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EP277: Shape Your Vision with Creativity and Intention

True Stride

Release Date: 01/15/2026

EP278: Release, Readiness, and What Comes Next show art 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 show art 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 show art 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 show art 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 show art 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 show art 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 show art 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 show art 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 show art 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...

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EP269: Marathon Lessons to Finish Strong show art EP269: Marathon Lessons to Finish Strong

True Stride

I was really moved recently when a Strider reached out to share that they had just completed the New York City Marathon and were reflecting on what that experience meant for them. They realized after crossing the finish line that they wished they had celebrated more and invited others to cheer them on, because training for something so big ends up being a rite of passage. Their honesty stirred up memories from my own marathon experiences and reminded me just how powerful those transitions are when we separate from who we were and stretch ourselves into something new. It got me thinking about...

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More Episodes

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 I learned from Colette Baron-Reid opened me up to new possibilities. On this Wise Walk, we slow down, check in with ourselves, and explore an intention-setting practice that feels aligned, accessible, and supportive of where we are right now.

  • Are you carving out time for yourself to get inspired, set goals, and create a vision for how you want to show up for yourself this year, whether that’s through a word, a vision board, or something entirely your own?
  • What are the ways you can nurture yourself that feel aligned for you, and are you clear on what you want to attract in the coming year?
  • Are there creative ways for you to engage both your left and right brain by putting pen to paper, creating art, or visualizing something you make by your own hand that represents what you wish for this year?
  • What really matters to you in this moment, what do you want to attract, and what is going to give you meaning?
  • Who do you want to be, how do you want to show up for yourself and the people you love, and what goals will support you in moving toward your longer-term vision?
  • What do you hope to attract this year, and what choices or practices could you implement now that would set you up for success five years from today?
  • If you can visualize it or imagine it, can you find images, draw, or write your intentions in a way that brings them to life and allows you to see yourself as if these dreams have already happened?

I hope that as you create your own works of art, you take a moment to appreciate them and to honor your creative spirit. That creativity is supported by you, by this community, and by spirit and the wide open space of possibilities around you. 

As always, I’d love to hear what you took away from today’s episode, so feel free to reach out and share. Be sure to tune in next Thursday for another Wise Walk and conversation.

In this episode:

  • [03:42] A vision board is a collage of images that represents your dreams, your wishes, and your goals.
  • [04:07] I used a portfolio to collect visuals that would serve as a guiding light or a North Star to highlight what was really important to me.
  • [05:09] At one point, I used a picture of a microphone to symbolize using my voice which is ironic, since I'm now a podcaster. Setting visual intentions helps prevent our limiting beliefs.
  • [06:15] It's a beautiful thing, when we create an intention and then receive it.
  • [07:04] There is scientific data that backs up having a practice that helps you imagine what your positive future could look like and seeing it helps bring those opportunities to light.
  • [08:33] Colette Baron-Reid's webinar was awesome. Her tool includes taking a piece of paper and drawing a dot in the middle with a pen.
  • [09:01] The dot represents you, and a circle around the dot represents your higher power. We're inviting the forces that want us to be our better selves into the conversation. There's also a square that represents our limiting beliefs.
  • [10:14] The border around the box represents possibilities that we haven't even imagined.
  • [11:11] In my past, I had been limiting myself to using one process. This freehand creative process is another tool to achieve what we want.
  • [12:03] My goal for this year is to find a home, and the feeling I want to create is harmony or a sense of harmony.
  • [13:06] I am open to whatever I'm envisioning and however I achieve it. I am open to possibilities.
  • [14:37] The point of the word of the year or whatever you envision is to keep it front and center and keep your brain focused on it. 
  • [15:19] My frequency of attracting my home is harmony, and it feels like I'm in full alignment with nature. I'm grounded and healthy and surrounded by love and support.

 Memorable Quotes: 

    • “Self-awareness and reflecting on what is important to you gives you clarity and deeper understanding of what it is you want to manifest.” - Mary Tess
    • “Whatever we want to imagine for ourselves and envision, there are multiple ways that we can go about it.” - Mary Tess
    • “The moment you loosen your grip on limits, new possibilities start to appear.” - Mary Tess
    • “The more fun we have in creating this vision for our future selves, the more tangible it feels, the more fun-loving it feels. When we are in that feeling state as if it's already true, then the universe is like, yes, I want to get that for you.” - Mary Tess

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