Embracing Complex Emotions: My Not-So-Graceful Journey Through Anger, Fear, and Sadness Emotions are wild. One minute, you’re fine, sipping your morning coffee, and the next, you’re spiraling because someone took the last parking spot at the grocery store. (Yes, I saw you, Karen.) But instead of stuffing these emotions down like an overstuffed suitcase, I’ve... Continue Reading →
I’ll get back to you… when I’m available! Lately, I’ve been pretty stuck on the topic of boundaries. Once again, I find myself facing the challenge of setting them—only this time, I need to work through doing it in a loving and respectful way. I have a situation that needs to be dealt with—and soon.... Continue Reading →
Practicing Radical Acceptance: It Is What It Is (Even If I Don’t Like It) I used to believe that if I just tried hard enough, planned well enough, and cared deeply enough, life would bend to my will. Spoiler alert: It didn’t. Instead, life did what it wanted, and I exhausted myself fighting against reality.... Continue Reading →
When you step into the rooms of recovery—any kind of recovery—you’ll quickly notice that they’re filled with sayings, little nuggets of wisdom often referred to as “tools.” These tools serve as gentle (and sometimes not-so-gentle) nudges to keep us on track or help us find our way back when we’ve wandered off course. One of... Continue Reading →
Examining Codependent Patterns in New Relationships: Reflect on how these patterns show up and how you manage them. Ah, new relationships—the butterflies, the late-night texts, the overanalyzing of every single emoji (does a heart mean love, or just "hey, you're cool"?!). But for those of us on a codependence recovery journey, new relationships—whether romantic, friendships,... Continue Reading →
Something sparked a thought in my mind today while I was driving, though I couldn’t tell you exactly what it was. I just found myself thinking about people not liking me. In the past, that used to really bother me. I couldn’t understand why—especially if they didn’t even know me. It felt like a little... Continue Reading →
What My Inner Voice Sounds Like Now: How has your self-talk evolved over the years? What My Inner Voice Sounds Like Now: A Self-Talk Glow-Up Once upon a time, my inner voice was like that one overbearing friend who means well but has no filter. You know the one—the friend who critiques your outfit choices,... Continue Reading →
February 2025: How I Maintain Healthy Boundaries: Share advanced strategies for setting and keeping boundaries. How I Keep My Sanity and Maintain My PEACE Boundaries are like fences—not walls. They protect my peace without shutting people out. But let’s be real, as a recovering people pleaser, keeping boundaries has been one of my biggest struggles.... Continue Reading →
A couple of weeks ago, I went in for my annual echocardiogram and CT scan to check on the uninvited guest that took up residence in my chest—an aortic aneurysm. At this point, I feel like it deserves a name. I’m leaning toward Stacy. She’s been hanging around for years now, making herself comfortable, and... Continue Reading →
February 2025: Deepening Self-Awareness: Recognizing Subtle Triggers and Handling Them Life has its ups and downs, and not all surprises are good ones. Sometimes, everything feels fine, and then out of nowhere, something small—like a song, a smell, or a random comment—brings up tough feelings. These moments are called triggers. They remind us of past... Continue Reading →
January 2025: Reflecting on the Journey - How I Measure Progress Beyond Perfection For a long time, I thought progress had to look like a perfectly checked-off to-do list, pristine accomplishments, or flawless execution. Somewhere along the way, I equated success with perfection—and let me tell you, that’s a fast-track to burnout and feeling like you’re... Continue Reading →
There are days when the struggle is real. I just want to state, for the record, that for as much as I’ve learned over these many years in recovery and for as far as I’ve come, there are still days I struggle. I would love you to think I have it all together and that... Continue Reading →
Journey On Strong 