Ever catch yourself saying something and instantly thinking, “Well… that came out wrong”? Yeah, me too. Sometimes my words skip the quality-control checkpoint before leaving my mouth.
Lately I’ve been realizing just how much power our words actually have. They can calm a storm or stir one up. They can build someone up—or quietly chip away at them. And listen up, because this part is important: it’s not just about what we say to other people. It’s about what we say to ourselves, too.
You ever notice how someone’s good mood just seems to lift the room? Or how, when a loved one is stressed, you somehow feel it too — even from a distance? As a mom (and Nana), I've felt it more times than I can count.
Well, there’s science to back that up. And it’s absolutely fascinating...
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Growth has a funny way of sneaking up on you — sometimes it’s the kind you go looking for, and sometimes it’s the kind that finds you anyway.
This past year and a half have been full of both for me. And no matter how it shows up, forward growth is the easiest kind to recognize. It’s the promotion, the new skill, the milestone you finally hit, the visible personal development wins... and sometimes just getting through to face the next day. Those moments are worth celebrating — they’re the melody everyone can hear.
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For most of my life, I've filtered almost everything I said and did through one silent question: “But what will people think?”
Sound familiar?
And if I’m being honest, I'm sure that most of the time people weren’t thinking about me at all. They were too wrapped up in their own lives. Still, that question has been like a leash keeping me from speaking up about things that matter to me—my faith, my wellness choices, even little everyday opinions that I worry might rock the boat.
But here’s what I’m learning: everyday boldness doesn’t have to mean standing on a soapbox or shouting over people. It’s not about volume. It’s about alignment. It’s the daily choice to let my inside convictions match my outside actions.
I’ve mostly thought of growth as something you intentionally choose—setting goals, learning new skills, making positive changes. But this past year has taught me there’s another kind of growth…the kind you never ask for. The kind that shows up uninvited and says, “Ready or not, here I come.”
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