So, here's the thing...

Your value is not what the world tries to make you believe. It's not an IQ, it's not about your status in society, it's not how many friends you have, it's not how much money you can make, it's not how many "likes" you get on Facebook, and it's certainly not your own opinion of yourself when you're feeling down.  Life ebbs and flows, it shape shifts, startles, frustrates, and hurts sometimes. But... This is what I know... There isn't a single solitary thing you can't achieve if you want it bad enough. There isn't a pain or tragedy that you can't get through if you will only allow it to help you grow. There isn't a person anywhere in this world that can strip you of your innate grace, peace and worth. There isn't a job, or relationship, or family member, or friend, that can make you feel less than your own radiant self, unless you allow them to.  But here's the thing, just when you think your life is on track, someone...

I had a client a few weeks ago tell me she felt like she was at the end of her rope. She said she felt everyday was a battle with herself.  Her exact words were, "I feel like I'm living by the skin of my teeth.  I don't trust myself to know how to live right anymore.  It's like I'm going to fall into a hole and never get out".  Yeah, there are times I hear some heavy stuff as a massage therapist.  The sacred space I'm able to hold for people in my line of work is something I never take lightly.  I never give unsolicited advice. That's not my job.  As I begin my work, I simply listen and silently bless the person on my table. What I do know is they are so much more than their current problems!  It's as if we fall asleep for a while and forget just how magnificent we are.  Her follow-up question was, "What should I do?" I'm not a psycho therapist, nor a counselor, but I remember responding with telling her to try living by her lights , ...

...and believe me there are days when I don't know much at all, but this is something I can write about with certainty: Our level of daily stress in this life is in direct correlation to how we choose to react to it. Just look at the news for a second...wait, don't do that! We're working on lowering stress at the moment!  (The lopsided media is another blog post for another day)  I can only write from my heart, and I can only write convincingly about what I truly know and have experienced.  And I know about stress. I know about a level of stress that can kill, or at the very least make you sick in heart, mind and body. Yep...I know about all of this intimately...and so do you.  But here's the thing: Living a low-stress life is a choice. It's very easy to say our level of stress comes from outward events, places, things, people. We are very reactionary as humans. This is normal, this is how we decipher situations and make choices about how to act. But it's the ...

There is no way around it, negativity comes at us every single day.  Sometimes it's hard to recognize until you hear yourself talking, or you are suddenly stunned by your own thought processes....the times you scare yourself silly, the times you start on a downward spiral of self-loathing, or letting a sense of doom come over you.  The media, newspapers, neighbors, work, school, our political climate, you name it, and you know what I'm talking about here, it comes at us almost as soon as we walk out the door, or turn on the television or radio.  Fear is the outcropping of negativity, but when it begins to take over we feel unable to get a hold of it.  In my massage practice I hear every type of problem, both physical, and emotional. I hear the pain, I sense where it's being held in the body, and then I surround my clients in a space that allows for healing.  Getting a hold of negativity before it lodges in our minds and hearts is what I want to talk about today....

Hello!  It's been awhile, and I apologize for neglecting my blog.  Life gets to running at full throttle sometimes, and the things we wish to pay more attention to go by the wayside.  *Le sigh*  But here I am again, so let's start anew... How is this New Year going for you, so far?  We are in the midst of some very cold and snowy weather here in Kentucky, like most of the country is dealing with.  Unusual for us, though, and for many a very unwelcome event in their lives.  I admit I am a Winter person, in fact, I love the way it allows me to slow down and notice life around me.  I become more conscious of my surroundings, my movements, my thoughts.  I've written before of the barren landscape, and the metaphor this represents for me.  I crave the times I can go within and listen, dream, contemplate, and recharge,  How about you?  Do you rebel against the things you cannot control?  And weather is one of those things, for...

It has happened to me more then once recently.  I know when it's coming, too. Before, I never knew how burdened I was until I got down sick.  Sick and tired, and then I got angry because I was sick and tired. Now when I'm coming to a breaking point because of juggling all the things I need to do within a day, I feel the tears behind my eyes getting hot.  So I stop, I let everything drop, and I cry.  Stop, drop, and cry.  That's my survival skill. There is something miraculous about crying.  Something magical happens when you just let everything go.  It's not giving up, it's giving over to the moment, because you see, sometimes the moment knows better then you do what needs to be done.  And stopping, dropping the "to do" list, and releasing the burdens through your tears is many times your best and healthiest option.  Those closest to us never like to see this either.  It's not for the weak at heart, or for the "fair weather" friend t...