Happy Sacred Sunday!
Ever find yourself disappointed when things don’t go the way you imagined?
Maybe it’s a holiday, a milestone, or just a simple Sunday — and something’s off. You had a picture in your mind, and reality didn’t match it.
If you’re used to receiving this moment of clarity email early on Sunday mornings, you may have noticed it didn’t land in your inbox today.
That’s because I was on Hutchinson Island for the Fourth of July, and the house I was staying at lost internet. No working computers, no TV, and barely any cell service.
So I couldn’t send the email as I usually do.
But that wasn’t the only thing out of the ordinary…
It was also the first Fourth of July I didn’t spend with my five fingers. My husband stayed behind with our oldest, who had made plans with friends, and I headed to the beach with our two younger boys.
I could have been swept away by the unmet expectation that we should all be together for a long holiday weekend, but I’d just recorded a podcast about this very thing.
About catching the moments, even when they’re imperfect.
Once again I was reminded that …
Expectations are the silent killer of joy.
When you depend on an ideal of what should be… you miss the beauty of what is.
Thankfully, I’ve been building the muscle of enjoying what is. So even with the tech outages and our family split between cities, I had a blast.
I even enjoyed in a sunrise walk with the moms from our group!
And while I couldn’t write to you earlier this morning… I’m here now. With a fresh reflection, and a new episode that’s deeply aligned with this theme.
If you’ve ever:
Felt let down by unmet expectations
Struggled to stay present when life veers off script
Wanted to enjoy your life more, even in the midst of imperfections…
This episode is for you. Click below to tune in.
With you in the joy and the mess,
Bliss’n Up Podcast
P.S. Share this message with your friends and family and invite them to Live with Intention also.
Building relationships
Happy Sacred Sunday!
The day I sat down to record this week’s episode of the Bliss’n Up podcast, I was looking forward to sharing that my husband’s birthday happened to land on a Sacred Sunday.
But it wasn’t until I pressed record and glanced over at my Big Ass Calendar that I noticed something …
It was the 48th episode of Bliss’n Up.
And it was Orlando’s 48th birthday.
This fun little fact made me giddy.
In fact, these are the little synchronicities that I allow to shape what I call a magical life.
Notice my language here.
These are the little synchronicities that I allow to shape what I call a magical life.
This is important because a magical life isn’t all magic.
My magical life is filled with challenges, stressors, disappointments, problems, and painful situations, just like everyone else’s. But peering through cracks of the puzzle, there are glimmers of synchronicities — and I choose to pay attention to those. It’s the art of living with Big Eyes.
Marriage is no different.
You don’t stumble upon a magical marriage with the perfect human who was sent to this Earth just to make you happy.
No.
Marriage is full of ups and downs, harmony and discord, bliss and pain, troubles and transformations.
And yet, you can choose to notice the magic peering through the cracks of your puzzle.
That’s what we’ve done over the last 18 years, and it has turned into a magical life and relationship.
So on a day like today, a little synchroncity like my 48th episode landing on my husband’s 48th birthday is enough to remind me that this life is magical indeed.
As you step into this new week and close out another month, I encourage you to reflect on the themes of your own life and relationships. What moments of synchronicity or magic can you find amid the chaos?
This week’s episode is part reflection, part celebration, and part love letter to what it looks like to build a meaningful and magical life on purpose.
Tune in and let’s step into April together.
Happy Sacred Sunday!
If there is something I’ve learned throughout my life, is that the way things “look” on the outside are not always aligned with what’s going on inside.
This is especially true in relationships.
I have seen many picture-perfect families with deep cracks in their foundation.
On the flip side, I was raised in a family who, despite divorce, distance, and unconventional dynamics was deeply rooted in love, support, and unity.
My fascination with human behavior and relationship dynamics has led me to understand that:
You could be surrounded by people and feel all alone or you could appear alone but not feel lonely at all.
What it all comes down to is CONNECTION.
There are 3 types of connection:
Connection to others Connection to yourself Connection to something bigger than you. (You could define this as GOD, Universe, Spirit, Your inner being, Your higher self, etc).
A sense of connection is the key to a meaningful, successful, blissful life.
So often, we encounter thoughts, habits, and patterns that interrupt these 3 levels of connection, causing us to feel alone, unsupported, and unfulfilled.
This is what I call Connection Interruptors.
On today’s podcast episode, I am revealing 5 Connection Interruptors that block us from feeling connected to others, ourselves, or to our higher power.
This is a must listen episode because it’s going to help you notice and name the things that could be hurting your relationships.
In order to live with INTENTION, we must first Notice what’s working or not working, Name it to understand it, and then Nurture the thoughts, habits, and lifestyle that is aligned with the experience we long for.
Tune in to the podcast today, and please share this with your friends and family. The more awareness we create on this topic, the closer we come to fostering meaningful relationships.
Sending you so much love today and always.
P.S. Want to deepen your connections and create more meaningful relationships? Let’s explore what true connection looks like and how to remove the blocks that keep us disconnected. Ready to dive in? Click here to learn more about working with me. Click here to learn more about working with me. From now until March 13th I am offering 2 spots for a VIP day with me as part of our 6 month coaching experience. Don’t miss this opportunity!
Happy Sacred Sunday!
It’s been quite a tense week in the United States, hasn’t it? Many people are grieving, while many are celebrating; some people feel hope, while others fear.
Emotions are elevated, and it’s probably been one of those weeks when you’ve been more glued to the tv or social media than usual. The media takes every opportunity to capture our attention and there is no time like election time to fall prey to their tactics.
In moments like these, it’s important to find moments of peace and reflection. One strategy that has become a grounding force for me, and hopefully for you, too, is the concept of Sacred Sunday.
This week on the podcast, I’m sharing why I named Sundays “sacred” and the power of using words and intention to enhance your daily experiences.
This practice has become so ingrained in my life that I didn’t even realize I hadn’t explained it yet!
Here are some steps inspired by this episode to help you create your own Sacred Sunday ritual:
- Carve Out Your Sacred Time: Whether you’re running errands, attending multiple Zoom meetings, or keeping up with family responsibilities, take some time—be it 10 minutes or an hour—to pause, reflect, and cherish the moment. Light a candle, brew a cup of tea, and settle into a cozy corner of your home.
- Reflect and Plan: Use this time to journal about your week, file your successes, and plan for the upcoming days. In the episode I explain “success filing,” a practice she learned from Susan Ford Collins, which involves jotting down your accomplishments. This small habit of reflection can help shift your mindset from focusing on what’s chaotic to what’s working well in your life.
- Label The Moments: Give these moments a name that holds significance for you. It could be Sacred Sunday, as I do, or something entirely different that resonates with you. The name acts as a mental anchor, making the moment feel special and meaningful.
By leaning into the Sacred Sunday mindset, you can breathe life into your weeks and turn even the busiest or most stressful periods into times of renewal and reflection.
This is the mindset I’ve used to write these weekly moment of clarity emails and record each podcast episode. I hope that when the world gets loud and chaotic, or when your days are busy and overwhelming, you can carve out a sacred time to focus on your mindset, wellness, and relationships so you may create a life that feels more magical.
Wishing you all a happy and Sacred Sunday.
Sending you so much love and light, today and every day.
Hey!
On this sacred Sunday, I’m thinking about our world’s interconnectedness.
How, if we pay attention, we find so many connections and commonalities with each other despite different religions, traditions, cultures, and environments.
We have so much to learn from each other, and if we set aside our biases and truly looked at the world through the lens of commonality, we would find much more that unites us than divides us.
I’ll give you an example.
This week I got to learn so much about Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and this period they’re currently celebrating called “The 10 days of Awe.” So much of what the Jewish people are practicing in their faith right now is aligned with the “Close the Loop” theme I chose for this October.
While at first glance, I chose the theme from a time management, productivity standpoint, learning more about the Jewish faith inspired me to dig deeper into the theme.
By learning about their practices, it has enhanced the way I will approach the rest of this month for myself.
That’s what I’m exploring on today’s podcast, including some reflection questions to help you close the loops in your life and welcome a fresh, renewed version of yourself.
Plus, I’m sharing some uplifting news about my sister’s road to recovery from her recent amputation.
Tune in and have a great Sunday.
P.S. Our five-day RejuvaFAST challenge is starting on October 20th. This fast, which mimics the effects of a full fast while allowing you to eat, is an excellent reset for your mind, body, and soul. It aligns beautifully with our theme of October and offers a chance to enhance your emotional and spiritual well-being. Plus, the first participants will receive an “I survived rejuvafast” t-shirt!
Have you ever heard of the Pareto Principle?
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, discovered by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, stands for the proposition that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes for any event.
Well, what if someone turned the Pareto Principle on its head and told you that all you had left was a 20% chance of success at the challenge you were currently facing?
What would you do?
Would you go all in and hope for the best?
Or would you give up and quit because the chances are just too low?
That’s the situation we faced recently when my sister was told if she opted for the smallest amputation possible (half the foot), she only had about a 20% chance of healing from that surgery.
What was her highest chance of success? Amputate to just below the knee.
When you’re at the lowest point in your life — you’re beaten and bruised and all you want is the pain to stop — do you take the safer bet, or do you fight for that 20%?
That’s what we’re talking about over at the Bliss’n Up Podcast today.
And here’s the reason I want you to listen:
Because there may come a time in your life when you’re down to your 20% and you will need to have heard this episode.
But more importantly, there may be things in your life you’re NOT yet prioritizing because you’re not down to the last 20%.
Today’s episode may be exactly what you need to hear to shift the momentum in your life before it takes on a life of its own.
Tune in and share with someone who needs this message. The project is big and you’re a part of it.
Sending you so much love on this Sacred Sunday.
Happy Sacred Sunday!
Is it weird that I felt a little spark of bliss when I realized September 1st landed on a Sacred Sunday?
Yea, maybe it is a little weird, but I still want to share it with you. 
There’s something about September that warms my soul. I love that the beginning of this month is met by Labor Day weekend (a.k.a summer’s last hoorah), a long weekend offering us the opportunity to say our goodbyes to the energy of summer and get ready for the coziness of fall.
Interestingly, it wasn’t until I began the practice of living with intentions that I noticed nuances like the Labor Day Holiday transition.
Before that, the days, months, and years folded into each other, only becoming relevant on particularly noteworthy events like birthdays or Christmas.
When I was a kid, this didn’t matter because time passed slowly. But as I got older, and the years began playing at 1.5 or 2.0 speed, those milestone moments would creep up on me and rarely was I ready for any of it.
Although it’s still hard to fathom the speed at which our kids are growing, the years are passing, and the world is changing — I have discovered a practice that helps me catch my breath in between the sprints.
This is the practice of noticing, naming, and nurturing seasons and rhythms.
The practice is simple:
It was a spark of bliss — and I felt it in my bones.
The next day I sat at my computer to write. I had my weekly planner open in front of me, but I was too busy staring at my computer. Until I looked down and noticed the only words on the page:
1. NOTICE – Where are you and where do you want to go?
At the end of the month, reflect on the month that has passed and the one that’s coming.
- What did you celebrate and enjoy, or grieve and endure?
- What were the successes of the month? What were the disappointments?
- What energy and flavor did the month produce?
- Are you entering a new season, a new year, or a new phase of your life?
- What do you want to let go of, hold on to, or create in the upcoming month?
2. NAME – Set your intentions and your North Star to keep you on path.
- Come up with a theme/label/name for the month. You may already have a word of the year, so this name is complimentary to that word of the year.
- If everything went your way, what energy and flavor would you enjoy this month? This is your time to be optimistic and hopeful.
3. NURTURE – Put your intentions to practice
- What habits or rituals will you adopt, continue, stack on, or resume this season?
- Think about your environment, community, support system, schedule, and routines. What changes/shifts can you make that will support you? What can you delete, delegate, or complete?
This exercise has allowed me to slow down and savor the seasons and rhythms of my life. It’s not perfect and sometimes life takes a completely different turn than what you expected. That’s why you must leave room for the surprises and focus more on progress than perfection.
And that’s what we’re talking about in today’s podcast episode.
Tune into this week’s episode to learn more about this practice and discover my theme for September.
Will you adopt mine or create your own?
Hit reply to this email and let me know 
.
“If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.”
– Joseph Campbell
It’s funny how I found this quote.
The day before, I had been sitting at the dock of the summer lake house we were living in, and had experienced a feeling that I immediately identified as bliss.
It was strange because that word wasn’t in my regular vocabulary.
I commonly used words like joy, sheer happiness, or being ecstatic — but bliss? Never.
And yet there was no other word that could adequately describe what I felt in that momentico.
It was a spark of bliss — and I felt it in my bones.
The next day I sat at my computer to write. I had my weekly planner open in front of me, but I was too busy staring at my computer. Until I looked down and noticed the only words on the page:
Follow your bliss?
What is happening right now?
It was a moment of synchronicity and felt like a message from the divine.
Those 3 words started me on a path that eventually led me to its origins – that quote by Joseph Campbell.
“If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.”
– Joseph Campbell
It’s a great quote — but it prompts a powerful question you may have after reading it …
How can I follow my bliss if I don’t know what “my bliss” is?
Therein lies the rub.
It’s not always easy to connect with our bliss — because we don’t know how to listen for it or identify it.
THIS concept is what I’ve been called to study, explore and teach about ever since.
On this Sacred Sunday, I want to share this:
You may not always know what “your bliss” is — but the path often starts by realizing what is NOT your bliss.
There may come a time in your life when you realize the path you’ve been on is no longer the right path for you, even if it felt like it was the right path for a while.
It’s like you’re not sure if you took the right bus or if you’re headed in the right direction, but you already paid the fare and you have to decide if it’s wise to get off at the next exit.
Deep in your heart, you may know the time has come to step into a new identity that better aligns with your soul.
And when you come to that realization, you may think it’s too late for the change and you’re stuck with the reality you have created for yourself thus far.
In this week’s episode of Bliss’n Up, I’m sharing a personal story about my son’s courageous decision to step into a new identity that better aligns with his happiness.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re on a bus that’s taking you in the wrong direction — make sure you listen to this episode.
It may just be exactly what you need to understand how you, can begin the journey of following your bliss.
Tune into this week’s podcast,
When I ask people to tell me what they think of when they hear the word bliss — I can almost see them transporting themselves to a mountain, a beach, a picturesque location, or a memory of something extraordinary they experienced.
That’s because those are the most obvious.
We often think feeling bliss can only be experienced in the rare and precious extraordinary moments.
But what if bliss can be found in the ordinary moments, too?
This week, as I drove my kiddos to school in the morning, I was surprised with a euphoric feeling of peace, joy, and butterflies in my stomach.
A spark of bliss.
There was nothing extraordinary about my morning commute, but the feeling showed up.
The following day I was on the phone with my financial advisor. He had an extraordinary summer full of trips, travel, and fun.
But on that Monday morning, as he took a few minutes to write in his journal, he was struck by the deep sense of gratitude he felt for resuming his simple morning routine.
He, too, was surprised by the spark of bliss he felt in something as simple as having a piece of banana with peanut butter before his morning workout.
This got me thinking about the paradox of being human:
How we need certainty and variety.
How we can experience bliss in extraordinary and the ordinary.
How life doesn’t have to be all or nothing — it gets to be a dance between the alls and the nothings.
And that’s what I’m discussing on today’s podcast.
After you’ve listened in, I’d love to know what sparks of bliss have surprised you lately? Whether ordinary or extraordinary. Reply to this email and share with me! 
I’m so excited for tonight because it’s one of my favorite nights of the year.
Tonight, we celebrate School Year’s Eve.
School Year’s Eve is a tradition I began in 2019 to commemorate the true “New Year” for my kids. Do you remember those nights before your first day of school when you were in grade school?
I do! And that’s why I started this practice.
Every year, on the night before school starts, I lay out the fine china, decorate the table with candles, books, paper, and pens, and get ready for a sacred evening of setting intentions.
I keep a Ziploc bag with the boys’ intentions from the previous year. As we review them, we take time to reflect on our successes, remember what we may have already forgotten, and evaluate where we are now.
Then, we’re ready to set our sights on a brand-new adventure. Since the kids have gotten older, I’ve started sharing with them the notes from all the years so they can reminisce about what their priorities were when they were younger and see how much they’ve grown and evolved.
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This year is the first year we are celebrating two School Year’s Eves. The first one is tonight for my two younger boys, and the next one will be next Sunday for my older son, who will be on a school retreat this week.
I offered to host School Year’s Eve on Saturday this year, but the three boys turned down the suggestion. “It has to be the night before school starts, Mom, or it just won’t be the same.”
That’s the thing about rituals and traditions—sometimes we hold on to the specificity of the ritual, and that makes it even more meaningful.
Although this tradition and its rituals will not last forever, I know we’ll remember these evenings as bliss-FULL moments for our five fingers. Maybe one day, my boys will host School Year’s Eve for their kids and keep the legacy going.
Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself and am already in tears, so I’m going to stop now.
But hey, on today’s podcast, I’m sharing all about how traditions and rituals help create a life that sparks bliss. And not just School Year’s Eve, but all sorts of traditions and rituals.
Tune in, and let’s dive deeper into this topic.
Sending you lots of love!