest sparkly lotion, eyeshadow, and lip gloss. Rainy afternoons filled with friendship bracelets and Lisa Frank activity sheets. Children and teachers showing off their wild side at my mothers’ signature talent shows at the local theatre. Arts and crafts in a …
Last Day for FREE eBook with New Inner Strength
I know I don’t know you, but I see you. I get you. And I know you’re a survivor.
You’ve been through so much your life could be a movie, though you don’t always feel like the hero of your story, or always want to be.
Because sometimes you feel tired of being strong. Tired of wounds to heal, problems to solve, and crises to avert.
Sometimes you wish that it was all easier. That the ups and downs of life would stop so you could finally breathe, relax, and be.
I get that; I’ve wished that many times, …
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine.