You know who never seems to have a problem speaking up? My cat. Hungry? Needs litter box changed? Has something on his mind? He will wander around the house meowing without a care in the world. Not even a spray from a water bottle can stop him. He is going to speak his mind. Over and over and over. It’s something we so rarely are willing to do. I’m a go-with-the-flow kind of person most of the...
Just Listen to the Whisper
How many times have you not felt ready? Me? I dunno… a million maybe. Sometimes you get that moment that where there’s that tiny powerful rush that runs through your body and you confidently say, “Ok now I’m ready.” It’s a certainty that is so powerful. Sometimes it never comes. You sit there wondering when it’s going to show up. “I know I’m supposed to be doing this. Why don’t I feel that...
How to Kill the Dream Killer
I was 8 or 9 years old. We had just finished watching an episode of the TV show 227. In it, the boy sings in the choir at church right along side all of the adults. We were very active at our church at the time so this really struck a chord with me. (Pun intended.) I proudly proclaimed to my parents that I too wanted to sing in the choir. It was already my favorite part of the service. My...
The New To-Do List
Friday is my “weekend”. Tanya’s parents take both boys and I have the day all to myself. And yes, I do a happy dance as soon as I close the door when they leave. I love these boys more than anything in the world, but Mommy needs a BREAK. You feel me? Sometimes I go nuts and run around like a crazy person trying to get all the things done. Sometimes I collapse on the couch and spend the day...
Emotional Hangovers
They are real and they suck. Quite literally suck. All the joy. All the excitement. Emotional hangovers are like a whirlpool of suck that drink up all the good feelings. Sometimes I get them after a day of really hard emotional choices or strain. I think that more often though, I get them from having a really awesome day where I let my guard down and got vulnerable. That was yesterday. Let me...
So What – The Way Out of Comparison Hell
Nothing gets in my way faster when I’m flooded inspiration and then in my excitement take a quick peek at one of my many heroes is up to. “Wow… this website is so bomb. I really need to tighten up what mine looks like.” “Look at those gorgeous photos. I don’t have any awesome shots like that. “She’s so much more feminine than me. I don’t dress...
The “Not-so Secret” Secret to Being Happy
It’s 7:08 in the morning. I went to bed way too late and woke up twice during the night. Maybe it’s the underlying stress of this Coronavirus pandemic that made my sleep so restless. The cats and dog needed to be fed. There was a pile of dishes in the sink because we were too tired to do them the night before. The baby was stirring way earlier than normal threatening to rob me of my...
From Learning to Doing
I love to learn. It’s a part of my soul. Whether it’s reading a book, watching Nova on PBS, or Googling one of the hundreds of random questions that pop into my mind at any given moment (like the differences between crocodiles and alligators), I am obsessed with learning. One thing that I have learned while on this latest adventure in my life is that there is a time for learning and...
No is An Acceptable Answer
I have started off a big ask with this phrase so many times. Whether it was my wife, my parents, or my boss, I recognize the power of giving someone permission to say “no”. When you tell someone “I need to ask you something,” you can watch them brace themselves for the question. Think about how you feel when someone says that to you. If you’re like me, your first...
How to Quit Anything in 3 Simple Steps
If you Googled it right now, you could easily find hundreds quotes about not quitting. It’s pressed upon us from all sides to never give up and that quitting is bad. That’s sometimes true. There is a lot of value to persevering and staying with something even when it’s hard. There’s a ton of things in life that are hard but totally worth doing. I’m not talking about...