I started this blog to help people see through the veil of their own fears, doubts, and insecurities, to the truth of who they really are. I want people to recognize their true potential, to see that you don’t have to live from fear, you can change the subconscious behavior patterns that sabatoge your life and live consciously, you can be happy and at peace.

Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is being afraid but taking action anyway.

The main topics I cover are inner peace, relationships, self-confidence, mental health, and changing limiting beliefs and behavior patterns. If you want to be the best version of yourself you can be, live life to the fullest, and make a difference in other people’s lives, you’ll find tips, insights, inspiration and tools here.

My hope is that by sharing the experiences of my own growth I can provide valuable insights and ideas you can take away and use in your own life. I want to inspire you to keep searching for the truths and answers you need to reach your dreams and overcome your challenges. Search for answers from as many different sources as you can. My blog is only one piece of the puzzle – not the whole picture. I don’t claim to know everything. I also want you to be discerning. Think for yourself and don’t blindly follow anyone’s advice (including mine) without examination.

I’ll never stop learning and growing (how would I keep adding to my blog!?), but I have overcome many hurdles that held me back because I kept asking questions and looking for answers. You’ll find your way too if you do the same.

I was that super shy and self-conscious kid many of you can relate to. I often couldn’t bring myself to speak up in front of others, even when I really needed to. I functioned from fear and insecurity a lot in my first relationship, and acted out unconscious behaviors that caused all sorts of problems. I felt stuck and frustrated because I didn’t understand myself and didn’t have a clue how to fix things. I also developed a bunch of other fears and beliefs which I felt limited by, particularly about my health and resiliency.

At age 18 my parents divorced and I began reading every book on relationships I could get my hands on because I didn’t want my relationship to go down the same path. They all seemed to be telling me the same thing:

You can’t fix your relationship without working on your own shit.

At that point I branched out to studying the whole personal development field. I studied it from the psychology perspective, and from the spirituality perspective. I learned a lot about myself and saw some positive changes. Naturally, I wanted to help others with the information I’d learned, so I became a certified life coach through The Life Purpose Institute and a Reiki practitioner (energy healer) through The John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing. I still felt like I had SO much more to learn, however. I still felt stuck and confused over certain things. I badly wanted a mentor to guide me.

I realized how much I loved to write in my first prerequisite college English class. My original plan was to pursue a psychology major, and when I found out I could help others years sooner at a fraction of the cost by becoming a life coach instead I jumped on the opportunity.

I attempted to start a blog in my early 20s but felt lost in the tech world and abandoned it. Around that time I met my future husband.  As it turned out he was the mentor I’d been longing for! He ran a martial arts school where personal development and mental training is emphasized just as much the physical skills. Naturally,  I joined. We shared many of the same life views and he further opened my eyes to some truths I was still blind to. He helped me uncover the cause of my relationship-sabotaging behaviors and change them for good. We talked all the time about personal development, spirituality, relationships, and communication. We started writing a book about all the principles we live by and tools we use in our relationship, naturally. (The book hasn’t been published yet. If you want to hear when it is, join my mailing list.)

After loads and loads of research, I gave starting my own website another go when I was in my late 20s. It was originally supposed to be for a freelance writing business (I called it TheSuccessSleuth.com), but I turned back to my blog idea because of how much wanted to share my insights and ideas, not just write about what other people and companies wanted from me. I had also grown a following by sharing my writing on my Facebook page (thanks guys!). This is the second version of my blog, which I launched this year (2019) on a new platform and domain.

(By the way, the shy kid who was terrified of speaking in front of others at this point in time has taught gymnastics, Spikeball, assisted teaching martial arts, life coached, is always one to ask questions in class, and gave an unplanned speech at her sister’s wedding :D)

I believe the only thing that stands in the way of us reaching our dreams is ourselves. It is our own fear of failure and self-doubt that sabotages us from taking action.

I believe that adversity can make us better, stronger, smarter, and more successful if we can learn from it instead of letting it defeat us. Our perception determines if we succeed or fail. Our perception determines our quality of life and our happiness.

I believe in old-school values like honesty and integrity. I didn’t used to understand their importance but now I live by them.

I believe in being kind to others, but not at the expense of being true to yourself.

I believe that the entire universe is made up of energy, including us. I believe we can affect other people and anything else in the universe (consciously or unconsciously) with our energy.

I believe this energy that runs the universe so to speak is the same energy some refer to as God, Source, the Divine, or Spirit. I believe that our true nature is that energy, and we have SO much untapped potential. I believe that energy is the vibrational frequency of love.  (If you’re familiar with A Course in Miracles or Marianne Williamson you’ll have heard of this before.)

I believe we lose touch with that connection the more our minds form beliefs built on fear and insecurity, about ourselves and the world. The way we return to that connection and our true nature, is by freeing ourselves from prisons of our minds and finding the truth.