Browsing Tag

healthy relationships

Boundaries Equal Success and Peace

Boundaries = success and peace.

Boundaries and keeping our power are something I talk about often. Heck, I’d preach about them if someone would let me! They’re so important and if you’ve lived without them being within your control, once you discover boundaries and that you have power, both become so very much more important to you.

For most of my life I didn’t even know the concept of boundaries existed. I think unknowingly I believed that I just had to put up with others’ behaviors even if it meant I was the one getting hurt as a result. Of course, I knew certain behavior of others was wrong and it sure felt wrong, but I really didn’t grasp that I could tell them that. Thus, I let “The Other” rule much of my life for a long time. Continue Reading

May 14, 2016

young casual woman in black with white stripes shirt big summer hat and sunglasses posing at the table in summer cafe.

Encouragement, Healthy Relationships

Moving On After You’ve Been Hurt

You’ve been hurt, perhaps devastatingly so. You’ve been betrayed or even abused and the relationship has ended.

How do you go on?

I know where you are. I’ve been there in the “in-between” and it can be a nourishing, empowering place.

When I was suddenly and unexpectedly single after my first marriage ended , it was a painful time. I wrote about the “aftermath” and the moving on and I want to tell you about that rich “in-between” period, the one where I was feeling healthy but very much a single mother on my own.

That may have been one of the most enlightening, peaceful times of my life to date. Continue Reading

April 27, 2016

Abuse and Self Care, Encouragement, Life Is Beautiful

Comes the Dawn: Be Strong for Yourself

Have you been in unhealthy relationships? Probably at least one at some point, right? I sure have.

I’m still figuring out why: what led me to believe I didn’t deserve more…why I wanted to stay…what made me think I could fix it…or fix them.

When I was a junior in high school the assignment in my Creative Writing class was to find a favorite poem and act it out. I chose this poem that I’m going to share with you. Bear with me and you’ll discover its importance.

What surprises me about this poem is that I didn’t listen to it…then. I have loved the words all these years and felt their meaning and knew how true they were. But I just couldn’t apply them in my own life and empower myself. It’s so often hard to think of ourselves as deserving of good things, good people, strength. To paraphrase Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman “the bad stuff is easier to believe.” Vivian could have used this poem too. Continue Reading

February 23, 2016

Encouragement, Health

The Drama Vacuum: Don’t Get Sucked In

Drama.

The word itself looks looming, suspicious that it’s something a bit shady.

Most of us don’t like drama. We cringe when we sense it coming. We’re already tired most of the time and engaging in drama takes more energy than we have to spare.

What if someone comes at you with false accusations? Unfair badgering? Unfounded judgements?

You want to defend yourself, right? Set them straight? I mean, your very reputation may be at stake here. Continue Reading

January 21, 2016