Looking for true, relatable wisdom about curating self-care, mindfulness, confidence, and authenticity? Then listen to these interviews with Heidi Esther, Certified Joy and Life Coach!
Hello, beautiful soul! I hope you are well and carving out some time to get curious about how to take care of your brilliant heart these days. A lot is going on. Maybe it’s because it’s winter and the lack of green things makes me more apt to just work all the time. 🤔 Or sleep. No matter the season, don’t forget you have a big heart and light to nurture and grow.
I hope you liked the poem this week! I was thinking of you and all you do. And then I was thinking about all the different versions of ourselves that we grow into and out of in our lives because of that doing and being.
I used to joke to Stacey that, after a difficult period, like depression or when I realized I didn’t take things personally anymore, I would level up a half number. OR when Elvis let me pet him for the first time, I leveled up a whole number! I think I lost count at Heidi 15.0. 😉
And you know what helped me level up faster? Well, yes, stickers and spaghetti (my #1 comfort food!) definitely helped. But CURIOSITY. When I wasn’t beating myself up about my life, curiosity was a game-changer. That’s why I think it’s a part of building a resilient mindset. Want to know more? Watch the below!
OKAY, back to spaghetti and stickers! Everyone on the book launch ☀️ Team Sunshine ☀️gets cool stickers and an invite to a Virtual launch party and a Spaghetti Potluck. Go to heidiesther.com/sunshine to sign up and learn more today. OR watch the below!
Anyway, wishing you abundant space and to nurture and grow and feed and get curious about the beautiful soul who is you.
Hello my joyful, beautiful friend! How are you? And how are you taking care of yourself this season? I’m so CURIOUS to know…
Because, my beautiful friend, there are so many fruitful things that come out of a habit of curiosity. Being open to new ideas. Putting on your courageous panties and walking forward. Or taking care of your needs in new ways. Allowing all the parts of you to be. (Even those you are, like, “why me, God?”)
So, my dear, my wish for you. May you embrace curiosity as a way to shine the light on all parts of your beautiful, evolving, messy, limitless, sometimes-troubled, sometimes-doubting, soul. And may you allow all your gifts to have a home in your heart. No. Matter. What.
And if you would like to hear more about curiosity…
You were born as a bud on Her tree. The Mother Tree that spans infinitely in all directions. Every light and soul is with you.
You are always connected and loved by the infinite.
Her roots fed by the fire of creation, her trunk swaddled by the steadfast earth, her branches kissed by the stars.
You flourish and are fed as part of the infinite.
She ebbs and flows. She inhales and exhales as the ocean tides. She drinks and creates and blossoms and rests as a firey creator who honors her limits. She does not chide the seasons for their power over her. She is the seasons.
You rise and fall, create and rest, as part of the infinite.
And as you grow, you bud, blossom, leaf and grow fruit. Your soul manifests, through continual death and creation, into this fruit. It is painful; you rail against this connection. This Mother. What was so wrong with being a bud? Or a blossom? Or a leaf? You rage at the Mother.
Yet you ripen and fall as part of the infinite.
The most painful moment. Most of you dies. You recede into the ground. Yet, you are still awake. Inside of you is life. So you wait. And you wait. And everything is cold. You are too naked, too tired, to rage.
And then it happens.
The Mother’s roots swaddle you once more. Her roots reach out as loving arms and feed you as when you were a bud. Every light and soul is with you. Your roots grow as hands to hold hers. You break the ground and feel the warmth kissing your forehead from the heavens. Yet it is painful.
Every branch and every root you grow is pain.
You grow as a volcano whose lava scorches and regrows the skin of the mountain. Your roots continue to reach infinite others, the Mother, and the fire of creation. Your branches are held by the heavens as a doting grandmother cupping your chin in her soft wrinkled hand.
It is only then you feel a deep shift.
Your blossoms and leaves bear fruit. The light of other souls comes into your light, under your vast canopy. To be fed by you and the infinite and blossom. You cradle them with your nourishment. You share the ebb and flow. The death and rebirth. The inhale and exhale. The seasons. Until they, too, fall.
Your creation is connected to theirs and to all. At last you understand.
Your gift from the Mother is love. Your gift to the world is love. You are always connected and loved.
So, if you can’t be with the one you love, do you really have to love the one you’re with? No, but it makes life a whole lot more awesome! A message of love for you for the holiday season! Or, really, any time of year 🙂
How the hell are you, my friend? Are you ramping up for the holidays or finding some sweet time next to a lit tree or in a cozy nook? Or a little of both? Would love to know how you are taking care of yourself this season.
Over the past ten years, I’ve gone on a major Christmas-season transformation. From one fraught with parties, perfection, migraines, and lists longer than Santa’s. To one with fewer presents, commitments, and stillness to enjoy the darkness rising. Where are you on that holiday scale? More importantly, how do you feel about where you are at?
My family jokes every year that I used to hate Christmas. Which isn’t true.
The Truth>> I used to dread the holidays. All the doing. I am sure it was all the internal beatings I would give myself if things didn’t work out or get done in time. Yep, I was my own Nightmare before Christmas.
And, even with my resilience and mindfulness tools in my belt, I felt the pressure this holiday season. Pressure to move my business ahead. Faster.
The Messy Middle >> One day, I woke up and couldn’t work. Instead, I released some big, sad, been-workin-too-much-not-seeing-my-progress emotions. (Yes, I cried.) After beating myself up for a day, I woke up and said enough is enough.
The Answer >> Next, I opened up to Heather Kokx’s insightful words and gave myself mercy. I sat in long stillness, looking for guidance. And it came. The answer: Love myself. (Is love always the answer? 🧐)
And no matter if you hate or love all the festivities, may you dig deep to find your balance, your stillness, and your appreciation for the miracle of you.
Hello, my beautiful friend! How is your heart these days? And how are you taking care of your gentle, bright spirit?
I have a random question for you…would you say you’re a soul-searcher? Like, someone who’s not afraid to look inside, connect with, and dig up (the good and the bad) to find more in your life? More You? More Joy? I came across that word, and then I wrote this about what I’m trying to do here:
I encourage fellow soul-searchers to greater Joy and Authenticity with relatable true stories, playful printables & mindfulness tools.
Anyway, that one sentence is the culmination of a book I read, called Building a Story Brand. It’s draft #1. Would love to know how you feel about that sentence. It could be why you and I click, or why you feel I’m coming from outer-space sometimes! Or Both!
Speaking of outer space… My new show that aired last Wednesday, Live with Heidi and Heather, is somewhere out there. 😂 🪐I don’t know where it went, but it didn’t go where it was planned. So, it’s now in the NEW!Live Heidi and Heather Facebook Group. Or you can listen to it on my pod!
So, all social media aside, I’m learning lots of lessons these days. I’ve got an interrupting-chicken sleep schedule with some late nights, some early mornings. I’ve been a little “spicy and stressed. Somedays I drink Diet Coke, cry, or nap. Or all three! Yesterday, I journaled. And uncovered my feelings.
I wrote down what I could control (how I take care of myself / my attitude) and what I couldn’t (my son’s soccer, my wife’s work.) I admitted something I would NEVER have before. Back when I was perfectionistic-codependent stay at home mom.I’m having a hard time. And I need help.
It felt like I unlocked a door from a dark room and bathed in a warm flood of sunshine. ☀️So, my dear friend, may you know that you are strong and brave. And loved and supported. May you take time to be honest with yourself. So you know what you need. And ask for it. Like a car-pooling buddy, a friend to lean on, or some takeout. 🌮🥡🍕
Why ask for help? Because Your Joy Matters. Because you deserve the sunshine. Because you are strong and you need help.
Which brings me to Live with Heidi and Heather Episode 001…
The SoulJourner QUESTion
So, being honest with oneself is hard. Harder than you might think. Here’s what I did to uncover my honest truth.
Gaining Clarity Hurdles Exercise
You have to overcome some hurdles to get to your truth. When you find yourself saying “I just wish..” or “I should…” or “Why me?” take out your journal or talk these things out with a trusted friend.
Share how you feel. Get it out, soul-searcher! When you’ve felt the peak and ebb of your feelings, ask yourself the following.
What am I in control of?
What am I not in control of?
What am I expecting to happen?
Is what I’m expecting to happen/what happened in my direct control?
If YES: (your thoughts/actions/attitude/putting your phone down) take those steps. Write down a revised positive mantra that you can use to replace the unhelpful “i wish” or “I should” statement.
If NO, ask yourself: What do I need to let go of? What can I ask for help with?
The checker question: After the above steps, write down how you can best take care of yourself, your health, and your happiness, regardless of the outcome. Make sure – whatever you do – is aligned with taking care of yourself and your values.
SuperStep5 (Getting Stronger) EveryDay Superhero Method EXTRA CREDIT: Do the above exercise, then ask yourself what kinds of lessons the universe might be showing you right now. Then, practice feeling gratitude for those lessons!
Garage Sailing is a dangerous sport for Heidi Esther. Will her recovering soul now figure out how to enjoy it with her practical adversary, her wife? For the first part of the story, click here!
Stacey comes over and looks down to a colorful set of six plastic paper plate holders in my hand. She pauses, and begins.
“Sweetheart, we used to have these exact ones and we never used them. And we don’t have any paper plates. You remember – the last time we had paper plates was our wedding six years ago? And paper plate holders aren’t on the list,” she says, pointing to the piece of paper in my hand. A third cash register receipt.
Sailing is a dangerous sport for Heidi Esther. Though she’s recovering from her sorted past, can she now enjoy it? Or will her differences with her wife ruin it for good?For Part 2, the conclusion, click here!
A dozen years ago, this summer, I had an addiction. Toward the end of every week, I’d get excited. Ready for my first hit. The adrenaline high coursing through my veins. I dreamt of it. I knew, as long as I was patient, it would come.
By Friday morning at seven, it was go-time. Sometimes Daddy wasn’t even awake. My two toddlers and I were like quiet and efficient mice. I buckled them into their toddler seats, cranked up the sing-a-long CD, and drove to Dunkin’ Donuts.
My ears wake to a familiar seagull-like whine. I try not to move in bed, as if my complete stillness can make it go away. Nonetheless, the whine continues.
My step-dog Elvis and his strict wake-up time is the cause of much grief in my world. Say there was a thunderstorm for three hours overnight that felt like God was shining a faulty fluorescent light. And, say Elvis was awake in our bedroom for all those hours. He will still wake up at the same time.
