It wasn't the clean air or the clear starry sky nights that were the most nourishing. It wasn't the fact that I got to spend 5 days camping with my best friend or that I hiked on smooth flat rock with gorgeous views that made me feel alive. 

All of those things made my heart sparkle and glow. 

But what surprised me the most was the quiet. The stillness. 

It was startling in a way to be in complete soundlessness. I had forgotten about being out in the middle of nowhere how quiet life can be. 

I realized that living in a city or town, the sounds from the freeway are running in the background, even though for me, my house is nowhere near the freeway. 

It was the stillness and deep quiet without the background noise that soothed me the most. 

Canyonlands with Dear Friends

We started in Canyonlands, Utah, with 5 other couples. Now a delightful annual affair, we hiked, ate together, talked and laughed, did yoga up on a...

When it comes to taking the next step in your life...whether that’s starting a new career, taking the trip of a lifetime, having a hard conversation with someone you love, or something else entirely...many of us suffer from procrastination.

We tell ourselves we'll do it “one day,” when the timing is just right. But what if now is the perfect time for you to make your dream a reality?

What if this moment holds infinite possibilities and you can't afford to wait any longer? Don’t listen to the self-doubt that holds you back. Trust yourself. 

Living your best life means taking risks and it means not waiting for the right time.

Not waiting to go for your dreams and live on your own terms involves pushing past fear and doubt.

It's scary to think that we can actually get what we want, which is why it’s so common for us to allow our inner critic or saboteurs to convince us to wait for the right time to do what we want.  

There are so...

"To reach real peace in the world, we will have to begin with the children."
Mahatma Gandhi

 It started during the pandemic.

Three of my grandkids were on lockdown in the South Pacific. 
My other three grans were "local" but with the pandemic we had limited visits at a distance and with masks.

Christmas was happening and I felt the sting of being separated from all my grans. I wanted us to all be connected and not forget each other so I had to come up with a plan.

So...I started Gran's Zoom Christmas party.

I had to consider the time difference. The Vanuatu family (in the South Pacitic) is 18 hours ahead of the US. 
There were other obstacles like ensuring I could hold the kid's attention the whole time.

Yesterday we had Gran's 3rd annual Zoom Xmas party.

The two Davis grans, Avery and Andy, came to my house and we celebrated the winter solstice together.

I had decided to also have our Zoom Christmas party on the same day. Why not? 

It...

As the winter solstice approaches here in the Northern Hemisphere, let us take time to be still and focus on our inner being on this longest night of 2022,

This is a time to reflect on all that has happened in this past year and gain clarity for what lies ahead of us. 

Imagine for a few minutes letting go of the busyness of the holidays and being in listening mode rather than doing mode.

Listen to Mother Earth and what she says. Listen to your heart and what it says.

The darkness can be a time of deep reflection and pause 

Nature shows us her own form of rest as leaves fall away from trees so they can conserve energy during this season with little light or warmth. 

Though it may seem like we're losing the light right now, winter brings an invitation not only to observe but also receive, allowing ourselves moments where no plans need be made nor expectations fulfilled. 

EVEN THOUGH the holidays are here, we must remember how important...

Last night I was on a call with a circle of Green women. We're a group of mothers, grandmothers, and women from all parts of the country who care about the planet, the climate crisis, and everything that links to it.

Our conversations are powerful threads of information, inspiration, and concern for our shared experience of living on the planet during these challenging times.

On our call, we discussed the holidays and how to view them in a different way, rather than the constant rushing around and the overconsumption that we can easily fall into.

Our leader, Helene Van Manen, leads this group and has 3 monthly calls that are completely free. I hope this resonates with you and if it does, please join us. The link is here. It's powerful to be in a group like this and a golden opportunity for you to share your ideas and to be inspired.

I think you probably care a lot about the earth and the climate crisis. Maybe, if you’re like me, you sometimes don’t know...

There's something we all know but sometimes need to be reminded of. 

Christmas isn’t about the big presents and the fancy decorations. It also isn’t about cramming in as many activities and festivities during the month of December as you possibly can.

It isn’t about having the biggest Christmas party or the biggest tree. It's not about the presents. 

Instead, Christmas is about being with loved ones, exchanging meaningful gifts, having a meal together, and enjoying each other’s company. 

Slow Down 

Start by slowing down this holiday season. It’s hard to enjoy everything when your calendar is so full that you’re simply rushing from one event to the next. 

Instead of trying to fit it all in, do it all, and go all out on everything from decorating the house to hosting various Christmas parties, slow down. Take a breath and look around you.

Savor this time with your family. Snuggle up on the couch and watch...

Recently I talked to my 8-year-old granddaughter, Ella, and told her that I had a dream that she would lead a retreat with me one day when she's older. 

I explained to her what a retreat was and she said, “I'd love to do that.”

And then I said, "what part would you lead?"

She said “I dunno.” 

And I said, “well, maybe you could remind women how to play.”

She looked at me in disbelief and said “what”? 

I told her that sometimes adults forget how to play. 

She looked at me as if I was from another planet. 

In her little mind, not knowing how to play was incomprehensible. 

 That day, I realized that I, too, had forgotten how to play.

It began raining that same afternoon. Both Ella and her sister Katie ran out fully dressed and they did what kids do…relished in playing in the rain, laughing, yelling, and having the time of their lives. 

Tapping into my younger self

For once, I...

Summer is the sweetest time for self-care. If we really listen to ourselves, we know intuitively that summer is the best time to slow down. So let's create the best self-care summer ever for ourselves.   

Take time to relax and recharge

The summer invites us all to do everything at a slower pace. It's ok to relax and be lazy sometimes. 

It's a time to get away…it’s vacation time.

And…it’s the summer solstice on June 21st...the longest day of the year. We have more light to be outside, play, and watch the setting sun while it's warm.  

When we take this time to take care of ourselves by letting our brains rest, our bodies relax, we create balance and we become more creative. When we slow everything down, then we can see what needs to be changed in our lives.

Summer self-care is easier to do than you think. 

Last summer I took a personal self-care retreat. It was transformative. 

Before leaving, I was exhausted and burned...

Have you ever felt stuck? If you've ever been unable to figure things out and known that you don't have the answers, have you ever said anything like this to yourself...

“I want to change my life but I have no idea what to do. Plus I’m scared. I’m afraid I’ll never be happy/where I want to be in life/balanced/fulfilled. 

I don’t have a clue how to get what I want and I don’t even think I can have it. 

If you’ve had these thoughts, you’re not alone. 

It’s hard to say this kind of stuff out loud. 

And…sometimes people go into self-blame mode and feel even worse and then say something like…what’s wrong with me?  Why can’t I figure this out? Will I ever get to be happy? 

The reason is that it’s hard. 

It’s hard when you feel stuck to get yourself out of that mode. I know because I’ve been there so many times. 

But we don’t have...

Let’s face it. Life isn’t easy. It’s tough and gutwrenching at times. And we can easily feel overwhelmed.  Plus we live in a world that’s chaotic, violent, unpredictable, scary, and more than our brains can handle.

This is why I encourage everyone to reach out and get help when they need it. I’ve been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for 30 years and I’ve also been a life coach for 17 years. I love both of these ways of helping people, but they are very different. 

If you're struggling in some way right now, or life isn't what you hoped it would be and you're not sure what to do, you may not know exactly what you need. 

Therapy and coaching are not the same. It's important to know the difference so you can make the best choice for yourself. To help you to do this here is some guidance on how to know if you need a coach or a therapist. 

Working with a Therapist

Therapists, also known as mental health...