Essence Blog

All of the public schools around me in Orlando went back to school this week  in what feels like the middle of summer to me.  I love the back-to-school feeling and season,  but admittedly, I’m not ready.  

On Saturday, Matt and I will help Ethan move into his off-campus apartment that he's leased for a year.🚚 He's going into his third year of college, and after two years of on-campus living with a lot of challenges, he's thrilled to be living with friends and having his own bedroom🏠. I'm excite...

I was inspired by this sign back in 2020 because it sparked ideas around the concept of energetic hygiene. 

 Energetic Hygiene refers to practices used to cleanse, protect, and restore one’s energy field. This is especially important if you are highly sensitive or empathic.  

Your energy is as impactful as your words and actions. Every time we walk into the room, we are both impacted by the energy of the space, and we are also contributing energy to the space. When our energy becomes contami...

If you’ve been watching the news or on social media (I am especially talking to my fellow Americans), you undoubtedly have felt A LOT this past week.  

You may have wondered if the world has gone mad. I have, and I found comfort in the words of the poet John Roedel. Shout out to Tamera Schmidt, who introduced me to him.  

when the world

goes mad

become wildly kind

to everyone

everyone

everyone

everyone

my love,

~ you can’t control

much

but you control how

you treat others

in t...

You’ve probably heard people talk about core limiting beliefs. They are the central painful story and negative assumption you’ve told yourself, often stemming from experiences, wounds, and conditioning while growing up.  

These beliefs become ingrained in our subconscious, and our brain looks for evidence to prove them true. Energy goes where our attention flows. You can imagine how this belief holds us back in immeasurable ways.

My core limiting belief was... I’m not enough. Turns out many of...

Today is a national holiday here in the States. Last night, I got together with friends and family for good food, laughter, and a fireworks show over Lake Baldwin. It’s a tradition I love. 

And yet, I’m not feeling particularly patriotic this year. I worry and grieve about the upcoming election as more examples of corruption, system breakdown, hypocrisy, division, and the lack of compassion and leadership are revealed. But this isn’t an email about the collective world. Let's chat about how we ...

1. THIS SALAD - HEALTHY CAESAR

I’ve made this recipe a few times and find it addicting. It's perfect for lunch or a summer dinner. I got recipe inspiration from @healthyeatgram and Sara Tercero.  

 2. THIS SERVICE - PHIL MY CUP

Every morning, Phil Cooklin sends me an inspirational, vibe-raising, loving reminder of my power and the wonder of life in what feels like a personal WhatsApp voice message. Phil is a fellow IP Trainer who has worked with me on the crew for seven virtual conferences....

As promised, this is part 2 of my Parisian adventure, and I thought I’d share tips on planning and packing from my recent trip to Paris.

Planning

Flights

We booked our flights through Capital One Travel. We paid a little extra to get their flight guarantee. If a flight is significantly delayed or canceled, they will book you on another airline or give you a refund for your base price.  

Layovers

Since there are no direct flights to Paris, we opted for our connecting destination to be in t...

Bonjour  

Last Thursday, I asked you what you most wanted to hear about regarding my trip to Paris. 

There are many stories and lessons from our trip, but I’ll distill them down to 10 short takeaways. 

• A croissant tastes so much better in Paris. I’m still dreaming about the eclairs. 
• Getting too comfortable made my world small. Getting uncomfortable is how we find adventure and new things to fall in love with. 
• You can express your unpleasant emotions and opinions without carrying that ...

For many of us, growing up involved asking permission from our parents, caregivers, teachers, and authority figures to do almost everything- including using the restroom! When we wanted to go on a trip, our parents had to sign a permission slip; if we wanted to miss a day of school, our parents had to write a permission slip. Imagine how this good girl/ nice guy programming affected us subconsciously.  

When we spend the formative years of our lives seeking permission from others, we often don’...

Over a decade ago, when facilitating my groups with women, we talked a lot about the "Yeah, But" part of ourselves, which added a discrediting disclaimer to any personal acknowledgments or shout-outs. 

For example: 
You: I walked 3 miles yesterday
Yeah, But:  I sat on the couch today. 

You: I held a boundary when talking with my sister.
Yeah, But:  Then, I snapped at my partner this week.  

You: I got new signups for my class!
Yeah, But: it’s only 3.  

For every attempt to acknowledge yourself, ...