MANURE MEDITATIONS BLOG
I do most of my best thinking while I’m cleaning stalls or working on the pasture. I’m honored you’ve stopped by to read.
The Missing Piece in Women’s Leadership: Why Mindfulness Isn’t Enough
Have you ever looked at your life - your achievements, your abundance, your successes - and still felt something was... missing? During a recent conversation, a successful professional shared something that stopped me in my tracks. Her words might feel familiar: "On...
The Counterintuitive Path to Deeper Connection
One of the underlying beliefs of perfectionism is "if I can do something perfectly, there will be no reason for disappointment and I will be loved." The simple version is, "if I can control the outcome, I’ll be OK." As a recovering perfectionist, I’ve come a long way,...
Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy: A Practical Guide to Self-Compassion
If being hard on yourself worked, it would have worked by now. Let that sink in for a moment. How many times have you pushed yourself to the brink, thinking that just a little more pressure, a little more self-criticism would finally unlock your potential? We've all...
Why Stress Management Techniques Fail (and What Works Instead)
Ever had one of those days where you're juggling a million things, and then you snap at your friend or family member about some little thing? All that stress suddenly bubbles over, leaving you feeling drained and a bit ashamed. Ever wondered how can you be less...
How to Make Change Stick
I can't be the only one who has wondered, "Why is it so hard to make changes that I want?" I've got the answer. And guess what, YOU are in charge of it. (YAY!!) The short answer is your brain. In the past, it's gotten overwhelmed by situations, emotions, and other...
The Power of Presence
My horse, Sadie, keeps me honest when it comes to being present. The first 6+ years of her life were stable and consistent, living with her mom and another horse. Not much was asked of her, and she got to do pretty much whatever she wanted. In the 12 or so months...
How to Tame Your Inner Hurry
As I went through airport security, excited about the training I was about to attend, I noticed how much pressure I felt to get through as quickly as possible. It didn’t matter that there were very few people in line or that I had plenty of time. My inner voice (and...
Stop Dropping Hints and Do This Instead
Have you ever found yourself in a conversation that left you wondering, "Wait, what just happened here?" I recently had one of those moments that got me thinking about how we communicate or-- how we don't. Picture this: I'm at a networking gathering and I see an old...
The Pain of Perfectionism
In my first post of the year, I mentioned that I was feeling like this year was going to be a bit of a swirl--and so far it’s been exactly that. By “swirl” I mean there’s movement, but it’s not going in any particular direction except around. Normally I would fight...
How to Finish Anything
I've been trying to write something witty or intelligent or mind-blowing to you for a while now. I get started, I'm on a roll... then the inner critic shows up and tells me I don't know how to communicate, that no one will understand what I'm trying to say because I...
This Has Stood the Test of Time
Have you ever had a burst of inspiration and deeply resonated with it? I wrote what I call my "manifesto" in about 3 minutes several years ago. It was true then and it's even more true now. I hope you enjoy it and it inspires you to see yourself in a new way. I work...
Finding Balance Between Others’ Needs and Our Own
For various reasons, my grey gelding, Bentley is quite guarded about picking up his hind feet. This part of our relationship is a work in progress. The other day, trying to be gentle with my request, I asked softly for him to pick up his back foot. He snatched it up...
The Myth of Continuous Growth
Several years ago, I met a woman at a networking event who said something that really made me think. I mentioned I was hosting a retreat and she made it clear that she didn’t ever call anything a “retreat” because it implied losing. She followed up with, “After all,...
Redefining Consistency
Consistency is not one of my strong suits. Frankly, I find doing the same thing the same way at the same interval boring. You may have noticed these posts come out at different times of day, on different days, and there are different amounts of time between them. I...
Pressuring Myself
I was so on edge. The pressure had been building for a while. Kids, horses, house, business, bills, groceries, cooking--and all the things that go with all those things. There were a thousand details that needed tending. They ALL felt like priorities that had to be...
When Your Confidence Abandons You
Have you ever been in a situation where you just knew you were 100% prepared? You were confident and ready to go… ...but when it came right down to it, your confidence abandoned you. You didn’t say what you wanted to say. You didn’t say it with the clarity and...
Unlearning Unworthiness
I wasn’t born feeling unworthy. I learned it. I learned it when I was told there was only one right answer--and “that wasn’t it.” I learned it when I heard, “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about.” I learned it at the death of my furry friend when I got...
The Day I Experienced True Self Love
I sat in the chair, arms snuggling my body. Caring for and cradling my body, I realized it was the first time I’d felt genuine love for myself from myself. This was only about 2 years ago and it was kind of a shock, to be honest. Once I had this experience, even...