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My hair is wild, but I feel so calm!

Last night, I met Holly at from and we talked all about self-care.

One of her self-care practices is using heating pads like this one filled with lavender 💜

After an amazing night of connecting at the event, I was too wired to settle into sleep. So I warmed this up, put it on, and started to signal to my body that it was time to relax.

Small practices can shift our experience and can signal to our body to let go, to slow down, that it’s safe. I love how this simple pillow uses my senses to ground me and bring me back to the present moment!

We’ve been talking about self-care at our weekly women’s group and it takes so many forms. Many of us are familiar with the physical - massages, stretching, acupuncture, but there’s also the inner work of self-care - journaling, meditating, setting boundaries.

I wholeheartedly practice self care in all realms of body, mind, and spirit - but the inner work is my jam!

What’s a self-care practice that allows promotes your wellbeing?!

On ‘s podcast Dare to Lead she talks with Dr. Linda Hill, a professor and chair of leadership at HBS. They discuss leading with purpose in the digital age and how digital transformation is less about technology and more about people.

There were so many good takeaways that I found applicable to my own personal transformation process. I found myself asking how do I innovate in my life and direct my days with purpose. Who do I need to be to do that? What support do I need to sustain that change?

This quote - “everybody has a slice of genius” - is such a good reminder to stay curious and to acknowledge ourselves and others as whole, fully capable, human beings. Imagine if we treated everyone like they held a hidden treasure or a slice of genius?

Might it cause you to ask more questions, or spend more time getting to know them, or make you reach out to them for help, or request their opinion in a conversation?

We all offer something unique to this world. Whether at work or in your day to day life I encourage you to seek out the genius in others and to observe the impact in your life.

This is so simple and so difficult.

We have grand expectations about our lives and our relationships. We paint pictures of what life should look like and feel frustrated and disappointed when those expectations aren’t met.

provides some great tips for managing our expectations in her latest book - Atlas of the Heart; but even when we do those things it can still be challenging to accept what is.

When we start to sense the feeling of disappointment or frustration - acknowledge it. Say hello!

Get curious, in a non-judge mental way, just ask yourself why am I feeling this way?

Be okay with feeling into the emotion. Don’t resist it, lean in and move through it.

I find it helpful to name the emotion, ground myself with a few deep breaths, and then start asking myself some questions and getting curious. I’ve even adopted a practice from the art of possibility of saying to myself “how interesting!” when an outcome, reaction, or feeling isn’t what I expected.

“How interesting” moves me into curiosity and away from the frustration of “how annoying.”

How do you stay present and accept the way things are?

Last night Tara] and I wrapped up our last discussion group on Atlas of the Heart and it was so bittersweet.

Over the past five weeks, we’ve gathered with a courageous group of strangers to talk about our emotions and process Brene’s work. Last night we all shared something we’ve learned about ourselves through the discussions and I was so moved by what was shared. It gives me such hope in humanity that we have spaces where vulnerability is encouraged and the focus is on getting it right, not being right.

Bittersweet is a moving emotion from happiness to sadness, a recognition that this moment is fleeting and we can’t get it back. It’s heavy, but also heartwarming and this is what I felt as I looked at the faces on my screen last night. Such immense gratitude for everyone who showed up to create such a rich discussion, knowing I am a different and better person for this experience and yet sadness that this was the end of our journey together (for now).

I am learning to feel both the happy and the sad together, to celebrate what has been and accept that it is over. Complex moving emotions are great places to get curious and unpack why we are feeling a certain way.

I am so appreciative of Tara] for her partnership and encouragement over the past 5 weeks!

It has been bittersweet and beautiful 🤍

What we pay attention to impacts how we experience life.

Our energy, time, and resources are finite, but have we stopped to think about where we’re placing them?

I love to garden, so this analogy really spoke to me. What am I paying attention to when I’m in my yard? Do I focus on the weeds or imperfect lawn? Do I pay attention to the unfinished walkway?

Or do I notice the new growth in my herb pots I just planted. Do I point out the hostas poking through the fresh mulch?

Whichever perspective I choose to take, whatever I decide to see and pay attention to will impact my experience and feelings about my garden. One will leave me feeling bad about the things that aren’t right and the other will encourage me to continue planting and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

This isn’t about forced positivity- it’s about making conscious choices that better align with who you want to be and the life you want to life.

I want to be a grateful Gardner. Someone who enjoys the work in process and can appreciate the beauty of small progress.

What do you want to grow in your life?

🌷🌷🌷