Aligned Living

Aligned Living  ·  Alignment & Purpose  ·  Conscious Living  ·  intentional living
The difference between having good intentions and living with intention

Happy Sacred Sunday!

I’ve been thinking a lot about intention lately.

My son got in trouble at school the other day. When he told his teacher that they had misunderstood his intentions, she replied to him, “No one cares what your intentions are; what matters is how your actions are perceived.”

She was right.

People don’t care about your intentions. They care about your actions and your results.

But I decided to dive a little deeper with my son on this nuance. I asked him some clarifying questions about what happened, what his intentions actually were, and if he could understand why they were perceived the way they were.

The conclusion we came up with was that his behavior wasn’t intentional … and that was the problem! He acted mindlessly. He didn’t think about his actions or about how someone may perceive them. His behavior was short-sighted.

Intending something (or not intending it) is not the same thing as being intentional.

🔥Having good intentions is a passive process that occurs in your thoughts.

🔥Living with intention is a proactive process that dictates your actions.

The former is irrelevant without the latter.

Now, you could argue that there are times when you have good intentions and behave intentionally, and still your outcomes aren’t what you wanted them to be. Maybe your intentions didn’t produce the results you aimed for. Maybe someone didn’t perceive your actions favorably.

And you’d be right. That can happen.

But that is dipping into territory that is often out of your control. Life is going to “life” even if you do all the right things. 

That’s why I live by the mantra: Do the work, Surrender the outcome.

Because I believe that in that process, there are lessons for you. There is growth for you. There are outcomes that are even better for you than the ones you were working toward.

My son had to pay the consequences for his incident, and I didn’t try to save him from those consequences. This was a huge opportunity for him to realize the difference between having intentions and living with intention. 

I want him to learn early on that simply having good intentions will turn him into a drifter, making him a victim of his circumstances — while being intentional will turn him into a leader, making him a victor over his circumstances.

This week on the podcast,  I’m talking about this distinction between having good intentions and living with intention, and I’m sharing the story I previewed for you last week about my mom and her home office.

You won’t want to miss the lessons we gleaned from that story and the perspective shared in this episode. It could literally change what your life will become 1, 5, 10, 20, 30 years from now.

As always, I’d love to know where this lands for you. Hit reply and tell me: where in your life are you having good intentions but not quite living with intention yet?

Sending you so much love today and always,

P.S. The first 10 women who join The Well get an automatic upgrade to VIP at no extra cost. That means four private quarterly calls with me throughout the year to make sure you are on track, supported, and building the intentional life you came here to build. This bonus closes the moment the 10th woman joins. No deadline extensions.[Join The Well]

March 22, 2026

Aligned Living  ·  Alignment & Purpose
What cleaning a home office taught me about identity

Happy Sacred Sunday!

Yesterday was my mom’s 77th birthday. My brother asked us all to gather at her house and help her clean out her office, which had become unmanageable.

All she wanted for her birthday was to be with her kids and grandkids, and he thought if we were all together tackling that task, it would be a win-win. If I’m being honest, I’m not quite sure she enjoyed the day. She seemed very overwhelmed by us rummaging through her things and getting rid of everything. I could see her feeling as if she had lost control and was scared of us tossing things that were important to her, no matter how much we assured her that we would be mindful and careful. But we also showered her with love, flowers, and a cake, and she had her whole family to herself the entire day. 

At the end, I think she was happy to have us all together and hopefully she’ll feel the difference now that the office is much less cluttered.

As I sat in her office, sorting through all the things she had accumulated, I couldn’t help but think about our identities. So much of our identity is revealed by our habits.

My mom has dedicated her life to gifting as a sign of her love. Her office had an accumulation of gift bags, cards bought in advance, wrapping supplies, and gifts she’d forgotten to give. All I could see was a woman who is always thinking about making others feel special.

On the other hand, there was also an accumulation of supplies for projects never started. My mother is so creative and artistic. She loves arts and crafts. She loves to color. She loves scrapbooking.

But her lifestyle and habits have not helped her nurture these hobbies.

She worked so much during her life that she felt too tired to work on these projects on her downtime. By the time she retired, she had the time, but still never found a way to prioritize what she wanted. She became so accustomed to allowing everyone else’s priorities to decide her time that she hasn’t learned to intentionally decide what to do for herself. And as she has gotten older, her ailments have started to consume a lot of her time too. You don’t want to sit in an office scrapbooking for hours if your back hurts or you don’t feel well.

My mother’s identity has revolved around being a caregiver, gift giver, and hard worker. That identity, which makes her the most special person on earth, worked against her self-care. It’s not that she couldn’t do both, she just didn’t know how.

Likewise, I have worked hard at creating a different identity for myself … focusing more on being minimalistic and essentialist and making sure to prioritize my habits. 

But I will admit that as I looked through my mom’s things, I realized I could do better at being more thoughtful and intentional about making others feel special and loved. I could certainly be a better gift giver! And I do want my home to feel warm and welcoming for my kids and grandkids when I get older, so I don’t want to be so minimalist that they don’t get a homey vibe.

The point is, it’s not all or nothing.

It’s never too late to step into a new identity and nurture your intentions. But it’ll never happen by accident, because human nature will make you more of what is familiar to you no matter how much you desire something different.

So my question for you today is this: if you look around your home, notice your habits, and pay attention to your lifestyle … what does it say about your identity? And do you want to nurture more of that, or is it time to nurture more of something else?

This week on the podcast I’m going deeper into how identity can be your greatest tool or your quietest trap, and what to do when it starts becoming the latter. If this email stirred something in you, I think you’ll love the episode.

And as always, I’d love to hear from you. Hit reply and let me know: what are your habits revealing about you today?

Sending you so much love today and always,

 

P.S. Want even more support? The Well is my intimate coaching community where your vision becomes your lifestyle and we are now enrolling new members.

March 15, 2026

Aligned Action  ·  Aligned Living  ·  Family & Relationships  ·  intentional living
A mastery moment

Happy Sacred Sunday!

It’s taken me all day to write this to you today because I’ve been consumed by remembering the sparks of bliss I experienced all weekend.

Bliss can happen in 3 ways:

When you dream of a future you believe would spark bliss 

  1. When you experience a moment that sparks bliss, and
  2. When you remember a moment that sparked bliss. 

The dream doesn’t always coincide with the actual moment. I have found sometimes the dream sparks more bliss than the actual experience. (Think of a time you planned for something but on the day it actually became a reality, it didn’t produce quite the joy you had expected.) 

Likewise, you often experience sparks of bliss in moments you could have never dreamt of. Little moments. Unexpected moments. 

But every once in a while you have a moment that hits all 3 categories. 

That was this weekend for me. 

I promised last week to share with you the story of my son fulfilling his dream of being Usnavi in his school’s upcoming production of “In the Heights.” 

It was a huge deal for him, but the experience had its own significance for us as his parents. 

The years between 2017-2020 were particularly special for our little five finger family. We had these 3 little boys at their yummiest age. They were big enough to be somewhat independent, but young enough to live with childlike wonder.


It was around that time that my son discovered his love of acting. We spent a lot of our time in theater. (The 3 of them loved going to shows.) Orly developed a special love of Lin-Manuel Miranda and his shows.

At 9 years old, he’d dress up as Usnavi from In the Heights anytime we’d go see the show. We even took him to Broadway Con in New York because the original cast of In the Heights was presenting.

He’d also dress up his brothers as his supporting actors and on two different occasions he invited 2 girls that he was friends with (one from a theater program he did and another one who is a Cuban cousin) to dress up with him.

I savored every minute of these years and dreamt of the day my son was a young man playing this role on a main stage.

Well, if you’ve been with me for a long time, then you may already know that at some point my son made a move that I thought might be the beginning of the end of his acting journey. I spoke about it on episode 17 of the podcast, Getting Off the Bus.

But as it turns out, not all detours take you off path. When you take aligned action and trust your intuition, life leads you to what was meant for you all along.

Orly joined the theater class at Westminster High School in 10th grade, and shortly after their spring show the director announced that their 2026 play would be In the Heights.

This weekend, the kid finally got his chance to play Usnavi at 17 years old.

As I sat in the front row watching my son perform, my heart felt as if it would explode.

His talent. His presence. His hard work. It all came to life before my eyes.

Our theme this month is Mastery March, and I witnessed my son master a role that he has loved for so long. 

This weekend he didn’t dress as Usnavi.

He became Usnavi.

And by the way, you may think, “Well, it’s not like he played on Broadway.” And you’d be right. 

But you know what, he might as well have been on Broadway, because it made no difference to us. 

Maybe one day my son will be in a big movie or on a big stage … and that will be a moment all on its own .., but this moment we had right now. This was everything to us. 

When he was 9 rapping with Usnavi in the lobby of the theater. 

When he was 17 rapping as Usnavi on the mainstage of his highschool theater. 

Those moments are etched in my heart forever, and will spark bliss in my memories for years to come. And they both leave room to dream for the future also. 

Life is both, and: 

This is the best it’s ever been …

and the best is yet to come.

This is a life craft my son has devoted more than half his life to, and I am so incredibly lucky to have been chosen to help him steward the gifts he got in this lifetime.

As for this week’s podcast episode, I’m talking about a different kind of mastery. The kind of mastery that helps you build sustainable results in the areas that matter most to you (and how to use a team to help you build sustainable results in the areas you don’t want to master).

Thank you so much for going on this journey with me today. I’m absolutely giddy.

Sending you so much love,

P.S. Want even more support? The Well is my intimate coaching community where your vision becomes your lifestyle and we are now enrolling new members.

March 8, 2026

Aligned Living  ·  Alignment & Purpose  ·  Courage & Transitions
Another week, another confession

Happy Sacred Sunday!

You know what I love about naming intentions for the month? It’s how often I’m surprised by what unfolds after I name the intention! I usually name the intention with a specific narrative, but then life happens and the narrative almost always expands beyond what I had imagined.

This month is no different. When I chose “Adjust January,” the intention was to discuss minor tweaks that support you (and me) to stay strong and grounded in the winter season. And yet, the lessons that have come through in the last two weeks have been far greater than that.

Last week, I shared on the podcast a story about adjusting your perspective. This week, I’m sharing a story about adjusting your permission to change.

Both weeks have included a personal confession. I feel like I’ve been airing all my dirty laundry in front of you!

What’s funny is that I have spent my life guarding others’ secrets. I am often referred to as “the vault,” because once the information enters the vault, you can bet it’ll never come out. Even my professions have called for that level of discretion—first, through attorney-client privilege, and now as your life coach.

And yet, I enjoy being an open book. If it’s my story to tell, I love to let you in… because I know how liberating it is to be vulnerable and transparent. Of course, I do retain the right to keep some things private! But you get what I mean.

So last week, I shared lessons learned from a huge mistake I made at a restaurant. And this week, I’m sharing lessons learned from deciding to do something I said I’d never do. You’ll have to tune into the podcast to find out what that is!

What’s one thing you’ve adjusted this month? I’d love to hear your story.

Know that when you hit reply, I personally read all of your messages and welcome them with enthusiasm.

Sending you so much love today and always,

January 11, 2026

Aligned Living  ·  Connection & Relationships  ·  Emotional Wellbeing  ·  Life Lessons & Milestones
Closing out November

Happy Sacred Sunday!

Just like that, we are closing out November and entering the last month of 2025. Today is the perfect day to carve out some time to notice what November brought and name what you want for December.

As you read this, take a moment to think about: 
What did November bring into your life? What do you hope December holds for you?

The theme we chose for November was N2, which stood for Now and Next. This holiday weekend exemplified this theme.

Back in 2021, our family spent Thanksgiving at my husband’s cousin’s vacation home in Orlando, Florida. We booked an Airbnb nearby for our five fingers, my mom and husband, mother-in-law, and Orlando’s grandparents. This immediately became a tradition we wanted to repeat forever.

One of the main reasons it was so special was the quality time we got to spend in the home with Orlando’s elderly grandparents. Orlando often says, “Each year when the trip is over, I hold my breath and pray that I’ll be able to take my grandparents back next year.”

We were fortunate enough to squeeze in yet another trip this year. But things were different.

First, our cousins could not attend because of unforeseen circumstances, and the celebration ended up being in our Airbnb. Second, although our grandparents seem in good physical condition, the change of environment was very hard on them this time. On Friday morning, Orlando realized the biggest gift he could give his grandma was to take her home. So while we were at the Islands of Adventure, he put them in the car and drove them back to Miami.

Have you ever felt a moment shift, realizing you might be living the last of something precious? The last bedtime story. The last gathering in a favorite place. The last hug before everything changes. Sometimes, we don’t recognize these “lasts” until they become memories.

As the family gathered this Thanksgiving in that rented Airbnb, we knew that there might not be a next time that looked exactly like this.

The week prior, we had debated canceling the trip to Orlando altogether since the rest of the family couldn’t make it. But my husband looked at me wisely and said, “Caro, we must go on this trip. Because right now is all we have. We still have Mama and Papi. Besides, it’s not just about them. We don’t consider that anything can happen, and it could be our last Thanksgiving for any of us, regardless of age or circumstance.”

So even though the trip was different, and in some ways carried an underlying sadness, it was also incredibly beautiful and nostalgic because we were so intentional about enjoying what we had right now.

We also had the joy of surprising my mother with my brother and sister joining us for the first time!

We sat around the table, and each one shared heartfelt gratitude for everyone who was present at that moment in time. We marked the moment with love, laughter, and tears.

Is there someone or something in your own life you want to cherish a little more as the year ends? Is there a tradition, a meal, or a simple moment you want to mark as December sweeps in?

This is what N2 is about. It’s about awareness, intention, and planting seeds. It’s about remembering that what you do now affects who you become tomorrow, and it is your responsibility to act wisely. (This theme was also a good reminder when I was choosing what sides to include on my Thanksgiving plate 🤣!)

One thing is for sure, as I get ready to embrace a new theme for December, I am stacking N2 onto my bank of themes I never want to forget.

If you’re wondering how to close out the year with more intention and meaning, I invite you to  tune in to this week’s Bliss’n Up podcast. The December theme might be exactly the inspiration you need as you set your sights on what’s next.

Now it’s your turn. What will your theme be for December? If you feel called, I’d love to hear what you’re naming or nurturing as we move into this final month together.

Sending you so much love today and every day.

November 30, 2025

Aligned Living  ·  Mindset & Personal Growth  ·  Speaker Life
It’s like I came back to him

Cheers from Arizona,

I hope you’re off to a beautiful Sacred Sunday.

I’m sneaking in this email before I head off to spend the day at one of my happiest places: The National Speaker’s Association Influence Convention.

My father started bringing me with him to this convention when I was 13-years-old. It became our annual tradition, and a week I looked forward to al year.

10 years ago when my dad passed, I wasn’t sure I could come back without him. Would it be too painful or too lonely?

A few of my NSA friends convinced me to attend.

As soon as the sliding doors swished open and I got hit with the cold A/C air, and a hotel lobby full of familiar faces with badges around their necks … I felt my father everywhere.

It didn’t feel like I was coming without him—it felt like coming home to him, just for a few days, all over again.


Since then, I’ve had the privilege of bringing each of my boys once they were old enough to attend the youth program. Here, they get to experience a piece of their grandfather’s legacy—and now, their mom’s too.

NSA is one of our anchors — and you’ll know why that’s important when you tune into the podcast today!

Join me on the podcast this morning as we go through our monthly Live with Intention framework. As we get ready to step into a new month, it’s time to notice, name, and nurture the life we’re living and designing.

As for me, I can’t wait to soak up all the information and inspiration I can this week so I can come back to share it with you.


Remind me to tell you the back story of how I got this sharpie tattoo written on my arms and what it means. It was an incredible experience!

Sending you so much love, today and always,


Bliss’n Up Podcast

P.S. Did you know that on August 4th we are kicking off the Bliss’n Up Hub? This hub is a 6 month container where you get to work side by side with me in noticing, naming and nurturing your dream life. This is the space for you to put all this inspiration into practice and create a life that sparks bliss. Sign up today or reply back to me if you have any questions. 

July 27, 2025

Aligned Action  ·  Aligned Living
Monthly Review and May Intentions

Happy Sacred Sunday!

Do you know what today is?

It’s the last Sunday of April, which means it’s that time of the month when we use our Live With Intention framework to recall, reset, and restart.

This has become one of my favorite practices, and I love that I get to share it with you.

So on this sacred and beautiful Sunday morning, I invite you to carve out a few minutes for reflection.

Notice what the month of April brought forth in your life:

  • What successes will you file for yourself?
  • What loops did you open or close?
  • What did you celebrate or enjoy?
  • What was hard and heavy?

I’ve learned that the only reason to recall the past is to give it meaning, so it can help us live a better present and plan for a brighter future.

Noticing allows you to do that. The key is to do it without judgment — rather with curiosity.

You can do this cozied up on the couch with a journal, while you’re out for a walk, or even while you’re washing dishes or folding laundry.

There are no rules, simply an invitation to quiet the exterior noise and listen to your inner voice.

And then comes the fun part: Naming May.

What do you want to theme this upcoming month? What energy, intention, and mindset do you want to guide you forward?

Tune in to the podcast this week to discover the theme I named for May, both for myself and for our Bliss’n Up community. You can choose to adopt the collective theme or name one for yourself. 😘

Your theme will become your North Star, helping you shine bright throughout May, even through unexpected waves and storms. And it also sets the stage for what you want to spend the month nurturing.

This is one of the ways I’ve created a life that stays in deep alignment with what matters most to me.

And speaking of alignment, there are still a few days left in Aligned April, so we’re not skipping into May just yet!

 

From Autopilot to Aligned Action.

This masterclass will be a powerful way to close out April and kick off May feeling grounded, inspired, and focused.

There’s still time to join. Click here to sign up. Don’t worry, if you can’t make it live, a replay will be available so you can watch on your own time.
Cheers to a sacred Sunday,  ✨

Bliss’n Up Podcast

April 27, 2025

Aligned Living  ·  Reflections from the Path  ·  Sacred Sunday  ·  Work with Caro
I had an OOPS moment of clarity today

Happy Sacred Sunday!

My favorite part of connecting with you each week is sharing a meaningful story, or a moment of clarity, that invites you to reflect on your own life and circumstances.

This week is a little different… because I’m sitting with a story I almost shared too soon.

But there’s a lesson in that, too.

This morning, we released our Bliss’n UP podcast episode at 6 am like we always do, which included a story I’d been holding in my heart for months.

It was full of magic, synchronicity, and bliss.

But shortly thereafter, I took it down.

Not because I don’t want to share the story, but because this moment deserves space to unfold the way it was meant to.

Sometimes, in our excitement to share something beautiful —  whether it’s a story, a dream, or a decision, — we rush it.

And that’s what I did.

I acted from my heart, but not in full alignment with the entire puzzle.

I didn’t realize it until after the fact. So I took a deep breath, and made a new choice.

A better one.

Instead of rushing the story out into the world, I’m honoring the pause.

The stillness.

The power of timing and trust.

This served as a reminder that we’re allowed to be human.

When we make mistakes, we get to course-correct.

So instead of the moment of clarity I planned to share with you this week, maybe this is the one you were meant to receive:

Sometimes, you take aligned action—and then realize there’s more alignment needed.

That doesn’t mean you failed.

It means you’re listening.

It means you’re in tune enough to pause, reflect, and re-align.

So what if the shifts aren’t a delay…
but meaningful lessons unfolding along the way?

Breathe. Trust. Let it bloom.

With love and a heart full of anticipation,

Bliss’n Up Podcast

 

April 7, 2025