Transformational Times

When Too Much of a Good Thing Leads to Diminishing Joy-Returns

Part 1 of 2

For many of us, the pursuit of happiness can feel like a race with no finish line. We chase after goals, push ourselves to be perfect, and bend over backwards to please others, only to find that joy remains just out of reach.

Excelling at what you do or always seeking to be kind are good things. But these inner saboteurs — over-achieving, perfectionism, people-pleasing — keep us from deeply experiencing...

In last month’s InnerWisdom Circle, Joy Caffrey guided us through some beautiful exercises to address our Inner Saboteurs and increase the capacities of our Inner Sage [link to the free assessment we used below].

The Controller, one of nine common Saboteurs we all entertain, is characterized by high anxiety, and impatience or alarm when situations go sideways. It may have served us well when we were young, caught in chaotic circumstances where we felt hurt or rejected. But as...

Self-doubt is sneaky.

It can show-up disguised as second-guessing important life decisions, the fear of disappointing someone we care about, undervaluing our creative contributions in the world, or simply thinking everyone else has it all figured out (but us).

In response we hesitate, avoid, overanalyze or hide our uniqueness in ways that make it hard to be entirely genuine in our relationships or feel truly fulfilled in our own life.

None of this is helpful. 

But, doubt is also baked...

Self-love gets a bad rap.

Mostly because the word love gets so overused. Particularly in contexts where it means so many things that have so little to do with the conscious, unconditional acceptance that self-love is all about.

For those of us with a tendency to over-give to others while taking only crumbs in return (see our May newsletter on self-worth), understanding, embracing and practicing self-love can be transformative. It increases confidence to pursue passions without fear of...

Over-giving is a thing.

It's so easy for sensitive, empathetic folks to fall into the trap of giving too much. In part because we care so deeply. Plus, we're often praised for self-sacrifice, even when it leaves us totally depleted.

But.

There's a shadow side to our excessive generosity too. And it turns out that the roots of our over-giving pattern are the same as what drives some people to be 'takers'.

We all recognize takers – those who consistently prioritize their...

As the dynamic energies of April ripple through the next 6 months of our lives, we’re being challenged to look more closely at what ‘being happy’ really means for us.

And we’re doing it, in large part, from the perspective of our soul’s deepest wound: the one we came into this lifetime to uncover, examine and make peace with...

We talk about making peace with our wound rather than fixing it because healing isn’t about pushing our painful past away,...

A Story of Subtle Messages, Deep Listening & Self-Trust

My partner is a potato person.

That is to say: his day job is physically demanding (construction), so he likes to carb load at dinner time. 

I do not. (Super jealous of his speedy metabolism over here).

But on occasion we’ll mix it up and share some rice with our evening meal. Which, from potato guy’s perspective, requires soy sauce.

And not the light-weight, low sodium Tamari from the fridge. No no. Dinner...

This month…Know that there are many energies being offered to you for the first time in your lifetime. It is a time being initiated now where each of you is being guided inward to know your own path and to understand that the future is unfolding with each step forward. It is not always easy to see the next step but it is for you to feel that future step. Seek the inner guidance that allows your own unique path to open before you.
Zora ~ A Soul Collective

What does it mean to feel...

The top of our Visioning 2024 workshop page says, This is the year we trade certainty for trust.

If you think about it, that’s asking a lot. Because certainty is comfortable, familiar. It feels steady, stable, secure. Safe.

But now everything has changed. Nothing is as it was.

Our new reality is beginning to emerge from the ashes of the old structures that once held everything together. It’s birthing itself in real time from our own hearts and minds. The future is calling us home...

Being filled with wonder, open to the beauty and mysteries of life, may feel like a tough ask right now.

As our transformational marathon wears on, the overwhelm is palpable. So, it can be helpful to remember that, like any birthing process, it's a journey. Today's challenging circumstance is actually different from yesterday's. And most importantly, you are different in it.

Every up or down along the way shifts your perspective, alters your position, changes you. This path you're on is made...