Elizabeth Gilbert said it best when she said, “Perfectionism is fear in high heels.” I’ve always thought that being perfect meant that I was paying attention, trying my best, and being an overachiever. What I’ve actually learned is that my perfection has been a mask hiding the fear that I’m not good enough. Good enough at what you might ask? Everything. You name it and I have a fear of not being go[...]
For the last 6-weeks I’ve watched the flowers in my garden sit, sprout, and millimeter by millimeter, grow. If you came over and saw these plants you’d be less than impressed, because 6-weeks later they’re still tiny little guys with too much potential sitting inside of them. That’s the thing with nature, it takes time. When we look to nature as an example of how to live we notice that it’s about goi[...]
In the last 6-months the book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, has come up a handful of times. From different people, in different contexts this book has been referenced and it felt like time that I should read it. Written over 50 years ago, its philosophy and thought are amazingly 100% relevant today. Each day I read a small section in order to digest all that’s being offered but there was one line[...]
A hundred years ago there was less. Less distractions, less to-dos, less toys that filled up our days trying to convince us we were saving time. There was however more. More connection, more community, more time spent in the areas that mattered. This, I know, is looking at the past with rose colored glasses, but on some level it’s completely true. The more I witness technology and our need to do more, the more[...]
If I could describe this time in history we all live in, I would describe it as the busy era. “I’ve been so busy” is the response to almost any question you ask a friend or colleague. We blame the busy because we live in a culture that loves the hustle, the go-go-go mentality. We want to seem like we’re always progressing. But what I see isn’t progress but a lack of prioritizing. We have all been in a j[...]
Beauty is pain. I'm not sure where I first heard these words but it most likely came from my mother. I would later hear it from my grandmother, sister, mentors, and almost any women who went to great efforts to look her best. Even today I hear the words thrown around as we wear heels that blister and ache, or dresses that show too much, or hold everything in, to the point we might explode. Across generations and[...]
They say that the devil is in the details, but honestly I think that’s where the magic is. The small expressions of love, the intentional thought, the experience that’s provided, all shape up to add a bit of magic to someone’s day, even if it’s your own. I believe that whenever possible, everything should be turned into an experience. The way I label a birthday card for a friend and decorate it with washi[...]
Something changes inside of you the moment you walk into a garden. Maybe it's the fresh air, plants cleaning the oxygen right in front of your nose. Or maybe it's the colors flooding your eyes, making you wonder how you survived another winter without seeing this beauty. Whatever it is, every sense is awoken as you as you step foot into the garden guiding you to think more clearly and dream new dreams. As many origi[...]
In the book, Jesus Feminist, Sarah Bessey describes the number one rule when it comes to child birth–to lean into the pain. For those who try to avoid the pain, tensing up and holding back, they actually find themselves in more pain. But when you release into, accept it, and move through it, you find yourself on the other side. Having survived what you thought just might kill you. Oh, how this analogy can[...]
I’ve been spending a lot of time in my garden these last few weeks. Mostly getting things ready to start planting at the end of May. Since we live at a higher elevation, our gardens can’t really be tended to until mid to late May when the risk of frost goes down (and by frost I mean 3-feet of snow). While I’m itching to start growing, to create a garden that will be my sanctuary and wow my family, I also kn[...]