The Vulnerability in Asking

The Vulnerability in Asking

I walked into the kitchen and found an empty Instant Carnation coffee tin.

This will be perfect,” I thought.

I left the room with my tin in hand and walked into the office. I took a white piece of paper and cut a small rectangle from it. I took a pen out and wrote the words “Donations” on the outside of it. I taped the paper to the outside of the tin and smiled.

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No One Will Take You Seriously

No One Will Take You Seriously

“No one is going to take you seriously with your business.” The message rang loud and clear. I’ve been so afraid to put myself out there, offer my services, and tell the world what I’m doing, and how I can be of service and support. I’ve been afraid to promote myself and toot my own horn about amazing things I’m already doing (speaking on stage, leading retreats, modeling in photoshoots all over the world). I’ve made hints of what it is that I’m doing, yet, I’ve been afraid that I won’t be taken seriously or be seen as flakey. I’ve been afraid that people won’t believe me or think it’s real.

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Open and Closed for Business

Open and Closed for Business

Being self-employed and an entrepreneur is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. When I was working for a company, I had a boss and a team backing me. They believed in me enough to hire me and keep me around. I remember when I left my career after 11 years feeling as if I had no skills. Obviously this isn’t true, but it’s what my ego (the noise in my head) was wanting to tell me. I’ve been afraid to put myself fully out there. I’ve had to deal with conversations around money and worth and how I charge for my services. I’ve had to learn to not take things personally and know that when someone gives me a “No”, it’s not me. Not everyone is going to be the right fit.

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An Open Letter about Faith, Religion, and Freedom

An Open Letter about Faith, Religion, and Freedom

This post is by far the most vulnerable, open, and difficult post I’ve ever written. It’s taken me several days to actually write everything out, and a lifetime to reach the point of being brave enough to share it. My hope is that you will read it from a place of love and acceptance, rather than from a place of judgment and disappointment. While this post is written for my own freedom, I know others out there who have struggled with their own faith and religious identity who need to hear it and need to know that they are not alone.

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Signs of Rocks and Bees, A Wild Story about Asking & Receiving

Signs of Rocks and Bees, A Wild Story about Asking & Receiving

How often do you stop and pay attention to the environment around you? Or better yet, how often do you pay attention to signs or patterns in your life?

I don’t know about you, but for me, I am in my head a lot. I tend to overthink, over-analyze, and pretty much drive myself (and others) crazy when it comes to making decisions or large commitments, or when I’m feeling lost in an area of life. The more I am in my head, the more frustrated and irritated I get. Luckily, I’ve done enough work in this area so I don’t let it linger too long. I try to remember that there’s always a choice. I can continue to allow myself to go through the cycle/turmoil or I can choose to do something about it.

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Harder to Forgive, Yourself

Harder to Forgive, Yourself

When it comes to forgiving yourself, you are extending grace to yourself. You are making a choice to end suffering by accepting what is and isn’t, and setting yourself free. And when it arises again, simply remind yourself of this. You did the best you could with the energy you had at the time.

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Lost (and Found) in Translation

Lost (and Found) in Translation

I have run into some interesting occurrences throughout this journey. And Google Translate is not always my friend. It botches translations and is not always accurate. But it does help me more than if I did not have it.

Colombia placed me in challenging situations of being lost and not knowing how to find my way, to dealing with the frustration of not being able to connect with people I meet—simply because we do not speak each other’s language.

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Tell the Truth, Even When It Hurts

Tell the Truth, Even When It Hurts

As children, we all go through learning what it is to tell the truth and face consequences when we choose not to. It’s an innate fear that we go through as human beings. Something happens and we are afraid to own it. It’s easier to pretend or lie than to tell the truth. Cue the Full House music and Danny telling Michelle that if she had just come forward and said what she did, she wouldn’t have been in trouble.

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