Category: Writing as Self Therapy

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Natural Empath

As a natural born empath, I feel “all the things.” Your things… my things… this world’s things.

I wake up… I meditate… I run and sometimes the sh!&storm in my head still pounds on the door of fear and failure, ever so deceitfully trying to slide its way in unnoticed.

Today I invite you to sit where you are and travel to a home within yourself. Bring what hurts, bring your scars and the load that you carry.

Invite in all the raw, vulnerable, scary parts about yourself that you think define your self worth.

Let them stay as they need to. Let them stay until you can feel that the love you give, the health you fight for, and the purpose that drives you… is not wasted time, but an investment.

Get out of your own way today. Stop doubting yourself. Stop halting the battle of your bravery.

Stop not being okay with who you are. Tuck yourself in to a space of love and acceptance. And when you get there, fight like hell to stay.

Onward…

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Spiritual Muscles

Spiritual muscles today. Not trying to let in anything that doesn’t serve me. Not trying to let anxieties of the past or future infiltrate in as they often do.

Not trying to be anything today but grateful with a deep presence and appreciation for that which is right now, in this moment.

My feet glide today. My iPod plays songs that resonate both survival and strength. The sun warms my skin and I am reminded of all of the wonderful things that summer brings.

What you are not choosing, you are allowing. I needed this shift today to be more awakened. To be reminded that my deep spiritual needs are the foundation of strength that holds this body together. To let go of what doesn’t matter, and fight for what does.

That. Is. All. 👊🏻

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Finding Your Gratitude

I’ve been asked about my personal journey with my food and booze addictions numerous times. I’ve been asked what stepping stones, forward movements, side streets, cliff falls, and rising ascents have gotten me where I am today?

One word I have studied… practiced… inhaled and meditated on is gratitude.

Despite my greatest challenges… despite the naysayers, despite ridiculous social norms, and heavy waves of intermittent mind chatter… I am somehow always able to see life’s gifts to me and fuel my quest for wellness and health with gratitude.

These gifts come in the form of people and their belief in me. They come in nature and the simplicity of a beautiful tree or body of water. They come in art, and what my eyes allow me see… and sometimes they present themselves even in the messy things.

The realness and rawness of disappointments and temporary setbacks… even amidst these moments, practicing gratitude within the chaos is what lays the foundation for the granulation of what you must recover from.

There will always be moments of nonsense. Find your gratitude anyway… onward.

~ From the Diary of What Running and Life Have Taught Me


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Arm Yourself with Kindness.

Sometimes when I reflect back, I can’t believe how my journey has unfolded. This is not about what you weigh or what your size is.

I have learned that the representation of a number to our self worth is BS… and being connected and comfortable in our skin comes in beautiful forms of all shapes and sizes.

This is about treating yourself with kindness.

I spent half of my life nearly drinking myself sick. I allowed foods that were not serving me to rule my decisions, and give me a false sense of comfort. I lived in a rat race of comparisons, instead of allowing grace to move in for healing.

On occasion I still may wobble… life sometimes tries to sway me back to a place that I know will leave me empty and without joy.

Arm yourself with kindness. Focus on feeling your best, leading by example. Shut the toxic opinions of others out, and choose what is best for you.

Today the sun is shining. My head is clear. My body is fueled with nutrition that I can pronounce, my coffee is hot, and I’m grateful for another day.

Don’t overthink it. Don’t wish your life away. Don’t false-idol the people who you think have it all. Start simple… be kind to yourself… and be amazed where that takes you.

~ From the Diary of What Running and Life Have Taught Me


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Not Forgotten.

I struggle some days with my mind on overload. The constant replay of things I see or hear. Choices I contemplate making, things I see on social media etc… or hear out in the world.

I beg for the chattering to stop, and know that the best cure is my feet on this pavement.

I believe in miracles. I believe in signs. I still believe in the greater good of people despite what’s happening in our world… and every once in a while just when I need it most… my Creator shows me he hears me, and I am not forgotten.

Do the best you can… and then do better.

~ From the Diary of What Running and Life Have Taught Me


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Life is My Teacher.

The older I get and the more time that passes… life continues to train and teach me.

It’s not always grandiose nor measured in lavish material “stuff”. It’s not what I can gain from you but what I can give.

As I move through my years… self reflection gets easier, not harder. I seek simplicity. I love my routines. I worry less about things I cannot control, and allow room for acceptance.

I am so grateful those who remain true and journey with me for light and strength… and have learned from those who pit stop in for their own benefit.

Today I ask myself… do my efforts match my words? Do my victories triumph over my defeats, and will I forever live to make a difference? The answer is yes.

Find a few good people… find a good routine… and find yourself back home to in wellness that’s waiting for you.

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High Hopes.

She is somewhere between where she was and where is going. She doesn’t dwell or stay in the past, but she visits occasionally to be reminded of all she has overcome.

She visits occasionally to allow her demons and villains to see they no longer control her, and that their voice is no longer audible.

Crappy food, drained bottles of booze, low-budget thoughts, and self-doubt are now replaced with high hopes… mixed with healthy nourishment for the mind, body, and soul.

She reflects this morning not only on all that life has taken from her… but more importantly how much it has given her.

Transformation comes in many forms… physical, mental, spiritual, and with a rebirth of gratitude and healing.

Most of all… life has been good to me.

Lace, tie, run, repeat… I’m a lucky girl 💜.

Ladies… Say YES to Fit and Fabulous in Your Forties and Fifties.

Suzanne and Dina have a Magnificent at Midlife Challenge coming to you soon! Learn more and sign up for updates on the challenge here.

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Stops Along the Way.

The space between where you stand now and where you dream of landing is filled with many stops of uncertainty along the way. I am thankful for every setback, every tear, and plea of why me.

I am thankful for what my addictions allowed me to see, and why I never want to return there again. I am thankful to able to learn, and grow… to breathe and push my body to limits I never thought possible.

I am thankful for the first pair of running sneakers that humbled me… embarrassed me… and stayed patient as I navigated myself to a rebirth of health, appreciation, and love for the unspoken guidance of my paved roads.

Life wakes each morning with ten new reasons to quit, to surrender, to grumble, and to avoid. Be the one reason you prevail. Live thankfully… the end 👊🏻.

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Yes, I Can.

June 16, 2017. She awoke with a pounding head… the kind of headache that was all-too familiar. Her mouth was dry, she was damp with sweat both from the booze and toxic food she put in body the night before trying to break their way out. Her tear-stained pillow was just another reminder of her shame.

She had screamed for help… only for her cries to be intercepted by lies, and defeat… shame and unrest.

The light in her bedroom was blinding. She could see the day was one of sun and glorious skies. She couldn’t move… frozen in time for what seemed like eternity, she turned her head to see them.

They were beautiful, full of color and hope. They were begging her, “Please just give us another chance. We won’t judge you, we’ll be patient, and we will show you… what you were meant to become.”

She hesitated… she wiped the last tear that drained. She dragged herself to the corner to where those sneakers would not stop staring at her.

“Tie the laces… get your hungover ass up, and go make a difference.”

I remember that day like it was yesterday.

I don’t know where you are today in your personal journey or transformations. I don’t know what you have been through, what you have hid in shame, sat with in regret… or begged for freedom of… BUT I DO KNOW THIS ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Whoever said you’re stuck is wrong. Whatever is holding you back can be broken apart and rebuilt.

And whenever you hear somebody say “No, you can’t…” the answer is always “YES, I CAN.” 👊🏻🖤

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New Beginnings.

Spring exhibits mostly mud puddles, melting snow, and nature rising back to life. Spring is a chance uncover the long, dark, deep break of winter and start again.

New beginnings are often scary. We are creatures of habit. We are stuck in fly traps of addictions and bad habits. We tell ourselves our sanity lies in what we know… but does it?

I once fake-smiled my way through life. I was a yes-man for destruction, and a saleswoman for unhealthy. I made excuses not progress, and was drowning in tears of my internal unhappiness.

To begin again… drink from the well of goodness, not perfection. When you think you’re done… realize that you are just beginning. The obstacle course of life will be there. Negative people and ideas will be there. Take one strand of hope, one heap of faith, and one pinch of self-worth, and watch your mind and body change for greater good.

Spring is here. A chance to wash away all that doesn’t serve you, and renew your vow to yourself. Renew… Repurpose… Respond to your highest calling 👊🏻.

May this season of re-birth be our best yet.