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_outlineI’m recording this episode from Joshua Tree, California, where the dogs and I recently landed and are staying with my Aunt Christine on her two-acre property surrounded by horses, a donkey, and plenty of desert beauty. From the outside, our little 300-square-foot casita looks like a simple metal shed, but inside meets our basic needs and has become a cozy, surprising space for reflection. Being here has me thinking about the habits I’ve carried with me, especially my natural tendency to plan ahead and anticipate every scenario.
That planning instinct served me well in my corporate career, but I’m noticing how it can sometimes get in the way of trusting the present moment and myself. In this episode, I share stories, from navigating life in a smaller space to managing my soy allergy on a birthday dinner out, that highlight how fear and scarcity can shape our choices. On this Wise Walk, we’ll explore how letting go of fear-based habits and leaning into trust can create more peace, freedom, and alignment with the future we want to build.
- As you reflect on your present and future goals or dreams, how is your ability to plan serving you?
- Where is this planning mentality adding value and setting you up for success?
- Where is this habitual need to plan getting in your way or bringing you down?
- Are you planning for the best outcomes and the positivity you know you’re attracting, or are you stuck preparing for worst-case scenarios out of fear?
- Are you able to pivot in order to manage those circumstances?
- What’s an example in your life where you are stockpiling something you use regularly or something you’ve run out of once and don’t want to run out of again?
- Is that mentality or habit serving you at this moment, or are you open to releasing that old pattern and trusting that when you need it, you’ll have the means and resources to acquire it?
- Is there another quality you are known for, like being a good troubleshooter, that has served you in life or your career but doesn’t serve you in other areas?
- Do you find yourself seeing problems nonstop, and where can you open your mind to seeing the good that’s waiting for you?
- What qualities are beneficial to you that you want to hold on to in the present and as you look toward the future?
- What qualities come from lack, fear, or worry that you want to release so you can lean more into trust and divine timing?
- Where in your life can you take the leap and release some of the overplanning or qualities that you’ve relied on for so long?
- Where can you step into a peaceful mindset that trusts things will come together, even if you can’t yet see how, knowing you’ll acquire what you need moment by moment?
As always, I’d love to hear what you took away from today’s episode, so please feel free to reach out. I hope you stay open to what the day brings and notice the ways it may surprise you with something even better than you planned. I’d love for you to tune in next Thursday for another Wise Walk.
In this episode:
- [05:37] A long track record of successfully planning for the best, worst, and everything in between scenarios gave me extreme confidence that I could navigate the unknown.
- [06:05] I could trust that I could keep moving forward no matter what I was faced with.
- [07:15] I know you Striders also have the innate ability to navigate the unknown.
- [08:19] On this trip, I've reflected a lot on what my basic needs are.
- [09:13] I love coconut milk in my tea in the morning. I struggled with not buying extra at the store, even though I knew I needed only one.
- [10:56] We need to release that scarcity mindset. We don't have to plan for the worst scenario right now.
- [12:02] I don't have to come from a place of scarcity. I can trust that it will be there when I need it.
- [14:13] I also have a fear of going out to eat, because of my soy allergy.
- [15:21] The lesson I learned while going out to eat on my 51st birthday.
- [18:24] It was a great example of when we trust that what we need is going to appear when we need it, being a beautiful gift.
- [19:53] I hope as you go through your day that you can see where old habits served you and don't, and be able to release those that don't align anymore.
Memorable Quotes:
- “You do not have to plan for the worst case scenario. You can have a self-belief in yourself that you are going to navigate the unknown with style, with grace, with peace, with harmony.” - Mary Tess
- “Trusting that what we need is going to appear when we need it. That's a beautiful gift.” - Mary Tess
- “We can build enough self-trust to know that we can navigate whatever comes our way, and we’ll find the resources we need in exactly the right time frame.” - Mary Tess
Links and Resources: