Essence Blog

I got bamboozled and wasted $47.

My inner critic says I "should have known better," as it feels embarrassing, but perhaps hearing the story might help someone avoid it. 

I was scrolling through Instagram and saw an ad for a comprehensive guide to gathering people together and creating a soul-level experience. This intrigued me because it's a topic I'm passionate about, and I desire to become masterful in it. The sales page described a psychology-backed method by a female with a doctorate in c...

Things are a lot right now. How is your heart? ♡

As the Epstein files continue to reveal more horror, we are seeing how the corruption of power and greed and dark danger we’ve feared yet have always known about deep down are being exposed in real time. And it's disillusioning, destabilizing, and in some ways vindicating.

There is, and there should be, fallout in the spiritual, personal development, and wellness worlds as we watch gurus (like Deepak Chopra) fall from their pedestals. And it'...

To close out 2025 in review and reflection. I’ve started taking stock of the highlights, acknowledgments, and some of my favorite things from the past year.

Tomorrow I’ll curl up and dive into my favorite parts of the Reflection Ritual.  Perhaps you, too, will get some time to reflect on the highlights, challenges, and lessons of 2025. 

✨ Highlights of 2025:

• 50th Birthday weekend with Amara
• Leading a special 50th Birthday Ritual to honor my friend Heather during her girls' trip to the mou...

The day after Thanksgiving, Ethan flew to NYC to make one of his big dreams come true.  Performing in NYC. It was his first time flying alone and managing public transportation, which he did with ease.  

He was cast in a cabaret show of all 70s songs with 19 performers and 17 numbers. He was given one solo and 4 group numbers. The thing is, 17 of his fellow performers had been practicing together in person because they were local.  Ethan was flying in; he didn’t know anyone. He hadn’t rehearsed...

We all want to find more moments of fulfillment in our work and in our lives. That statement feels obvious, I know. And yet, finding that sweet spot, the place where what we do feeds us instead of drains us, can be surprisingly elusive.

Especially when you…

• Work for someone else and feel disconnected from the bigger picture
• Have a job you don’t love but can’t yet leave
• Or even when you work for yourself, you feel depleted or overwhelmed trying to make it all work.
  

So, what does fu...

At the very end of September, I was in Western, NY, for my cousin’s beautiful wedding. The weather was gorgeous, and even in the warm sunny skies, I could see that the fall was just starting to turn a few leaves into the deep, rich colors of autumnal art. 

Which reminds me of one of the annual themes of fall: release. 

When trees prepare for winter, they don’t force anything. They don’t yank off their leaves in a panic when a certain date draws near. Instead, they respond to the quiet...

The energy in the collective is heavy—anger, frustration, grief, righteousness, destruction. And it doesn’t just show up in “others” or the “other side.” It’s everywhere, within our own circles, and if we’re honest, within ourselves.

Last week, I found myself contributing to and being affected by the global inflammation.

I caught myself swearing at another driver, judging a stranger, unfriending someone,  laughing at a mean meme, even as I bristled when others did the same. 

And while a p...

Should I sign up for this new course?

Which choice is right for me? 

Do I say yes to this opportunity? 

What should I do about this problem? 

Do I want to do this? 

Which mattress should I buy? 

Have you ever felt miserable knowing you need to make a decision? Perhaps you're stuck in agony or guilt from avoiding it.  Maybe you're feeling the stress of the pressure to hurry up and make it.  Or maybe you still regret a choice you made before, and you’re afraid you’ll make the wrong one ag...

Pain. 

Whether we are talking about emotional pain or physical pain, it’s something we all feel, and it’s also something we try to get out of as soon as we can. 

At some point, you’ve probably tried to silence it, push through it, numb it, medicate it, or avoid it. Or maybe all of those things. 

I’m writing about pain this week because I’ve been having nerve pain in my arm that is coming from my neck. Ouch.

There have been a few moments where I wanted to yell- “give me all the dr...

Last week, Andrea Gibson, a beloved and powerful truth-teller and poet, passed away. They were born the same year I was and died just shy of their 50th birthday.  

Andrea left this world with all of their people gathered around in love. Their wife, Meg Falley, shared that Andrea’s last words were: “I loved my fucking life.”

So simple. So profound. To live and die with that much love and gratitude despite all the pain. It felt like a reminder. And a bit of hope.

I’ve been reading Andrea’s ...