Category Archives: Meditation
Just Say No
La Chica: If someone asks me to marry him, and I don’t want to, how do I say no nicely without being rude? Me: How about “No thank you?” La Chica: Why didn’t you say that? Indeed, why didn’t I? … Continue reading
Posted in Dating, Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness, Parenting, Relationships
Tagged Just Say No, maintaining boundaries, taking a stand
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God Comes to You
Silence. Monks. Two words that don’t automatically come to mind when you think of me. Safe to say I’ve never been known to be religious, or quiet. At the end of my three-day silent monastic retreat, Father Vincent said to … Continue reading
Vigils and Lauds And Complines, Oh My!
I just spent three days with Trappist monks on a silent, self-guided monastic retreat. It’s taken about 15 years for the stars to align for me to finally experience one of these. I’m grateful it’s taken so long–I realized a … Continue reading
Posted in Meditation, Mindfulness, religion, spirituality
Tagged Berryville Virginia, Holy Cross Abbey, silent retreat, Trappist monks
6 Comments
My Greatest Fear
Glennon Doyle Melton’s Our Sacred Scared series inspired me to really examine my greatest fears. What’s my greatest fear? I don’t know. I’ve had many. They were all great (and not in a good-great way, but a big-great way). They … Continue reading
Posted in Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness
Tagged enough, Glennon Doyle Melton, greatest fear, inadequacy, insecurities, mindfulness
11 Comments
Put the Armor Down, Be Vulnerable, & Marinate
An old, trusted friend asked about details of how my last relationship ended. We talked about it, and it was clear that I was still having difficulty with it, and the loss; I was still hurting. And I admitted that … Continue reading
Posted in Dating, Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness, Relationships
Tagged authentic, authenticity, brave, courage, hope, relationships, resilience, second chance, vulnerability, vulnerable
8 Comments
Sharing But Not Embarrassing
I have had several friends tell me lately they are surprised I share as much of myself as I do through my writing. They know me to be a fiercely private person with firm boundaries and trust issues. So the … Continue reading
Posted in Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness
Tagged brave, courage, disclosure, helping others, shame, sharing, truth, writing
27 Comments
Direct Reflections
We have a hard time taking things at face value. We pile on secondary stories and create so much meaning about things, behaviors, and choices. We forget that each of us comes from a different place and perspective in life, … Continue reading
Posted in Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness, Parenting
Tagged assumptions, judgments, shame, societal pressures, worthiness
9 Comments
Is Anywhere Safe?
There was a shooting in the mall two miles down the street from my house today. Chaos ensued. It was a Saturday morning, families everywhere. Facebook and Twitter lit up, texts were flying, everyone worried about loved ones. Some friends … Continue reading
Posted in Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness, Parenting
Tagged coping skills, gun control, gun rights, mall shooting, resiliency, The Mall in Columbia
8 Comments
What Is Love?
Love is a 40-year-old woman choosing to be trapped in a car barreling through the Midwest for 7 hours with two small children who won’t stop singing the Beastie Boys’ “Brass Monkey”–only they’ve made up their own words to the … Continue reading
Posted in Meditation, Mindfulness, Relationships
Tagged being seen, best friends, dynamic duo, friendship, love, self-validation, validation
4 Comments
What’s Wrong With You?
There seems to be a recent movement against striving for perfection, and instead embracing who we are. I love this idea. What I don’t like is how it’s being framed in much of the media. I’m bombarded by articles with … Continue reading
Posted in Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness
Tagged flaws, imperfections, love yourself, self-acceptance
9 Comments
Thrive Fully Creative 