I remember the first time I got my period—July 23,1996. It had some seriously unfortunate timing because it was summer vacation and I was supposed to go out to a community swimming pool that day. I wasn’t sure how I would get out of the swimming without actually talking about my situation; and I knew your period wasn’t something that people talked about. I mean, I was pretty sure it wasn’t. I had never heard my mom talk about it. I was the first girl in my group to have gotten my period, so my friends had never talked about it. I had a brother so he definitely wasn’t talking about it….
Is feeling irritated about everything just your normal?
If it is, you’re not alone. I used to consider myself such an easily irritated person. Then I read this book:
THE DANCE OF ANGER: A WOMAN’S GUIDE TO CHANGING THE PATTERNS OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS:
This book is a powerhouse. A powerhouse of practical advice and real-life situations that will have you nodding along in understanding.…
A Note About Guilt
Guilt has been an emotion I’ve struggled with a lot, for a very long time.
I thought it was a virtuous thing—“ I feel bad that I’m not doing the thing that person wants me to do. I should be a better/bigger person and act how they want me to.”
Damn, did I have it allllllll wrong….
Self Confidence
I took a course in my undergraduate nursing program called “Self and Others”. It was all about interpersonal communication, self-reflection and empathy. I became really good at the “others” part—I refined my listening skills, I deepened my empathy, I learned new communication techniques.
But, while I excelled at talking and relating to others, I totally let the “self” part of the course slide. Things like increasing my self-confidence and releasing negative self talk didn’t get much attention….
Passion, Grit, Empathy
Last month, I returned to my professional job after giving birth 16 months ago. For those of you who don’t know, I am a Nurse Practitioner at a women’s health clinic. My work is about supporting women in their physical and mental health. I bear witness to stories of great suffering and even greater resilience. ⠀
My professional life is just an extension of my personal life. I do women’s work. I serve women. I advocate for women. And what I bring to my personal life and my professional life is pretty much always the same: Passion. Grit. Empathy….
Getting Through a Funk
Today is my last day in Costa Rica. I have zero desire for this trip to end. I have a mountain of change coming my way this month. I want to worry and fret and just generally dig my heels in. I want to refuse to move, to flow, to be at ease with the unknown. But I know that’s no way to live. Fretting about the future or wishing for this moment to carry on into perpetuity? All of that takes me out of the actual, beautiful, present moment….
An Ode to Solitude
S O L I T U D E
Never underestimate it’s power. As women, as mothers, as healers and helpers, we need time to ourselves. More specifically, we need time ALONE.
Dance. Journal. Sing in the shower. Sip your coffee. Stare off into the distance. Browse the bookstore. Stretch your arms overhead. Breathe deeply. Whatever you do, do it ALONE. For 2 minutes or for 22 minutes, whatever you can muster. …
Why We Don’t Go On Package Vacations
We’ re currently away in Costa Rica for the month of January 2018 (you can read a bit about our adventure here). We love to travel and we make very conscious decisions about when and how we want to vacation. For us, this means we rarely choose to go on packaged or pre-planned vacations. We’ve done it twice before and it just wasn’t our way to see the world either time. …
My Word of the Year
I’ve chosen my word of the year. This is a practice I like to do to set a broad intention for the year to come. It’s a small, easy thing to do but it has major, major impact. Here’s the thing, I’ve always struggled with New Year’s resolutions despite trying many different formats. Resolving to live by a single word is simple but powerful. Unlike goals, you never forget the word and you can apply it to various aspects of your life-relationships, money, spirituality, parenting, health—all without having to break down each of these aspects and generate unique goals….
Opening Up 2018
This is my morning view for the first 30 days of 2018. We’ve moved to a small eco community in Costa Rica for the month of January. It’s a really exciting adventure that we undertook very mindfully. We wanted to travel as a family and really spend quality time together, we wanted to escape the freezing January temperatures and we wanted to have some space for reflection and intention setting before we both head back to work….