Photo by Pixabay By Sharon Krueger “Life is not merely being alive but being well” Marcus Valerius Martialis It was a perfect storm - years of long commutes, juggling work and school and entering the second half of life.  These waves came at me from every side and took their toll on my body and well-being. I wanted to feel energized, strong, and healthy again from the inside out. It was time to turn this ship around and refocus on my health. Questions flooded my mind.  Where do I start? What behavior or diet changes would make the most impact?  What can I realistically expect ..read more

Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels By Sharon Krueger I recently watched the movie Just Mercy. It’s a true story of Bryan Stevenson, an attorney who dedicates his life to help the incarcerated poor in Alabama. In one emotional scene, Bryan is present for an inmate he represents in a way that would be excruciating to experience. When I watched the scene unfold, I thought to myself, “I don’t know if I could do that.” I was moved by his courage and saddened by my lack of it. I thought of my dear friend, Tammi. Her level of being there for others despite it being difficult is right up there with Bry ..read more

Photo by Bekka Mongeau from Pexels By Sharon Krueger Aaahh, sleep! It calls to me at the end of the day. I nestle into my cozy bed, hoping to get a good night's rest. Instead, everything unfinished in my life starts bouncing around in my mind like a bunch of unruly children. They won't be quiet long enough for my brain to shut down.  Other nights, I quickly fall into a deep sleep. Then I wake up around 2:30 am with a mind full of churning thoughts. Somehow my brain didn't get the memo. It's way too early to function on all cylinders! My quality of life began to suffer. I felt like I was ..read more

Photo by Pixabay By Sharon Krueger Self-imposed limitations. Sometimes they keep you safe.  Other times, they limit the best parts of you from being seen, heard, and loved. Writing has taught me a lot about the limits I set for myself and what I’ve overcome.  Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash One day, I was thinking of ways to integrate other aspects of myself into my writing. Yet, as soon as those lovely ideas came to mind, I set limits based on who I might disappoint or who might lose interest.  I felt myself shrinking in those thoughts. Then the irony struck me, “If I do ..read more

By Sharon Krueger “The only real battle in life is between hanging on and letting go.” — Shannon L. Alder Recently, I accepted a new job!  It happened quickly, but it’s really the culmination of a transition that was two years in the making.   After I graduated with my master’s degree, I was ecstatic!  Four years of hard work finally paid off, and I celebrated!  Yet, after the flurry of activity died down, I felt deflated, like an actor who just finished their part in a theater production, and the after-party is a distant memory.  I asked myself,  ..read more

Photo by Bekka Mongeau from Pexels By Sharon Krueger Last year was a difficult one. In the spring, my husband lost his dad. In the fall, I lost my mom. They were both our last living parent.  For the first time in our lives, we became orphans. I wondered if I was too old to feel like one. But for a moment in time, I felt abandoned and a bit vulnerable. Waves of sadness still come and go as I adjust to the new normal without parents. I didn’t want to carry so much emotional weight into the new year. So, I decided I wanted to find ways to have more joy. So, I began to shift my focus.  ..read more

Photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash By Sharon Krueger The holidays are magical. We gather with our loved ones, indulge in delicious food and exchange gifts around the tree. Yet, when we’ve lost someone we love, the holidays can be one of the most challenging times of the year.  A time shadowed with grief. I wasn’t with my mom when she recently passed away. My heart ached to be with her and to touch her one last time. A few days after… I dreamt I was in the kitchen of my childhood home. My sister and I were talking when my mom suddenly appeared between us. My eyes lit up with excitement, and m ..read more

Photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash By Sharon Krueger Have you ever dreamed of having a more significant impact in others’ lives? You want to be seen and heard. Yet, your fear of speaking up and getting yourself out there overwhelms you. Instead of victory, you experience a sense of helplessness. You walk away feeling like you lost part of yourself in the process. We’ve all experienced feelings of powerlessness. Often, we’re unaware we even do this to ourselves. Here are some ways we diminish our power. Using minimizing terms such as “just, kind of, sort of” Frequent apologizing Being reacti ..read more

Photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash By Sharon Krueger Change. It’s required to get us from where we are to where we want to go. Yet, it can be down-right scary and difficult to enter the great unknown. How do we move forward even though we are gripped with fear and uncertainty? I’ve lived with fear for as long as I can remember. It’s created a well-worn path in the hallways of my mind. When I started my blog, I experienced fear at every turn. Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels Fear of not having anything important to say. Fear of failure. Fear of losing credibility. Fear of embarrassment ..read more

Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash By Sharon Krueger I thrive on productivity. So, it seemed fitting to write a blog about overcoming procrastination to help others. That is, until I experienced procrastination while writing a blog about procrastination! I couldn’t figure out what was going on. When I sat down to write; the words seemed lifeless on the page.  After a while, I couldn’t get myself to return to it. Each time, it was like I was running into a wall. So, I shelved the project until I could sort things out. Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash I realized that instead of writ ..read more