A letter to all of us who are exhausted, outraged, and still here.

I'm writing to you about something I feel in my body and in my soul.

The exhaustion.

Not tiredness. Exhaustion. The kind that settles into your bones. The kind that is still there after a full night of sleep. The kind that makes ordinary things feel heavier than they should.

I feel it. And I know you feel it too.

We are carrying something enormous right now. And most of us are carrying it without anyone acknowledging the weight of it.

So I want to start there. Before the call to action. Before anything else.

You are allowed to feel all of this.

The outrage. The exhaustion. The powerlessness. The confusion about why they keep getting away with it. The fear of giving up. The shame of what our country has become. The worry for our grandchildren.

All of it. At the same time. Without having to choose between grief and action, between anger and tenderness, between fighting and resting.

You are allowed to hold a...

I’ve made 76 trips around the sun.

That number stops me cold every time I say it out loud.

76 is how old my grandparents were when I spent weekends and summers on their farm. I remember them as the elders…not old, just people who had clearly been through things. I never stopped to wonder what those things were. Two world wars, the great depression, and farming the land with no guarantees were probably a few things. 

My grandmother took my mother to school in a horse-and-buggy.  And I remember her holding one of those candlestick phones, telling the operator to connect her to the person she was calling. It was the kind of life that was simple and hard at the same time.

And now here I am. That elder. The one who has been through things.

Do I feel wise?

Honestly… a bit. And also, some days, not at all. But I’ve lived a full, rich life that has asked everything of me. And I'm still here. That counts for something.

So on the occasion of my 76th birthday, here is what I actually know:...

 Women are angry, and most of us were never taught what to do with that kind of anger and power.

We are saying it out loud now. We are pissed off. We are done swallowing it. And yet many of us are also unsure where to put it, how to use it, how to rise without burning ourselves out.

We're Angry and We're Done Hiding It

I'm less angry today.  I have been so, so mad this week. 

But I am tired.

Tired of the onslaught.
Tired of waking up to another outrage.
Tired of feeling like every day requires vigilance.

I'm sick of all of it.

And yet I love hearing women say, “I’m pissed off.”

I love it when a woman finally says, “I’m angry.”

Not apologizing.
Not softening it.
Not stuffing it down to keep the peace.

The Good Girl Story Is Breaking

For decades, we women have kept things even keel. We have swallowed what we really thought. We have carried the emotional weight for everyone around us. We have been the good girls.

But now something is breaking open.

Maybe what all of this corrupti...

Years ago, while trekking through rice fields in Vietnam, a woman joined us. We didn’t share a language, but her hands told me everything I needed to know. Hands lined with years of experience. Hands that carried wisdom in every gesture. I didn’t know it then, but I was photographing the very truth I would discover about myself years later.

Has anyone asked you what made you happy today?

Or what you’ve learned in your life so far?
Or what you want your legacy will be?
Most people never get asked those questions.
So I’ll go ahead and ask them for you.

These questions have been swirling around in my heart lately, especially as I notice time moving faster and the truth settling in that I want to make the rest of my life matter in a very intentional way.
And then something happened this week that brought all of this into clear, beautiful focus.

A Zoom Call That Opened My Eyes

Our friend and colleague, Kelly, invited Thom and me to speak on Zoom to a group of USC students who are training t...

What do you want to be known for? And what are you here for?

These questions.

Why do they stop me in my tracks? 

Because I don’t always know the answer, and it assumes that we're here for a reason. 

These are weighty questions. They imply that we're here for a reason, and each of us has a purpose.

Some scoff at this, dismissing the idea that your purpose is nonsense. Existentialists might argue that life is inherently meaningless.

But for me, it’s important to give meaning to life.  

Sometimes, it's as simple as asking what I want from life. What makes me uniquely me? What talents and skills do I bring to the table?

Are you searching for meaning in your life?

If so, you're not alone. In a world that's crazy and troubled, it's a good question to ask yourself. Knowing your purpose and why you're here can guide and keep you grounded. It's also true that finding your true purpose can seem like an impossible task. But it's worth coming back to so that you can show up the way you ...

"Do the thing you think you cannot do: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."   Eleanor Roosevelt

Traveling alone as a woman can be an exhilarating and transformative experience. 

It offers a unique opportunity to discover the world on your terms, pushing your boundaries and gaining a profound sense of self-reliance. 

In this blog post, we'll explore my journey traveling alone, highlighting the empowering aspects and offering tips for a safe and enjoyable solo adventure.

Empowerment through Independence

I had traveled alone in Europe, but it had been many years. I was nervous, scared, and aware that I’d make all the decisions by myself…a thing that always makes me nervous.

My solo adventure was for only two days. I left the friends I’d been traveling with for two weeks in Greece and flew to Rome.  I‘d booked a room near the Vatican. The host had arranged for me to be picked up at the airport, so I felt...

Do you feel your life could be headed in a better direction? Are you wondering what steps you can take to make something happen and take control of your future? 

The power of manifestation can work wonders for anyone wanting to create lasting, meaningful change in their lives.  As empowering as manifesting is, it can be difficult to understand if no one has previously guided you on how the process works. 

If you’ve spent days, months, or even years trying to manifest your dreams and find yourself missing the mark, then it's time to turn things around with the power of manifestation. 

Manifestation allows us to access our innermost creativity and wisdom so that we can bring about amazing changes in our lives. 

Whether it's manifesting more money, having the relationship of your dreams, traveling around the world, or having more energy to keep up with your grandkids, when you learn how to correctly harness the energy of manifestation, anything is possible. 

Manifestation can help us...

When it comes to taking the next step in your life...whether that’s starting a new career, taking the trip of a lifetime, having a hard conversation with someone you love, or something else entirely...many of us suffer from procrastination.

We tell ourselves we'll do it “one day,” when the timing is just right. But what if now is the perfect time for you to make your dream a reality?

What if this moment holds infinite possibilities and you can't afford to wait any longer? Don’t listen to the self-doubt that holds you back. Trust yourself. 

Living your best life means taking risks and it means not waiting for the right time.

Not waiting to go for your dreams and live on your own terms involves pushing past fear and doubt.

It's scary to think that we can actually get what we want, which is why it’s so common for us to allow our inner critic or saboteurs to convince us to wait for the right time to do what we want.  

There are so many reasons why you shouldn’t wait

Missed Opportu...

The new year is a time of new beginnings when the slate is clean and we get to start over. It's the time when people are making goals, going on fitness programs, and deciding to start the year in a blaze of activity. 

Yes and...

It may not be that way for all of us. 

Some of us are in slow mode.

If you're like me, you don't want to do anything except take a nap, lie down, be quiet, and read a book. Raise your hand if you feel like this. 

It’s stormy and rainy in northern California right now and all I want to do is go slow and not think about what I "need" to do. 

Normally I have loads of energy and I'm ready to start the new year full-on with goals for what I want to achieve and do. I've usually figured out my word for the year to remind me to stay on track.

This year, not so much. I'm not motivated. At all. 

I decided to ask my future self (something I do every morning) about why I feel so slow and she said, "well, think about it, Jo."

The holidays just finished, you had a...

Why do we forget that self-care is the most important thing we can do for ourselves, for our sanity, our well-being, and our health? 

If it’s so important, then why aren’t we all doing everything in our power to relax, chill out, and set aside time no matter what happens? 

Years ago when I was in the midst of parenting my teenage sons, I remember my coach asking me, what do you do for self-care? 

It took me a few seconds to blurt out, "uh, what do you mean exactly"? 

She patiently replied, "you know, how do you take care of yourself? What do you do just for yourself?" 

I was totally blank.

I could not identify one thing. Because I was so busy running a household, working in a mental health clinic as well as starting my own private practice, and trying my best to be a good mom and wife.

It was a lot. 

And in the process...I forgot about me. 

Starting my self-care journey

So I began my journey of focusing on myself after that time. The me I didn't even know anymore.

I started ...