Holding on to gratitude when the world feels unbearably heavy I have always tried to hold on to gratitude, even in the hardest of times. It does not erase the pain, but it helps me carry it differently. Just the other night, my daughter and I were talking about the weight of the week. The... Continue Reading →
Week 36: Mentoring Others in Recovery
Finding Strength in Sharing the Journey When I first stepped into my own recovery journey, I never imagined that one day I would be able to walk alongside others as they navigated theirs. At the beginning, I was just trying to survive my own patterns of codependency, people-pleasing, and the weight of old wounds. Over... Continue Reading →
Week 35: The Role of Healthy Detachment in My Life
How I stopped swimming in other people’s drama pools For the longest time, I misunderstood “detachment.” I thought it meant cutting people off or becoming some kind of emotional robot. No feelings, no problems, right? Wrong. What I’ve discovered is that healthy detachment is not about shutting people out, it’s about keeping my heart open... Continue Reading →
Week 34: How I Show Empathy While Protecting My Energy
Or in other words...How I Protect My Peace While Supporting Others There was a time when I thought empathy meant giving everything I had, my time, my energy, my emotional reserves, until there was nothing left for me. I’d walk away from conversations drained, resentful, and sometimes even a little lost in someone else’s pain.... Continue Reading →
Week 32: Creating a Life That’s Mine
There’s something powerful about carving out a life that is fully your own, one that reflects your values, desires, and personal growth. It’s easy to fall into patterns or expectations that come from others or from the world around you, but crafting a life that’s truly yours takes conscious effort, self-awareness, and, above all, courage.... Continue Reading →
Week 31: Overcoming the Fear of Being Alone
How I Learned to Embrace My Own Company The timing of this topic couldn’t be better. Just last night, I came across a social media post that spoke directly to this, and it really hit home. I’ll share it at the end of this post. There was a time when being alone felt like torture.... Continue Reading →
Week 30: What Authenticity Feels Like
Letting Go of Who I Thought I Had to Be Back in the day, I used to think I was authentic. I really did. I believed I was being real with myself and others because I was so deep in my codependent patterns, I couldn’t see that I was about as fake as they come.... Continue Reading →
Week 24: Evolving Boundaries Over Time
Evolving Boundaries Over Time: How My Lines Shifted as I Grew When I first started my recovery from codependency, I thought boundaries were just walls you put up to keep people from hurting you. I imagined them as invisible force fields that kept everyone at a painful distance. Honestly, I wasn’t wrong for where I... Continue Reading →
Unapologetically Me: Celebrating 20 Years of Recovery and Growth
Today I’m Celebrating 20 Years of Recovery from Codependency and People-Pleasing!And yes—I’m throwing confetti (and maybe even dancing a little). Two decades. That’s 240 months, 1,040 weeks, and a whole lot of no’s I had to learn how to say. Today, I’m not just celebrating a milestone—I’m honoring every small, quiet, courageous step it took... Continue Reading →
I’m Available… Just Not 24/7: A Lesson in Boundaries
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 →