Not Perfect, Just More Peaceful I used to think freedom would feel like a dramatic movie moment. Cue the music. Big realization. Instant confidence. No more overthinking, people-pleasing, or emotional gymnastics. Turns out, freedom from codependency feels a lot more… human. It Feels Like Not Being on Call 24/7 Freedom feels like realizing I am... Continue Reading →
Reflecting on the person I was versus who I am now There was a time when I couldn’t even imagine being where I am today. Back then, I was buried in self-doubt, tangled up in codependency, and constantly trying to measure my worth through the eyes of others. I said yes when I wanted to... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
Learning to step back so others can step into their own strength I’m just going to be honest here… it wasn’t until I was almost 40 that I even knew what enabling meant. For most of my life, I thought helping someone was one of the many ways you showed love. I was a fixer,... Continue Reading →
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 →
Reconnecting the Dots: Mind, Body, and Spirit in My Recovery For most of my life, I lived in my head. My thoughts were constantly spinning, analyzing, anticipating, overthinking, people-pleasing, worrying about how I was being perceived, and running imaginary conversations on loop like a bad sitcom rerun. My body? Ignored. My spirit? I wasn't even... Continue Reading →
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 →
The Difference Between Walls and Boundaries: Finding the Sweet Spot Between Openness and Protection When I first began to set boundaries, it was confusing and difficult. I used to think I was setting healthy boundaries, but in reality I was building emotional walls, tall and thick ones. I told myself it was self-protection, a way... Continue Reading →
How I Celebrate Myself (Without Feeling Guilty About It) There was a time when celebrating myself felt...wrong. Like, who did I think I was to throw an internal party just because I said no to something that drained me? Or because I finally kept a boundary without apologizing six times after? That, my friends, is... 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 →
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 →
Journey On Strong 