I thought about how our lives can get lackluster and boring if we don’t express our true selves. What if we could just “decorate” our lives like we do our homes for the holidays? I believe it’s possible. The key is discovering your unique style of self-expression.

You know how you feel when someone rudely interrupts you? Awkward. Frustrated. Inferior. Angry. Maybe all of these emotions and more. I've been on both the interrupted and the interrupter sides of many conversations, and, honestly, I don't feel good about either position. Though I try not to ever cut anyone off, it happens...and I usually feel bad about it afterwards. I hate getting interrupted. It makes me feel disrespected and unimportant. I stand there wondering whether I should try to restate my point or just let go. Sometimes I forget what I was saying altogether.

This month has been interesting for my family as we're coming up on some major life shifts. The company for which my husband had worked for 7 years closed recently. Though he has not gone a day without a job due to the favor he's received over the past few months from the company who purchased the building and land, he is now facing a major job or even industry change. For our family this could mean relocating out of state. Additionally, we are faced with moving out of our home very quickly due to circumstances out of our control. Without knowing where my husband will obtain a new position, we are unable to decide where to move or to begin even looking. The strange thing is I don't feel upset or stressed about the unknown, and the reason for my peace is that I invited change to come into my life.

I can't tell you how many times I've changed my hair color, clothing styles, favorite bands and authors, or wall colors in my house (the painter (hubby) sighs...). Realistically, I am a highly cultivated experiencer of new and creative things (self-proclaimed...and that's the point to this article). I've discovered that change should come after deciding a thing or idea no longer is a part of who you are today and not because someone else or societal trends say so. Truth changes us but only if it is OUR truth and we genuinely experience it to serve who we are or want to be. When honored as a part of your sacred path, defining YOUR truth is the most significant change you will ever experience!

"What you seldom do , if done often, would change your life." This statement came to me this morning after a visualization session. Simple. Yes. And that is precisely why I am so thankful for it. It is also why I wanted to share it with you. So often we make things WAY too complicated by making lists, getting more education, making resolutions -trying to literally reinvent the wheel. I'm exhausted just thinking about how many things we can cram into our day in order to make life better. Well, I'm relieved by the simple fact change is as simple as that silly quote up there.

I have found the one thing that I believe is the key to lasting peace and happiness: Living in the puzzle pieces of my life. You see, for a long time I would constantly think (live) in the past or in the "Big Picture" of my future. The result of that method often left me depressed about what I was missing or anxious about what could be. Don't get me wrong, I'm a believer in planning for the future and creating it through intention, thankfulness, and action, but that dwelling on the future "maybes and could bes" is where I had to learn a hard lesson by drawing a line in my own life. I realized I had been even thinking back to past situations and actually trying to solve the issues or reenact the event in my mind...that's insanity! The thing is...I'm not the only one who does or did this. It's an epidemic of insanity!

As I sat out on my deck this morning, listening to the birds tweet and the breeze flow through my maple tree, I realized how perfect that moment was. I even felt distracted and annoyed by allowing my mind to think about writing this post. The moment was profound in the sense it gave me so much clarity about what it means to live in the now or present. I've been so caught up in trying to analyze the past and plan for the future that I literally have not lived my life in the moments that pass me like a speeding trucker on the highway. The good news is that I really know how to stop the cycle I've lived for so long and I want to share it with you.

I just got a new dining table and chairs delivered this morning and, boy, I am relieved! Even though I knew the space that we have in our eat-in kitchen, I still had a concern that somehow it wouldn't fit or it would look too big. But it looks beautiful and fits perfectly! However, I remember several occasions when I purchased pieces of furniture on a whim because of a sale or chance meeting at a local yard sale and totally regretted it. They were either too big, too small, too dark, or just plain didn't work where I thought they would. So, you can understand when I say I was "relieved" this morning. This event really reminds me of how you feel when trying something new or meeting new people...a little nervous, a little scared and happy-excited all at the same time. These emotions are SO normal and even built in to help us make safe and clear decisions. So, feelings are meant to create a thought process that leads to a decision...

With Mother's Day quickly approaching, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite online companies to find unique gifts from the heart. So, I couldn't help but show you this beautiful hand-carved piece I found at Novica.com. It reminded me that no matter how far we are from our children, we are still connected and nothing or no one can take that away. I was able to find this amazing piece very quickly because of the special Mother's Day collections Novica put together in one place.

Have you ever been shopping for a specific item like a formal dress or pair of shoes? Well, sure you have. And, while on that shopping trip, did you tend to get really distracted by all the new seasonal fashions and trends. Suddenly, your purposeful trip to the mall gets derailed...at least for a few minutes while you rush to the dressing room to try on that cute top you just couldn't resist scooping up into your arms. After all, it's so much fun to indulge in things that don't have rhyme or reason, huh? And though I have my fair share of these carefree occasions, I want to use this scenario to explain how living your life like this regularly can literally derail your train to authentic purpose.

There is record of the word hope in English, though in varying form, dating back to before the twelfth century and even earlier in Hebrew. I have a good feeling that even before there was a word, there was an action- a longing, an expectation, an anticipation. It's like the human equivalent of an animal's instinct- a built in feature. Not to say that animals don't hope and humans don't have instinct. It could be that both of these things are interchangeable and innate with all life. We need hope to live, thrive, and find our purpose. That is why I am thankful to

If you are like me, you tend to be anxious to get the end results of anything you do. Though there is nothing wrong with wanting to finish stuff, it can cause you to pull the proverbial trigger a little early sometimes. And when you're dealing with important decisions and the development of your dreams, it might serve in a greater way to wait for things to enter your life naturally, especially if you know you have intuitive gifts.

One of my passions has always been helping teens, especially girls who have been through rough childhoods, abuse, bullying, addictions, etc. So, when I was introduced to Meredith O'Connor, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to tell her story and bring it and her amazing musical talent to you. Meredith is a singer/songwriter based in Long Island, New York and a young woman who was bullied during her childhood and early teen years

Happy International Women's Day everyone! I hope this day finds you thankful for your unique feminine qualities and strength. I truly believe there is a fierce women's movement happening on the planet today. This forward motion is driven by women just like you and me who desire change and a safe, blissful future for ourselves, families, and generations to come. Though, I support the idea of one woman bringing change to the planet, I know how much more groups of women banding together, collaborating and fighting for truth, can multiply that change exponentially.

Just for a minute, try to imagine what it would be like to see yourself through the eyes of a child. Remember or not, we all did this at one time. After all, there is a little girl in there somewhere. She is your best friend, your confidant, your endless source of creative ideas. But first let's look at ourselves through the eyes of who we are now...a grown ups, maybe middle-aged women.