Inside My Journal





Stop Doing These 4 Things if You Want To Be Happier

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“I have no right to be unhappy, I really have such a great life—so many people in the world are suffering and have much bigger problems than me.”

I used to find myself saying that … and my clients often say it. I learned to start sessions by telling my clients that I know that there are people who have a rougher life than you and that you shouldn’t complain, but this is a space where all of your pain, suffering, and sadness matter.

It’s hard for us to let go of the story we carry that because …

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If You're Blaming Him For Your Unhappiness, You're Not Ready to Leave

Blaming You Arent Ready to Leave

Note: This message isn’t for anyone in an abusive or toxic marriage. Your safety and health are most important.

In 2010, my marriage was falling apart.

It totally seemed easier to give up.

The idea of focusing on making our marriage better seemed daunting and, sad to say … hopeless. In my mind, I created a fantasy life where I lived with my kids in a cute apartment living a “free” life. I tapped into this fantasy whenever things were particularly crappy and I needed to feel a sense of contr…

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An Important Tip to Become a Better Listener

Listen Better

I saw this on Facebook today: "Normalize not sharing a relatable story about yourself when someone shares something about themselves, and just listen." 

(note: normalizing doesn't mean eliminating, so don't feel bad if you do this - there is a time and a place for everything!)

I know how hard this is, and most people think that this is showing the person that they're not alone or that they can relate. And yes, at times it can be more of a competition, but I'm not sure that's the most com…

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Afraid of Being Seen as Lazy?

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I know (many) moms who secretly wish they would get sick or end up in the hospital just so they could feel justified in resting, sleeping and doing nothing! 

When you think about slowing down or resting do you immediately think "lazy?"

Do you relax and then feel guilty for doing nothing? Does your tough inner critic tell you to stop being lazy? Or question whether you deserve to rest when there are so many things that need to be done?

Here's the thing - this guilt and self-talk puts more pres…

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Is Being Busy a Way To Avoid Living Intentionally?

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It seems like there's a lot more to do these days – more email to check, more Jones' to keep up with, more events to attend, more activities to schedule.

Doesn’t it? 

But also, like being busy is something to be proud of. 

And if you're not busy, people think there must be something wrong with you.

And yet, I think there's something more to this.

Have we decided that we're only valuable if we're busy and productive?

Maybe it doesn’t even matter WHAT we're doing, as long as we're always doin…

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Do You Think of Yourself as Spiritual?

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Let's talk spirituality and how it connects to YOU and the world.

Is spirituality the same as religion?

I notice there are some who have a pretty strong emotional reaction to the word spirituality because they associate it with organized religion. Many people have a positive response. Many people have a negative response. While “religion” is certainly one way to define spirituality, it feels a bit limiting to me.

Woo-woo?

I notice others who respond strongly because they hear spirituality as…

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Red Pen the Shoulds

Red Pen the Shoulds
Sometimes when we feel busy we end up not proactively looking at our schedule and making sure we're focused on the right things. Sometimes we do the easy things and never get to the important harder stuff. Often we don't ask for help. Mostly we get fixed in the mindset that we need to do it all. But if you were to get sick right now, the world would not stop if you didn't do

A L L.  T H E.  T H I N G S.

I'm not saying you don't do a ton of important, valuable, necessary things. I kno…

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When Mindfulness Feels Too Hard

When Mindfulness Feels Too Hard

:: Context - I broke my Greater Trochanter / Upper Femur in a skiing accident 12 days before I wrote this :: 

​Lying in bed last night I got caught in the swirl of thought and fear: I can't handle it anymore. How can I do this for months? Will I ever fully recover? Can I handle the rehab? How much longer do I have to sleep in this position? Will I ever get a good nights' sleep again? I felt trapped and hopeless.

Somehow, even while lying mostly still, I found myself writhing.

In the dark of the nig…

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From Mind-Full to Mindful - Part 3: 10 Quick Ways to Get Out of Your Head

From Mind-Full to Mindful - Part 3: 10 Quick Ways to Get Out of Your Head

This is Part 3 of a 3 Part Series. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

I spent more than 40 years mostly in my head. I am a “head type” on the Enneagram and being my head’s a very comfortable place for me to be.

But I’ve learned that my best inspirations, ideas, clarity, answers, and solutions come from getting out of my head and into my body, into my heart and into THIS present moment. For some of you, this will not make a lot of sense…so you’ll need to try it to believe it.

For you, I ask you to tr…

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From Mind-Full to Mindful - Part 2: Stopping The Worry & Guilt Cycle

Blog - Mindfull to Mindful (1)

Part 2 of 3. Read Part 1 here and Part 3 here.

This blog post is summarized from Wayne Dyer’s amazing very first book called Your Erroneous Zones.

Okay, let’s get real here…I’m not suggesting that we’re never going to worry again…we’re adults living in a complex world with problems and children and jobs! So we’ve got a lot to worry about.

Full disclosure: I was just up last night at 2:42 worrying. And the truth is that a little bit of worry sometimes PUTS me INTO action.

But what I don’t want for an…

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