Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

Let’s rethink the 2023 buzz… What if there’s no reason to change anything; No reason to want things to be different. What if there’s no reason to work towards a goal; No reason for New Year’s resolutions. Sound good? My fur-niece, Topaz Binky, agrees! What if you like— no, LOVE the way you are, exactly as you are. There is no reason to buy into the hype. ICYMI - There. Is. No reason to buy into the hype! You get to shine as brightly as you are. Of course, I’m not advocating stagnation because  growth is the new humankind.   But you get to grow at your own pace. Not when the New Year tells you to. So ditch the phony New Year’s resolutions, ditch the societal expectations and pressured-into goals. Find your own tendrils of new growth, unfurl deliciously slowly, leisurely, savoring the softness of life’s gentle awakening - all will come good, in your own time; in your own way. Let’s cheer together: I AM ME IN 2023! Not a new me, not a better me— ME exactly as I am. If this stirre...

Your Personal Growth Does Not Threaten Your Relationship  You've changed.  You are not the same person who your husband or wife married years ago. They are not the same person, either.  You committed to your partner without knowing who they would become. Especially if you were young.  It's part of the marriage package.  People change over the years. You are not the same person at 40 that you were at 20. Thankfully. Because that 20-year-old hadn't experienced enough life to know what was what. At 20, our brains haven't even fully developed.  You committed to your partner knowing that both of you would change. At least, you knew it in your head. If you think too hard about it, these agreements seem scary.  We calm these fears by telling ourselves a myth: Couples in Close and Connected Relationships Grow Together. Their Marriage Lasts Because They Feel In-Sync and are on the Same Page.  This simply isn't true.  You are busy. You have ...

Are Your Goals Getting Away From You? On 2 July 2022, we'll be exactly halfway through the year. You’ve achieved some of your goals but others might not have worked out as you expected. So let’s reset our intentions for the second half of the year. https://unsplash.com/@soymeraki What direction do you want the rest of your year to go in? • Do you want to take your career up a notch? • Perhaps pivot your business ventures completely? • Maybe it’s your health and well-being you want to reset? • Or perhaps you want to enhance the quality of your relationships with the myriad people in your life? It’s not too late: Take 10 minutes right now to see yourself succeeding in your workplace: home-life, corporate or small business. I know that you love what you have envisioned for yourself and you want it so badly. And you CAN achieve it. Whatever it might be. The solution: Start today! As a writer, I’ve only recently built the habit of writing regularly. Sounds obvious right? I used to only ...

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?  https://unsplash.com/@danielmingookkim Deep questions for sure. Let me start by asking you how often you find yourself having a heated discussion in your thoughts? How often do you find yourself defending your actions internally, in your mind? Okay, enough with the questions, I'm sure you get the picture. It happens in a millisecond. We do or think something that we feel someone will criticize and we immediately prepare our defense. Crazy right? I've caught myself doing this countless times and am more aware than ever to stop my thoughts in their tracks and remind myself that it's simply not true and there is no reason for defense. Just as importantly, I've started reminding myself that whatever the action is that I 'think' someone might criticize me for, is an action I am quite *entitled to take and need not feel defensive in the first place. *Provided you're not hurting another being. https://unsplash.com/@nkuutz You are free...

3 Month Book Birthday, That Is (And my sister 👸 [not 3 months]) It's been a monumental week in the life of EN ROUTE. She passed her 3-month mark as a self-published memoir, which, incidentally, means that Amazon no longer feels the need to prop her up for visibility. So, in real terms, she's passed to the next level of independence as a self-published book! Hooray for EN ROUTE 🎉🥳 Book Blast: As is fitting for any birthday party, we celebrated in style. She had a blast! No really, a real BOOK BLAST! Duffy the Writer published a beautiful Book Blast for EN ROUTE.  You can read it at the link:  Book Blast for EN ROUTE by Duffy the Writer Or the short version here:  Shortened Book Blast Mother's Day Giveaway Another huge celebration for EN ROUTE was a giveaway for Mother's Day and I couldn't have asked for a more deserving winner! This mum literally took time out of her busy #mumlife while her daughters were sleeping, to read EN ROUTE. That's a true Mother's ...