EP279: How Love and Impact Live On
True Stride
Over the past eight months, I’ve lost two dear loved ones who had a profound impact on my life. They lived fully, with vibrant energy, wisdom, kindness, and deep care for others. While I’m heartbroken that I no longer get to experience their physical presence here on earth, I also feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the love I was able to receive from them, love that was unconditional and deeply shaping. One of them passed just yesterday, so forgive me if my emotions rise as I share, but in the midst of the sadness, I find comfort in knowing that even though I can no longer see...
info_outline
EP278: Release, Readiness, and What Comes Next
True Stride
I feel like there’s been a lot of conversation lately about the Chinese zodiac and the year we’re moving out of, which is the Year of the Wood Snake. That year comes to an end on February 16, and then on February 17, according to the Chinese zodiac, we move into the Year of the Fire Horse. Even if you don’t follow the Chinese New Year, I’ve really appreciated how this way of marking time gives us an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and check our own reality. In this episode, I share why the energy of the Wood Snake has felt so accurate for this past year, with its focus on shedding,...
info_outline
EP277: Shape Your Vision with Creativity and Intention
True Stride
I’ve been thinking a lot about intention setting lately and how many different ways there are to get clear on what we want to attract. Some people love choosing a word for the year, others don’t resonate with that at all, and that reflection led me to revisit the tools I’ve used over time to stay grounded and inspired. What matters most isn’t the method itself, but whether we’re carving out space to reflect, get creative, and really listen to what’s calling us forward. Today, we’ll dive into how vision boarding has supported me in the past and how a simple, pen-and-paper practice...
info_outline
EP276: Looking Back Through Pleasure and Expansion
True Stride
At the start of a new year, I always notice a shift. It’s subtle, but it’s there. A little lightness. A sense that I can pause, take stock, and step into something new. Even though it’s just one calendar year turning into the next, it still feels like permission to begin again. To set new intentions. To let the past be the past. I don’t overthink it. I just pay attention to that sense of possibility. As I look back on the year behind me, it wasn’t especially easy. There were moments that felt heavy, uncertain, and stretching in ways I didn’t expect. Yet, when I slow down and really...
info_outline
EP275: A Word to Ground, Guide, and Inspire You
True Stride
I can’t quite believe that yet another year of us going on Wise Walks together has come and gone. In our last episode, I invited you to reflect on your previous Word of the Year, and I’ve been doing that too. Looking back, I can see how my word, Co-create, supported me in ways I couldn’t have fully anticipated at the time. Sometimes we choose a word with a clear sense of direction or intuition about what will help us feel more aligned and in our True Stride. When I think about why this practice matters to me, I always come back to the idea of choosing a word for the year not as something...
info_outline
EP274: Reflecting on the Year Through One Word
True Stride
As this year comes to a close, I wanted to slow things down and really look at how my word for 2025 actually showed up in my life. I’ve shared before that I no longer set New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I choose a word that helps ground me in how I want to show up and what I want to experience. This year, that word was co-create. As someone who has always relied on planning, structure, and execution, this word challenged me to loosen my grip and trust timing instead of forcing outcomes. It became a way to check myself when things felt rushed, heavy, or resistant, and to ask whether I was...
info_outline
EP273: Leaning Into Your Inner Athlete
True Stride
It’s funny how aging has a way of quietly changing the conversation we have with our bodies. I notice it when I’m moving or when a familiar pose needs more support, or when strength and flexibility show up differently than they used to. For a long time, I thought that meant I was losing something. What I’m realizing now is that it simply means that I’m being asked to listen more closely. There’s still a part of me that loves a challenge, that enjoys feeling capable and engaged, even if the expression of that looks different than it once did. Lately, I’ve been paying attention to...
info_outline
EP272: Freedom Waiting Beyond Your Limits
True Stride
Lately I have been spending time out on my Aunt’s ranch in Joshua Tree, California, and the rhythm of the animals has offered me a new perspective on how we respond to the boundaries in our lives. Watching the horses move through their space, communicate their needs, and express their energy reminded me how easy it is to accept certain limits without ever pausing to ask whether they still feel aligned. Their behavior became an unexpected mirror, showing me where I have honored barriers that were never truly mine or that no longer support who I am becoming. Their exuberance and clarity...
info_outline
EP271: Honoring Your Rites of Passage
True Stride
A conversation on a recent hike surprised me in the best way. My friend and I wandered into a chat about how we grew up and what shaped us, and it pulled up old memories I had not thought about in a long time. I shared a bit about my upbringing and the sense of community that came with it, but what really landed for me was how many different ways people mark the big moments in their lives. It does not matter if it comes from a formal tradition or something more personal. We all have these turning points that nudge us forward and help us understand who we are right now. Lately I have been...
info_outline
EP270: What Gratitude Makes Possible
True Stride
Happy Thanksgiving, fellow Striders. If you’re celebrating here in the U.S., I hope you’re surrounded by loved ones, friends, or even your fur babies, and that you’re feeling a sense of appreciation for the blessings in your life, the ones you’re experiencing now and the ones that have shaped you along the way. This time of year is a good reminder to pause, take a breath, and really acknowledge the good that is already present. As I’ve been reflecting on gratitude, I keep coming back to how much shifts when we look at what’s working instead of what’s missing. When we notice the...
info_outlineWhen was the last time you really allowed yourself to feel everything without judgment, distraction, or the pressure to move on to the next thing?
In this episode, I open up about the emotional purpose behind my upcoming cross-country road trip. After a whirlwind few years filled with surgery, loss, milestones, and transformation, I realized I hadn’t fully processed so much of what I’d been carrying. This trip is my way of slowing down, reconnecting with nature, and making space to feel all the feelings I’ve had to put on hold.
From chance encounters to meditation messages, the universe keeps nudging me toward this deeper intention, and I’m listening. If you’ve been powering through without taking time to truly check in with your heart, this episode invites you to reflect, release, and reconnect with yourself. Let’s explore what it means to feel our feels and move forward from a more grounded and present place in today’s Wise Walk.
-
Are there moments over the past several years where you've been too busy to fully feel your emotions; the good, the challenging and everything in between?
-
Have you ever acknowledged your feelings but skipped the part where you truly unpack, accept, and allow them to move through you?
-
Are you taking time now to honor how far you’ve come and the full range of emotions you’ve experienced along the way?
-
Are messages surfacing in your life through people or patterns that feel like gentle nudges from the universe?
-
What would it look like to carve out time to drop into your heart and feel what those messages mean for you?
-
How can you support yourself emotionally so you can move forward as your highest and best self?
-
If you’re not seeing clear messages, can you get curious about what themes are showing up in your life right now?
-
What do you feel called to notice, feel, or act on from what’s rising up within you?
-
Can you slow down, minimize distractions, and give yourself space to fully feel your feels?
-
As you tune in, can you name what you’re feeling so you can release it, understand it, and move through it with clarity?
-
What might change in your life if you stopped letting your emotions “own you,” and instead you owned them with awareness and compassion?
I’d love to hear what feelings are surfacing for you right now. How are you planning to slow down, check your reality, and express those emotions in ways that truly serve you? I’m also looking forward to our chat on next Thursday’s Wise Walk.
In this episode:
[04:55] I had already been thinking about this intention of the road trip being a healing journey to feel my feels, to get back to writing.
[06:12] During this morning's yoga class, the meditation I read from Melody Beattie's Journey to the Heart was all about allowing our feelings to surface.
[07:09] People in class needed to hear this message, and it inspired this episode.
[08:03] I made a new friend in the line at UPS. His catch phrase was "feel it".
[10:51] Talking to my new friend about his future podcast made me think of my own podcast and its origins. I started it five years ago. It's funny how it has evolved.
[11:29] The Wise Walk intention is so powerful, because it's all about slowing down, dropping into our heart, and checking our reality.
[12:37] On this trip I'm going to have drive time. There will be music, audiobooks, conversations with friends, and quiet time for reflection. I'll be present for the ride.
[14:28] Whatever you feel, it is okay. We need to feel our feelings, because they communicate to us. We need to pay attention.
Memorable Quotes:
- “There's just so much richness in how we can move forward if we pay attention to what our heart is saying.” - Mary Tess
- “This road trip represents an opportunity for me to heal, feel my feels, and then let that creativity flow through my writing, which is really important to me.” - Mary Tess
- “Part of what I need to do is allow whatever feelings to come up and to honor them, to accept them, and to name them.” - Mary Tess
Links and Resources:
Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram