Dear Beautiful Soul,

Life will happen. Not if. Not maybe. It will. And often, it strikes when things are going

great—when you’re finally feeling steady, grounded, maybe even a little comfortable. It crashes in uninvited, with a phone call, a diagnosis, a loss, or a decision that flips everything upside down. It’s that obnoxious guest that crashes the party!

Twelve days ago, my world shifted in an instant. One phone call—and I was immediately thrown into survival mode. As an Enneagram 8, “the challenger/active controller,” my instinct is

to protect, control, and survive. I spring into action: planning, fixing, doing. It’s a trauma response—a learned pattern to guard my heart and keep moving.

For the first five days, I was all adrenaline and instinct. I didn’t allow myself to feel. I was too busy doing. But on day five, it hit me like a tidal wave: I was in my old pattern. I was numbing. I was abandoning myself. Not this time. Thank God for awareness.

I paused.

I breathed. I journaled. I meditated. I cried. I let the feelings I was avoiding catch up to me—and I didn’t run from them. I felt each one. I blessed it and released it. I leaned into my inner voice and listened.

Instead of self-sabotaging with food, busyness, or old coping mechanisms, I chose healing. I was two weeks into the 75 Hard challenge, and I could have quit. But instead, I leaned in harder. I

used the discipline of the challenge as a container for growth. I walked in nature. I immersed myself in water and breathwork. I surrounded myself with the things that soothe my nervous

system and ground my spirit: gardens, plants, fresh air, and silence.

In my book, I See You, I write:

“You cannot heal in the same environment that broke you. Sometimes you have to create a new

container, a new routine, a new way of being that supports the highest version of who you’re becoming.”

This moment—this life shift—gave me the opportunity to decide how I want to show up when life happens, not if. I chose to act in alignment with my core values. I chose stillness over chaos, clarity over confusion, and faith over fear.

rom my 90 Days of Healing Your Soul Affirmation List, I was reminded of this:

“Reconnect with nature by gardening, going for walks, and eating nourishing foods that fuel your

body and mind.”

“Just as the dragonfly symbolizes change, this journey will support you in embracing new perspectives, letting go of the past, and stepping into your higher self.-TRANSFORMATION”

I was never meant to go backwards. None of us are.

If life is happening to you right now—if you’re in the fire, the grief, the shift—I want you to

know this:

You still get to choose who you want to be in the storm. You can pause. You can breathe. You can be gentle with yourself and still stay committed to your growth. You can use the moment to rise.

Practices for Grounding Yourself When Life Happens:

1. Journal It Out – Let your thoughts flow onto paper. No filter. Just truth.

2. Move Your Body – Walk, stretch, dance. Movement helps emotion move through.

3. Practice Breathwork or Meditation – Regulate your nervous system by returning to your breath.

4. Reconnect with Nature – Nature heals. Step outside, touch the earth, watch the sky.

5. Honor Your Values – Make decisions not out of fear, but from alignment with who you truly are.

You are more than your reaction. You are more than your fear.

You are powerful, and you are healing.

I See You.

XOXO

You can be YOU!