Balance didn’t become a priority for me until I got sober. A few years into my sobriety, I went to a 12-step recovery retreat in Malibu. I remember the speaker shared about the importance of seeking balance. He explained that we can evaluate how balanced our life is by considering how we work, love, and play. That sounded simple enough. Yeah, right.

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I attended a unique leadership retreat with horses last week. Watching people interact with these majestic creatures was simply magical. What I noticed was that horses respect and respond to honesty. They do not tolerate bullshit. They genuinely want to connect with those willing to be genuine. 

“You can only grow if you feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” ~Brian Tracy

What are you willing to do to stretch your comfort zone? Would you quit your job, attempt to pick up a new language, and then move to a different time zone across the Atlantic? Well, as crazy as that might sound, I did just that.

My husband and I have been going to marriage counseling for several years. When we started therapy, our marriage was in trouble and now four years later we are deeply in love and committed to experiencing meaningful connection, joy, intimacy, and passion. With all of our progress, I was surprised when I felt resistance about going to our next session together.

Taming your inner critic is a process. It’s helpful to identity when, where, and why you started internalizing self defeating thoughts like “I’m not smart enough, not good enough,” and the like. As I excavated my past, what I discovered was that many of the negative messages I replay in my head came from my childhood and my teenager years.

How would you rate your self-talk? Do you tell yourself how amazing you are or do you condemn and criticize yourself constantly? Chances are, you berate yourself frequently and you may not realize that your negative self-talk actually affects how you show up in the world and it takes a toll on your confidence, self-esteem, and relationships.