The greatest gift you'll ever give yourself is the gift of self acceptance.
If you haven't already, please read the original post, before reading this update on how the blog post was received and reacted to. And if you're a survivor of spiritual abuse, please speak up and reach out. You're not alone. My life has changed since August 5th, when I posted a raw and revealing story… Continue reading Update: #churchtoo and the aftermath of publicly sharing my story of spiritual abuse
Beloved reader, I really didn't think I would post this piece publicly Doubt is a terrifying thing, and dismantling your faith (and/or worldview) can feel like you're losing your mind. I wasn't sure I wanted to do that "publicly". But in working through some of these struggles with friends and loved ones, I've become braver in sharing about doubt,… Continue reading Losing my faith
Victims of trauma often say the justice they seek isn't from the perpetrator, but rather from the bystander. Why didn’t anyone do anything? The bystander see the injustice, but does nothing to intercede. When the victim finally comes forward, or seeks justice, it is from this third party of bystander that it’s sought. The justice is in being believed, in being able to tell your own story, as you know it, and having the bystander recognize who is the perpetrator and who is the victim in the story. This is a justice I was never afforded. For almost 10 years, I told no one my story, and I believed the narrative that I was told to believe. Until now.
I recently spoke with the beautiful and brilliant Maddy Moon on her podcast, Mind Body Musings, and wanted to share that episode with you here. Maddy's podcast has been a part of my life for almost 3 years, and her insight has shaped me in many ways. Her podcast has a lot of variety in… Continue reading An honest conversation about mothering, with Maddy Moon
This is a guest post, written by Lauren Ridgely, who bravely shares her family's story of losing their 8 day old son in the Health Sciences NICU. Lauren is a nurse, a mother of a fiery 3 year old daughter, and the wife of Justin. She's a fan-fiction writer, a deeply loyal friend, and a… Continue reading The Dawn Will Come – a story of infant loss
Hello Spring! And goodbye to the longest and hardest winter I've ever lived. NOT AN EXAGGERATION. Now that it's (*fingers crossed*) in the rearview mirror, I can reflect and realize this winter was Difficult, and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way. Here in the prairie province I live, in Canada, it… Continue reading Things I’m Loving Right Now
Anxiety is a thief. It robs your moments, your peace of mind, it robs you of a part of yourself. For me, the biggest thing anxiety robbed me of was an ability to "drop in" to whatever it is I'm doing. When my anxiety wasn't managed, I was unable to simply be in "the moment"; instead,… Continue reading Mothering without anxiety
"Evergreen" I head outside for a walk while the sun sinks lower and the temperature with it. Within a few seconds the cold is scratching at my legs. My jacket reaches my knees but below that my calves start to burn as I pick up my pace. I feel a sense of urgency, like I’m… Continue reading Evergreen
I've often rolled my eyes at people who go on social media to tell people that are currently on social media that they're going off social media. Like WE GET IT BECKY, you're too good for Instagram. The irony annoyed me. Since leaving Instagram though, I've wondered if my judgement towards people who ditch social media was my… Continue reading Why I Quit Social Media
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.... Sorry, I had to. Such a good song! Is it stuck in your head now?? Doorbells and sleigh bells and something with mittens.... Anyway, these are a few of my favorite things! Movies and shows: Parks and Recreation: I loved everything about this show, except the Finale. It… Continue reading My favorite things in 2018
I like my body. I feel confident and happy in my body 90% of the time. I feel good being naked and I like putting together outfits and going out. I like trying on new clothes, and I feel good laying on the couch in sweats. I like moving my body. I feel good at Zumba… Continue reading I let myself go
When my husband and I were engaged, the pastor who married us did 2 very smart things. First, he asked us, "What is the most important thing in a happy, healthy relationship?" And secondly, he had us take an online assessment of sorts that would show us any problem areas in our relationship. We answered… Continue reading “This is why people get divorced”
What is your first reaction when you're having a bad day? What is your internal dialogue like when you screw something up badly and you can't blame anyone else? What words pop into your mind or out of your mouth when you come back to the same old struggles again and again, when you thought… Continue reading Self Compassion: The cure for Perfectionism
What is the shadow? And why does it matter? Have you ever really disliked someone but didn’t know why? Have you ever had a reoccurring dream, that when you woke, put you into a tailspin of anxiety the rest of the day? Have you ever had a fear that is so instinctual that you can’t… Continue reading Healing the Shadow: Part 1
We all know the disappointment of making plans, having our hopes up, and then things go totally and utterly wrong. It can be something small, like a birthday hoopla or a dinner party you've looked forward to hosting, to something bigger like your own wedding or a child's graduation. No matter what it is, when… Continue reading When Things Go Wrong: Taming Your Inner Critic
2 years ago I sat cross from my therapist and she said something I knew to be true. "You're very intuitive Brittany. You know yourself. But you need to learn to trust yourself." She was right. We know how to keep our opinions to ourselves. We know how to second guess ourselves. We know how to… Continue reading What Keeps Women From Listening To Their Intuition
I define body acceptance as: treating my body with respect, dignity, and love no matter what it looks like or it's current size. There may be things I want to work on, or struggle with, but my body always deserves to be treated with dignity - because it's my only vessel in this life. It deserves to be… Continue reading Why Body Acceptance Is A Major Part Of Self-Acceptance
My husband and I recently announced our second pregnancy! We were so blessed to tell our families and friends on our daughters first birthday, sharing the joy of the milestone and the joy of our pregnancy all together. But, for anyone who has been through the season of 'trying', you know that the days, weeks, and… Continue reading The Journey to Conceive
This is the most I have ever weighed, besides while pregnant, and this is the happiest I have ever been. When Tyler and I got married, I was 170lbs. I know this because we both decided to weigh ourselves the day before our wedding (dumb) and both realized we were overweight. Ha. I was roughly… Continue reading This is the HEAVIEST and the HAPPIEST I have ever been
I've only started thinking about authentic living recently; I've always tried to 'be myself' and I am naturally an honest person (is anyone actively trying to NOT be themselves and being dishonest??) but I think in my younger years that wasn't as authentic as I thought it was...
so·bri·e·ty /səˈbrīədē/ noun the state of being sober. Similar: soberness clear-headedness abstinence nonindulgence abstemiousness temperance Today I am 9 months sober. Before I left social media, I had noticed that sobriety was trending online. I was following a few sobriety accounts, and learning more about how things like "mommy wine culture" are subtle (not) ways… Continue reading What I’ve learnt From 9 Months of Sobriety
