Grow Optimism
2590 Eagle Lake Road K0M1M0 Haliburton, ON, Canada

Please....and they sound a lot like ' that doesn't feel ok to me' or ' what just happened here needs to be discussed and resolved' or ' I'm not available this weekend' or ' When this happens and I feel like this it's not ok' and so on and so on and so on....boundaries sound ALOT like self love. xo

For those of us in Ontario, it's our third lockdown. And all I have to say to this ( no haters or plandemic comments wanted and will be deleted with great love) is dance. Dance like you mean it. Dance by yourself. Dance with someone else. Turn up the tunes and unabashedly dance your hearts and souls into oblivion! 28 days to dig deeper. 28 days to love harder.... 28 days to breathe longer. 28 days to remember who you are. And, alas, 28 days to find somewhere to dance. (And if this doesn't fit for you my lovely, I love you and understand completely. Dancing ALWAYS makes me feel closer to my soul that any other thing) Got it? Give it. Need it? Grab it. xo

It is Spring, the season of more sunlight for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. And sunlight brings a newness, a fullness, a warmth to us on such a deep physiological level, we can actually feel ourselves emotionally shift. Over the past several weeks I have been able to chat with clients about the importance of compassion when we are making space for how we feel. You see, we were raised by a tough bunch ( those of us in our middle years). The 'buck up', ' tough it ou...t', 'man up' , 'suck it up' generation that would 'give us something to cry about' when we were struggling with our emotional reactions. So here we are, a group of individuals a little lost when we find that we can't simply push through our emotional firewalls and resume business as usual. And because I support and educate on a daily basis, as well as continue my own education to ensure I have the most relevant and timely information for my clients and groups, I can find myself simply saying ' right, well, if we don't express emotions they will own us'. Or in discussion around trauma and fragility, and how some days are simply harder than others, I will lean on strategies around how to regulate our emotions, safely presence our trauma and learn to love ourselves through to the other side of emotional challenges. I believe that it is up to US to shift the conversation around when we feel we need mental health supports. I believe it is up to US to normalize the discussion around this being part of the human condition. And I believe to the core of my being that without learning this and teaching this and normalizing this, we will remain stuck in those moments of emotional overwhelm and resort to unhelpful strategies that keep us disconnected from living a fully lived life. I get it. I get you, because I am you. I see you and love you. xo See more

That feels about right to me today lovelies

Ahhhhhh the stripes. This is a photo of one of my clients. With her consent I have offered up this photo to help guide a conversation in worthiness and the narratives in our mind that can hold us back from fully showing up and owning our stories. Vulnerability is tough stuff and being able to do things that encapsulate who we are and what we have earned in this life can be debilitating if we allow the voices in our heads to run rough shot over us. ( meaning those unhelpful th...oughts and false stories we tell ourselves about who we are). Imposter syndrome is a real thing. We can get all tied up in the notion that we are not worthy enough to rise into who we are. That we are not ______(insert adjective here) enough to put on our earned 'stripes'. And I get it. I get nudged every once in a while because I don't have a Masters Degree. And for this beautiful client of mine, owning her earned stripes and stepping into her leadership role that she worked her butt of for and was acknowledged for, was a tough but crucial step to owning her story. This is your Monday reminder that you are enough. That everything that has led you to this moment in time is part of your 'enoughness'. ( is that even a word?) This is a loving reminder that you were born enough and anyone who told you that you weren't isn't operating from a place of their own worth. I know it's hard to see and feel sometimes, because the critics and folks in the cheap seats of our lives usually get to the front of the line of our self criticism because we valued their opinions at some point. Let's give those folks in the cheap seats a loving kindness nod today and let them go. This week, if it fits for you, step into your stripes a little. Lean into the things that fire you up. Let go of one thought that feels constricting to your movement forward.....and for the love of goodness be kind to yourself and every other person you see! It matters. And if you've got it - give it. Need it, grab it. I love you. I see you. I am you. xo

Good morning lovelies. A dark and chilly morning riverside. Quick question: when you are leaning into your life and your learned behaviours, what do you do or think about the parts of you that are less than ideal? I’m talking about those traits or old baggage that speaks darkness to your soul. And if you don’t have any you might want to dig a little deeper. Historically I ran from my shadow. I ran from and avoided anything that wasn’t seen as sunny, kind and loving. But he...re’s the thing: if we don’t get straight with all the parts of ourself, and love those parts too, we can spend the rest of our lives trying to slay a dragon who’s fire only grows strong the longer you fight it. Those thoughts you have about yourself- those dark fears and anxieties- they are simply patterned responses from a time when you were told them or they were needed to protect you. The best way to slay the dragon is to snuggle up with her, bring her tea, let her know you love all of her, and love her as she is the parts of you that need your light the most. I’ll put the kettle on See more

Unless that voice is kind, gentle and loving.. All other voices, narratives, mistaken beliefs and unhelpful thoughts are patterned from a time you needed to protect yourself. Tell that voice to sit down and rest, she serves no purpose anymore.