Two years ago, I took a delightful trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The last time I was there was to celebrate turning 50, by crossing out a major bucket list experience of hang gliding off of Lookout Mountain. Mission accomplished! It seems like each time I visit this little corner of the state, I discover something new, and two years ago was no exception. As my family and I wandered into the Hunter Museum of American Art located in the downtown area, a fabulous art center by the way, we came upon their newest exhibit, Really Free: The Radical Art of Nellie Mae Rowe. I’m excited to share with you what I learned about…

I’m not one for making New Year’s Resolutions. Too much pressure for me. I know the things I need to work on and I trust my inner guidance to help send me in the right directions. But, I do slip and fall on occasion and I would rather skip the guilt and disappointment that accompanies that or when I “break” my intentions.

Instead, for 2025 I’ve decided that for each month, I’m going to…

Some of you may recall the movie, Signs, back in 2002, starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, which focused on a family trapped in grief and sorrow, who also happened to be caught up in an extraterrestrial invasion of Earth. (BTW-I choose to believe that the ETs are NOT out to get us 😉). I personally think this film is one of M. Night Shyamalan’s finest. The “signs” started out as a series of intricate patterns of circles and lines carved into crops, but also came to represent a deeper meaning through a series of events that ultimately led to the movie’s finale, demonstrating poignant themes of faith, kinship, and forgiveness.

I won’t give away the movie’s ending, but I will say that it wasn’t really about the aliens-rather, it was about how a mysterious phenomenon encapsulated in fear acted as a portal into spiritual healing.

Gather round children, I’d like to tell you a story…

I planned to share with you an exciting, revealing trip to the Redwood forests in northern California for this month’s blog. I still will, but not without hurricane Helene speaking her words as well. She demands it.

As a resident of upper east Tennessee, I’ve witnessed the power of the strongest hurricane, that being Helene, since Katrina in 2005 at the time of this writing. But to back up…

In the midst of inevitable change that comes with being alive, there are also these particular elements that seem to remain with us-like an old friend. These things can be tangible or intangible, but what these friends have in common is the ability, or maybe power is the better word, to validate, hold, and ultimately comfort our hearts in times of unease or personal growth. These are the “constants” we lean into. I’d like to introduce you to one of my constants that I’ve held onto since 1996. Before Adele and others like her, there was a singer-songwriter named Fiona Apple.

I wish I could take credit for the above title, but alas, all due credit goes to fitness expert and women’s wellness advocate, Ellen Barrett. Ellen and I go way back, around 20+ years ago, when I first discovered one of her exercise DVDs, and I haven’t stopped working out (or as she likes to call it-”mindful body movement”) alongside her since then. There have been times I’ve gotten lazy or tried other teachers, but I’ve always returned to her. For me, she’s a great fit of...

I was sitting with a client recently, talking about the scariness that likes to come along with us when we’re making big life changes, and how our mindset and attitude contributes to our experiences. Example: Rather than adopting an anxious or fearful response to a situation, I suggest adopting an exciting approach, a pondering sort of felt sense, such as “I wonder what’s coming next,” or “I wonder who or what is being sent to help me along this path.” That’s when my client casually commented, “This reminds me of the Kool-Aid Man.”

I’m fortunate to live within 4 minutes from one of my city’s parks, Willow Springs, which was founded in 1998 and consists of 36 acres of rolling hills, wooded trails, a dog park, and a pond full of turtles, the occasional Heron, and is currently supporting a Canadian geese family of 4. During the week, time-allowing, I make the short drive after work to walk those trails and to sit on a favorite bench at the top of a knoll, whether to meditate or to just be.

I’m sure at some point in elementary school, you were exposed to or taught the life stages of a caterpillar turning into the beautiful butterfly it was always meant to be. Probably in science class. The caterpillar painstakingly attaches its body to a branch or twig with silk, and then meticulously forms a chrysalis. Inside this protection is where the magical alchemy occurs. During the transformation phase, it’s dark and gooey while the DNA reconfigures, and at the end of this transition cycle, (not a crisis), the creature emerges into the being it was destined to become.

At the onset of spring’s arrival this year, I made the decision to consult a specialist for allergy testing. Reason being, for the last couple of springs (and falls), I’ve found myself unable to breathe and consumed with all the typical allergy symptoms that last all season. I’ve experienced this off and on for most of my adulthood, but lately it’s gotten super bad since spending more time outdoors. Let’s just say I wasn’t prepared for the outcome. Final results…

In this world today, our attention is pulled in a thousand different directions, from the alerts on our phones to the whole FOMO phenomenon or Fear of Missing Out. Current culture screams for our time, our money, even our values. We spin plates, get in ruts, and wonder how we got here. Now, how do we get outta here?

As a Generation X kid, before the age of cell phones and streaming, coming home after school at 3pm for me and many of my friends, meant one of two things-turning on the TV and tuning in to either Guiding Light or General Hospital. My soap of choice?