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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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 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 to achieve, but as something to lean and live into. A word that helps me stay grounded when things feel uncertain and reminds me of who I want to be when life gets messy. As this new year begins, I found myself slowing down and really asking what kind of support I need right now, not just externally, but from within.
On today’s Wise Walk, I invite you to explore what a Word of the Year might look like for you. I share the word that emerged for me after reflecting on the past several years and what it means to create the conditions for growth, even when life feels transitional. Together, we’ll consider how a single word can act as a quiet compass, helping us stay aligned, rooted, and open to what wants to unfold next.
- As you reflect on where you’ve been, where you are now, and how do you want to show up? What word best captures that intention for you this year?
- Is there a word you want to embody more fully, whether it feels literal and clear or more like a feeling or essence that you’re drawn toward?
- Do you give yourself permission to let one word, or perhaps a few words, or a mantra, gently guide you through the coming year?
- What word could serve as a navigational star for you, grounding and centering you when things feel rocky or out of alignment?
- Looking back over the past five years and the seasons that shaped you, what feels ready to carry you into what’s next?
- What word might help you transform, open, or root yourself in ways that feel aligned with who you are becoming?
- Which areas of your life feel most important to focus on right now, whether physical, mental, spiritual, or relational?
- Can you choose one word to serve as a steady reminder of how far you’ve come and where you’re headed next?
- And as you acknowledge the work you’ve already done, how can you honor your continued growth and unfold it with compassion and trust?
I look forward to going on this epic adventure with you in the coming year and blooming in ways we can’t even expect right now. Trusting that it will unfold naturally. As always, I would love to hear what you took away from today’s episode.
Feel free to reach out and share. Then tune in to next Thursday’s Wise Walk for another conversation. Until then, happy, happy New Year.
In this episode:
- [03:37] Upon reflection, the idea of opening myself up to further possibilities washed over me. For the last 5 years, I've been going inward and looking for words that would help me grow.
- [04:44] I give myself permission to choose again and wonder what the possibilities are if I open myself up.
- [05:38] There has been a tending to my inner self, so my outer self can show up the way it's meant to. Co-create supported me last year, and this year the word that popped up for me is bloom.
- [06:06] Bloom is tending your garden and appreciating nature's growth from the soil nourishing a seedling, to growing and flourishing.
- [07:01] I love that this word means that I'm going to put some roots down even in my transitional stage.
- [10:03] Another cool thing about the word of the year is that many others including striders like yourself are going on this journey with me.
- [11:03] Thank you so much for listening, and I look forward to going on this adventure with you in the coming year!
Memorable Quotes:
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- “Blooming isn’t about pushing or proving. It’s about creating the conditions that allow growth to happen.” - Mary Tess
- “You don’t have to know exactly what’s coming next to trust that something meaningful is unfolding.” - Mary Tess
- “A word for the year isn’t something to chase. It’s something to return to when you need grounding.” - Mary Tess
- “Sometimes the most powerful growth happens quietly, beneath the surface, long before we see the bloom.” - Mary Tess
Links and Resources: