Essence Blog

At the very end of September, I was in Western, NY, for my cousin’s beautiful wedding. The weather was gorgeous, and even in the warm sunny skies, I could see that the fall was just starting to turn a few leaves into the deep, rich colors of autumnal art. 

Which reminds me of one of the annual themes of fall: release. 

When trees prepare for winter, they don’t force anything. They don’t yank off their leaves in a panic when a certain date draws near. Instead, they respond to the quiet...

The energy in the collective is heavy—anger, frustration, grief, righteousness, destruction. And it doesn’t just show up in “others” or the “other side.” It’s everywhere, within our own circles, and if we’re honest, within ourselves.

Last week, I found myself contributing to and being affected by the global inflammation.

I caught myself swearing at another driver, judging a stranger, unfriending someone,  laughing at a mean meme, even as I bristled when others did the same. 

And while a p...

Should I sign up for this new course?

Which choice is right for me? 

Do I say yes to this opportunity? 

What should I do about this problem? 

Do I want to do this? 

Which mattress should I buy? 

Have you ever felt miserable knowing you need to make a decision? Perhaps you're stuck in agony or guilt from avoiding it.  Maybe you're feeling the stress of the pressure to hurry up and make it.  Or maybe you still regret a choice you made before, and you’re afraid you’ll make the wrong one ag...

Pain. 

Whether we are talking about emotional pain or physical pain, it’s something we all feel, and it’s also something we try to get out of as soon as we can. 

At some point, you’ve probably tried to silence it, push through it, numb it, medicate it, or avoid it. Or maybe all of those things. 

I’m writing about pain this week because I’ve been having nerve pain in my arm that is coming from my neck. Ouch.

There have been a few moments where I wanted to yell- “give me all the dr...

Last week, Andrea Gibson, a beloved and powerful truth-teller and poet, passed away. They were born the same year I was and died just shy of their 50th birthday.  

Andrea left this world with all of their people gathered around in love. Their wife, Meg Falley, shared that Andrea’s last words were: “I loved my fucking life.”

So simple. So profound. To live and die with that much love and gratitude despite all the pain. It felt like a reminder. And a bit of hope.

I’ve been reading Andrea’s ...

Tomorrow is the 4th of July holiday here in the U.S. However, my holiday usually begins early, as my neighborhood hosts an annual big street party on July 3rd. We come together over food, friends, and music. It’s usually a great time. But when I was asked about my weekend plans earlier this week, I could sense my own lack of enthusiasm.

To be honest, I don’t feel very patriotic right now. As a deeply feeling person, the violence, dehumanization, and cruelty I’m witnessing cross the line of valu...

An Everyday Lesson in Releasing Old Beliefs

During a recent trip to Chicago, I had a surprising chance to reflect on how far I’ve come in releasing old beliefs. I tagged along on Matt’s business trip so we could explore the city and see some of my favorite Ippies: Jim, Christiana, and Emma Herbert.

On Thursday, we toured the Art Institute of Chicago (did you know it’s the second-largest art museum in the country after the Met?). My husband and I were the only ones who signed up, so we got a pr...

A Recital and the Power of Community Support 

This week, I want to share a story that beautifully reflects the power of community support — something that has been sitting in my heart 💛.

A week before the Infinite Possibilities conference, despite my long to-do list, I spent 4½ hours on the road to drive up to UF to see Ethan’s 3rd-year voice recital🎶. Totally worth it. He sang his first Italian aria. It was a challenge for this musical theater kid to sing opera. I was both blown away by his g...

Over the last two weeks, I’ve been sharing a simple but meaningful trio of practices to help us all through these times. 

We began with Centering—returning to ourselves before allowing outside noise and energy to enter.

Then moved into Compassion—making the choice to stay open yet boundaried- to discern and not absorb, and to stay tender, even in a hard world.💛

And now we arrive at the third piece: Creativity. It's magic🪄 is about reminding us that we are alive.

Many of us, including myself...

Last week, I wrote about centering—the practice of coming back to yourself before reacting to the noise and emotional intensity of the world. I’m still imperfectly practicing centering myself first thing in the morning before checking my phone. 😬

This week, I want to talk about the second word and step in the trio that keeps circling in my heart around where to put our energy and focus right now. 

✨ Compassion.✨

And to be honest, I’ve been wrestling with this one.

Compassion is a deep awaren...