This is a client story - a true inspiration in the art of transformation. With his green light, I'm sharing his remarkable journey.

David was living a life he didn't recognize. He avoided social gatherings, depended on others to live (think money for rent & living expenses), and mostly lived in his head.

Away from close friends and family, he felt a bit disconnected. Not having a community of like-minded individuals can feel isolating, especially as a black man in the LGBTQ+ community. Authenticity was his number one value, yet he didn't feel safe to show up as himself.

So he hid.

My job title and paycheck no longer fueled my fire. My definition of success decided to flip the script.

Success was now a job woven with my core values: connection, freedom, balance, growth, and making a difference, all with a safety net of solid income.

Think of it this way: Your top five strengths are like the top five spices you love to use when cooking. Too much of one, and it's a disaster. Too little, and it's a snooze fest.

YouMap® is a super-duper, freaky-deaky, surprisingly pin-pointing assessment that gets to the root of your stress, stuckness, and/or overwhelm AND serves up a hearty dish of hope and direction for your kick-ass path forward.

YouMap® serves as your very own success GPS, unlocking your innate talents, motivations, joys (and the pesky burnouts) and even shedding light on your fantastic personality!

I seriously felt like I was dancing on a rainbow after debriefing mine. It's like discovering the secret sauce that takes you from "I think I can" to "Hell yeah, I got this!"

Last week, I was arrested.

Full on, hands above your head, legs apart, slowly bring your arms down to be handcuffed and detained in a 6x6 cell, arrested.

I'm the type of girl who usually gets anxious about receiving a parking ticket. I feel all sorts of uncomfortable when an officer even questions my character. Think shame, guilt, vulnerability, misunderstood, scared, etc.

I strive to be a good law-abiding citizen. Occasionally going five or ten mph over the speed limit is as rebellious as I get.

But handcuffed, read my rights, and put in a holding room?

I was terrified.

We are human.

A magical life of millions of experiences and stories that, when shared, shine a light for others.

Life is hard, and it often may feel like it's breaking you. You hold onto whatever helps you cope, journeying through a challenging human experience. You search for something to help you feel hopeful and alive again, trying to "fix" whatever spark has dimmed in you.

But the thing is, we don't need to find something to make us whole or fixed. Feeling like your healthy Self (or whatever version you think you will become once you are "fixed") "is not something you achieve; it is something you remember!"

Don't let your buts be bigger than your dreams.

National Taco Day - Recipes

Reasons why I love tacos?

No two tacos are exactly the same. Variations to your diet are essential. Eating a wide variety of healthy foods helps to keep you in good health and protects you against chronic disease. You can also think about this with life experiences and relationships - variation is optimal.

Tacos fall apart and get messy, but we love them anyway. When our life is starting to fall apart, that's when we can pick up the pieces, dip them in guacamole and love ourselves anyway!

Tacos are for EVERYONE - whether you're a carnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free, tacos bring people together. It's the perfect party food, as there is a taco for everyone!

Homemade Cashew Yogurt - vegan and gluten-free, with no added sugars or additives like traditional yogurts, and it's fantastic for your gut microbiome.

As adults, we tend to do things that have past familiarity.

We date people with the same interests and quirks, sign up for co-ed sports we played in high school, or stay in the same job because it feels safe.

Nothing wrong with that.

However, if you have tried something new and, upon the first sign of resistance, tapped out and never looked back, I invite you to take a moment and question why.

The Ziva Technique -- a powerful trifecta of mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting tools.

Have you ever not acted on something because you weren't sure you were ready? Or good enough? Or just terrified of taking the leap?

(Yeah, me too.)

Life is too short not to live the life you want.

Have you ever got a new gadget that was so complicated that you definitely needed the instructions and/or owner's manual?

That's sometimes how I feel about my body. One minute it's unstoppable, pain-free, and resilient. The next minute, I'm learning about a new allergy or discovering that the older I get, the less I can tolerate one cocktail.

❤️The only opinion of your body that matters is your own.

❤️Your body is your life vessel that you can either fill with love or hate.

❤️Love will lead to acceptance.

❤️Love will lead to change if that is what you want.

❤️Love will open the doors to new possibilities for you.

"Shoulding yourself" comes from psychologist Clayton Barbeau. It means putting pressure on yourself to do or be something based on what you think you're supposed to do or be. Whatever comes after the should is an obligation, not necessarily a genuine desire. When you over-should, it's often coming from a place of lack, shame and inadequacy. Insecurities and anxiety can go up, and your sense of self-worth can go down.

The brain doesn't like to be wrong.

Every time your brain decides on something (negative or positive), your brain will spend time looking for reasons to back that thought up & seeking opportunities to get it. It's called Psychological Consistency.

So naturally, your words matter.

Achievers and those who give up too soon have the same goals. The difference is that the goal crushers practice three things:

Setting up a system they love

Connecting to their "why" daily

Ditching "I'll be happy when" syndrome

Is there a difference between Grateful & Thankful? Yep, there sure is!

When you start to hear yourself saying things with a "but," it's most likely because you are ambivalent and have two parts of yourself butting heads. (See what I did there?).

What if you didn't let your "but" win?

What if, instead, you competed with this 'but," this excuse that keeps you from taking action?

An emotional dump is a process of letting go of the emotions and thoughts that are constipating you, making you sick, and possibly keeping you stuck.