News & Events
Did Someone Say CANNONBALL?
The Poolside Paradise Retreat was STRAIGHT MAGIC!Ā
Mother Nature came through with the weather, our WAE Tribe hosts Meg and John shared their blissful backyard oasis and the collective energy from all our attendees was simply amazing!
The goal of this retreat was to give people a chance to really RELAX while also having the opportunity to embrace self care, healing and mindset shifts.Ā
It was totally accomplishedšš
The group conversations, the small chit chats, the personal readings, the laughs and the cannonballs created a beautiful flow of events and energy!Ā
We wanted to thank all of our attendees for showing up for themselves, embracing a summer Saturday of self love and a HUGE thank you to Meg & John for opening their home and their hearts to all of us!Ā
Thank you to Tasty Rays for a wonderfully delicious lunch, as always!! Shout out to Todo Tees for our swag! The water bottles and visors were perfect! Collaborating with local small businesses makes our hearts SO happy!!Ā
Next retreat will be in the fall!! šš
Stay tuned for deets soon!Ā
Much love, Ta xoĀ
Here are a few pics from the day…I loved snapping some candid shots and being the paparazzi for the day! Presently embracing moments with such awesome peeps!
Inspo from the Soccer Field…
Itās been a little over 24 hours since I declared my social media break and I already wanted to hop on there and share a proud mama momentš
At the end of soccer camp today, they held a small awards ceremony for each age group. One of the awards was called The Ernie Branco Award, an award given to a player who brought great energy, was coachable and a leader on and off the field. But this specific award is incredibly special because of who it honors.Ā
Ernie WAS soccer in our small town growing up. He was an incredible coach and leader for myself and his family became our family. He started this camp back in the day and itās amazing to see the new generations come in to play every year. Itās been a gift watching coaches and instructors show up to do what Ernie did bestā¦teach the LOVE of the game.Ā
That really is the best skill to embrace!!Ā
When they announced the winner for the middle school boys, and said my kids name, I felt SO PROUD of himā¦but the best part is that he has a trophy that will go in his room with Ernieās name on it. The pride that brings is immeasurable!
Raising kids in the same town we grew up in is constantly filled with full circle momentsā¦this one means so very much!Ā
I will constantly be inspired by my kidsā¦and YOUR kids. They are the best teachers and guides for us. While I’m here I have one more cute story about the awards ceremonyā¦there was the sweetest little barefoot toddler with pig tails just exploring all around the kids in a big circle. She was smiling, cheesing even bigger when the breeze blew on her face, waving at all the parents. One of our friends little guys was having a hard moment and had his head down, she went right over to him, squatted down next to him and just sat there for a moment.Ā
It was beautiful. And so heartwarming. We are literally born with the ability to LOVE, SUPPORT and SHARE KINDNESS.Ā
I was so engulfed in full life blessings in just 30 minutes in our small town on a summer afternoon on the soccer field.Ā
Cheers to Ernieā¤ļø truly honored for our Bubbs to be part of his legacy! And cheers to that sweet little barefoot babe!!Ā
Much love, Ta xoĀ
Less Consuming. More Connecting.
Less Consuming. More Connecting.
Iāve been trying to figure out why I feel āoffā lately and this is it. My consumption of information, content and basically the lives of everyone else has sort of limited my own ability to EXPAND.Ā
So, I have decided to take a social media break. I donāt have a timeline for how long (I have done that before, for a week at a time) and Iām gonna be real. I AM TERRIFIED.Ā
You might be like, WHYYYY, itās just socials?! Itās because for the last 10 years or so I have used my personal platforms to BUILDā¦myself, my business, my skill set. As a small business owner itās so imperative to have a social media presence, right?! Taking a step away from that seems CRAZY!Ā
{Not to worry, Kate and my mom will still be holding the fort down on the Find Your WAE accounts as I do this self exploration work.}
But honestly, I am normally the one creating the marketing plan, breaking down content and post ideas for the 3 of us, planning our event schedule, etc. Stepping away means taking a detour from those tasks and it feels uncomfortable!Ā
Yet the inner discomfort canāt continue being sacrificed. On our family vaca, I had an afternoon where everyone else wanted to hang at the pool and the ocean was calling me. So I just sat with myself on the beach. In that break, I got a message from the universe to take THIS BREAK. That in order to really grow and learn, I need to do something different.Ā
As I sat and just let the intuition flow, I realized I LOVE socials because it gives me a space to write, share and connect with you. And THAT I want to continue doing!Ā
SO I AM. RIGHT HERE! ON OUR BLOGšš»š
I have written on here from time to time over the years and I want to use THIS SPACE as my feed. I get to share the goodness that comes from a place so much bigger than ME!!Ā
But I still havenāt shared what scares me the most with all of this. YES I will still have this place to share and fulfill what I believe is a part of my purpose, BUT I will be missing out on what you have happening in YOUR LIFE. Thatās the biggest reason for holding onto socials so tight.Ā
So here I am, trusting the gut, letting go of the chokehold and just taking a break because maybe I wonāt see your posts or life updates, but I would LOVE if you still share them with me!!Ā
You can send me emails (we also have an email list you can hop on for updates, upcoming events, etc) or text meā¦I am keeping FB messenger as a means of chatting with peeps if we donāt have each others digits.Ā
I am sharing this to sayāš¼for now on socials, and also encourage you to take action. You donāt know until you KNOW, and you learn when you DO. Even if that means doing less!! I hope you follow along the journey HERE on the ā¢TA TALKS⢠blog and Iāll see ya when I see yašĀ
Much Love,Ā Ta xoĀ
Sweet Dreams. Well, Sorta…
I had a dream last night that one of my reiki sessions was a disasterš
I was late. The bed wasnāt even made before the client got there. All the kids were there like running around and being loud, yet I still started reiki. Then my mom came bombing into the room to vacuum under the reiki bed and all around, giving me the ājust 1 minuteā signal.Ā
Mind you, because the kids were all there, they were late for school. A school that I couldnāt find for some reason. It was in another town. And we had to walk there.Ā
But this town happened to be on the water. So we went down to the beach. I was still so angry. Chuck found a baby shark and wanted to take it home and put it in a fish tank. Then I woke up.Ā
Can we talk about a full on anxiety dreamšš¤Æ
When we dream about being late or being interrupted it can represent the inability to reach a new levelā¦like a suppressed feeling of expectation that is placed upon ourselves. They both also represent FEAR.Ā
Ummm whoa.Ā
Itās crazy how we can feel like we have worked through things and overcome limiting beliefs, and then BAM, they show up and wake your ass up out of a perfectly sound sleepš¤£šš»
So cue the shark. I knew I had to look up the spiritual meaning to see if there was any insight there to move through the fear and expectations. Ā
āThe shark spirit gives you the ability to come out head up from any situation, no matter how hard it may seem. The spirit animal shark is here to show you that you don’t need to evolve. You are perfect just the way you are.āĀ
Well. There you are, HIGHER SELF. Thanks for showing up through that shit storm. Appreciate itšš»šš»
Thatās how life works, peeps. No itās not always as weirdly laid out as a dream, but it can feel chaotic and wild. Remember that your higher self is ALWAYS AVAILABLE for support and guidance in the clusters.Ā
Focus your energy on the baby shark.Ā
That makes the bad dreams become good ones.āš¼
Much love, Ta xoĀ
When comparisons fall away, compassion comes to play…
The second you think youāre better than someone else is the same second you prove that you arenāt.Ā
My father in law said that recently as we were chatting. My Gramp used to say, āyou arenāt better than anyone and no is one is better than you.ā Pretty lucky to have these dudes filled with wisdom in my life!Ā
This got me thinking, why do we have this constant need to prove our worth against someone elseās?Ā
We werenāt put on this earth to compete with each other on who lives life better. We were all placed in this existence to learn from one another, support one another and enhance our life experiences!Ā
It would be so boring if everyone made the same exact choices. Free will is what makes life invigorating.Ā
Next time you find yourself playing the comparison game, hit the pause button. Take a breath. Ask yourself why you feel better or less than them. Be real with yourself. Because any feelings you ever have toward someone else are more about YOU than they are about THEM.Ā
When you live life through that lens, comparisons fall away and compassion comes to play!Ā
Much love,Ā
Ta xoĀ
Do You Ask for HELP?
I was on a walk recently with my sister. We were chatting about what it really means to ask for help. Itās a skill we are both working onšš«
Both of us realized that when we have accepted help in the past, we sort of forget that we had anything to do with it and put all the appreciation on whoever else was involved.Ā
We tend to think less of ourselves inadvertently because we feel like āwe couldnāt have done it without them.āĀ
So instead of honoring our own part in the journey of helping ourselves, we give everyone else the credit.Ā
Maybe we think it keeps up humble. Or maybe we just need to level up our own self belief.Ā
Asking for help doesnāt make you weak.Ā
Itās not someone doing it FOR you.Ā
They are doing it WITH you!Ā
Itās so easy to allow our pride and ego get in the way of accepting assistance. We wanna be strong and capable and stand on our own 2 feet and yada yada yada.Ā
Thatās all fine and well. But what the heck are we trying to prove?Ā
Why is it a ābad thingā to accept help or guidance or advice from people who are WILLING and ABLE to offer it?Ā
I truly believe that we all have our own true innate strengths so we can share them with the people who may lack in those same areas. We have the chance to come together and learn from each other!Ā
For example, the other day I was talking to my hubbs after work. I looked right at him and said, āI am resigning from being the financial manager of our family. I am giving my 2 weeks notice. I am good at a LOT of things when it comes to taking care of the fam, but Iām not the best fit for this specific position.I appreciate the opportunity. Good day, sir.āĀ
Guys. Itās ok to not be GOOD at EVERYTHING. Recovering perfectionist, here. There comes a time where we can acknowledge the areas we need some extra HELP to get the job done right. Itās not a cop-out or an excuse. Itās honoring your skill set and outsourcing the rest!Ā
I relinquished my duty as CFO because Nick is WAE better at money than me. He can have $100 in his wallet for like 3 months. I manage to spend it before itās even in my handš¤£š¬
I desire to honor money in a healthier way. Nick already does that. So it makes sense for him to forge the path. Get what Iām saying here?!Ā
Often times asking for help is going to make life better for EVERYONE involved! Itās TEAM WORK peeps! And YOU initiating the help makes you just as effective and responsible for the outcome as the person helping you!!Ā
Next time youāre feeling shaky about asking for assistance, remind yourself that you are STRONGER for doing it!Ā
Itās growth.Ā
Itās necessary.
You arenāt here to struggle on your own. You are here to be a part of something bigger. So let yourself beā¤ļø
Much love,Ā
Ta xo
Self-Celebration or Self-Deprecation?
āWhy does it feel more normal to self deprecate than self celebrate?ā
There is nothing I love more that when a little kid gets dressed in an outfit they they think is simply outstanding. They strut out, feeling confident and empowered. They spin around to show everyone what they chose. They look in the mirror and smile! They donāt need approval from anyoneā¦they are truly happy within themselves.Ā
Itās the BEST, right?!Ā
But then maybe we tell them it doesnāt match, or it looks weird or suggest something else. Listen, we donāt want to contain them, we just are doing what we know. What was done to us as kids.Ā
When we know better, we can do better.Ā
By the time my third kid came around, I not only didnāt have the wherewithal to argue her wardrobe choices, I realized her opinion of herself meant so much more than mine. And that was what I wanted to honor!Ā
She would leave the house in the middle of summer wearing cowboy boots, a winter vest, workout shorts and a princess shirt with as many necklaces as Mr. T and as long as she was clothed, we were out the door!Ā
Again, this was partly survival, and mostly Chuck being very sure of herself.Ā
Now flash forward to when that little kid so confident in their outfit choice steps out of a dressing room as an adult to ask how they look?Ā
Do they spin the same way?Ā
Do they smile at themselves in the mirror?Ā
Do they forget that they never needed anyone elseās opinion or approval?Ā
For some reason, the purity we are bestowed with at kids gets so tainted, which is exactly why we shift from self celebration to self deprecation.Ā
We are taught to hold others opinions higher than our own. Like the opinions of our teachers and parents. What they think of us dictates how we function in day to day life. So we stop feeling confident in our own choices and start to look OUTWARD for our validation.Ā
We see more of our limitations as opposed to our strengths.Ā
We may not feel as certain about our choices so stepping out and spinning in celebration for our sheer awesomeness doesnāt feel right.Ā
How whack is that?!Ā
It so does NOT have to be like this!Ā
If we can continue to teach our children and ourselves NOW that our OWN OPINION about ourselves means the most in the whole wide world, maybe then self celebration can be the NORM!Ā
It has to start from WITHIN!Ā
Or how about thisā¦how uncomfortable do you feel when you come across a super confident adult? Someone who walks in and says, āI am so happy! I love my outfit and I look damn good in it!āĀ
We call them cocky.Ā
We judge them for being full of themselves.Ā
Again. How WHACK is that?!Ā
Why oh WHY do we think itās wrong to LOVE yourself and witness someone self celebrating?
It makes us uncomfortable because we donāt know how to do it for ourselves.Ā
So next time you see someone spinning in their own celebration, instead of judging them, cheer them on. That will make you one step closer for yourself.Ā
Self deprecation is a learned behavior. So we can unlearn it. It takes self awareness, practice and a whole lotta patience!Ā
You deserve to be celebrated! It looks SO GOOD ON YOU!Ā
Much love, Ta xoĀ
A Validation Situation…
A validation situation.
I read this quote that really stuck with meā¦āif you talk to more than 2 people about the same problem, youāre not seeking advice, youāre seeking attention.āĀ
And I was like DAMNNNN.Ā
I honestly wish I could remember who wrote it or where I saw it, but the point is, it was so powerful it stayed with me. And of course, got me thinking.Ā
Itās so frequent that we share our problems and woes as a means of venting or letting off steam. But how often are we willing to listen to advice from whoever we are venting to??Ā
We tend to unleash the fury of frustration, but are we seeking a solution or just focusing on the problem??Ā
When it comes down to it, if we really wanted the solution, we probably wouldnāt need to talk to more than one person. Because the answers we always need are already within us, sometimes gushing it all out helps us gain the clarity we need in the moment.Ā
So letās get back to that quote. If we arenāt seeking the solution, we are seeking attention.Ā
Now that can seem kinda harsh, right?! Like wait, we donāt WANT these problems.Ā
Sometimes, we are subconsciously seeking attention because what we really seek is VALIDATION. We want to be heard. We want to be recognized for our feelings. We want to see someone else value our worth. We need that validation that our problems MUST be at the helm of someone else, and not ourselves.Ā
So we share our issues with whoever will listen, still seeking that validation. For the people to listen, to understand āyour sideā, to agree with you in some way, shape or form. So even if the person or situation doesnāt see it, everyone else will and we feel a mere sense of validation.Ā
Hereās the prob with that. Those little peeks of understanding are not going to heal the wound.Ā
The ultimate validation has to come from WITHIN!Ā
Listen, I know itās totally annoying, but itās true!Ā
If we are constantly looking outside of ourselves for our measure of worth, we will forever be disappointed.Ā
Itās gotta be an inside job.Ā
Now you might be wondering how the heck you do that. I hope this helps:Ā
Break down the problem. Whether itās an issue with family, marriage, work, kids or life in general, literally lay out the issue. And do this without seeing sides or who is right or wrong. Just lay it out from any angle possible.Ā
Then take your portion of pain and separate it from anyone else involved, because your pain is yours, and theirs is theirs. And no oneās pain is more valid than someone elseās.Ā
Look at your pain point. Analyze the shit out of it. Literally imagine that you are taking that pain point and wrapping it in a lil blankie and rocking it like a baby.Ā
Nurture your own pain. Like itās your job. Because it is. Literally, itās no one elseās responsibility to handle your pain. Period.
So once you swaddle up that pain, give yourself grace. Itās really easy to notice the pain and then punish yourself for having feelings. Or diminish it, call yourself names or start the whole damn cycle over again.Ā
āGrace. Upon grace. Upon grace.ā Another quote that stuck with me from one of my fav authors Shauna Niequist.Ā
You hold your pain. You nurture it. You forgive yourself if you must. You send that pain love and you can realize why YOU have reacted the way you did. And you see how you can change the energy within yourself without even talking to the other parties involved.Ā
Take a breath and then take a look at the whole problem again. Now, you canāt take the others persons pain and go thru that process for them, thatās a choice they would have to actively make themselves. But maybe, just maybe, you could start to understand that their own baggage and feels and life experience has influenced them in their behaviors.Ā
The problem starts to fade away and opens up the chance to see more of a solution. And you get to show up knowing that you already have all the validation you need.Ā
YOUR OWN.Ā
It lessens the need to fight and paves the path to DISCUSS. To UNDERSTAND. To disagree without this underlying need to be RIGHT, and learn how to just BE!Ā
Imagine how much less stress you will feel once you stop seeking validation from everyone else and start trusting that your own is all you really need! Life changer FO SHO!Ā
We all have those validation situations, and I promise Iāll keep working on mine right alongside of you!Ā
Much love,Ā
Ta xoĀ
Exhaustion is not a badge of honor.
Can we please stop wearing EXHAUSTION as some badge of honor?Ā
Somewhere along the way, we have been conditioned to think that BUSY and TIRED equate to SUCCESS, because if we are wiped out then that must mean we are doing a lot and being productive and blah blah blah.Ā
You wanna know what SUCCESS really looks like?!Ā
Itās cranking the shit out of life when you feel energized and resting and recovering when you donāt.Ā
But life isnāt built to ALLOW us that flexibility. Itās built in these schedules of work, school, business hours, etc. Leaving us at the mercy of a calendar to align our lives to, not the other way around.Ā
Which leaves us in a desperate place of having no other choice than to PUSH ourselves to produce even when we are depleted.
Which, you guessed it, creates stress, anxiety, depression and this cycle of feeling exhausted just thinking about things we have to do.Ā
Listen, we are humans and we have human responsibilities. Jobs. Families. Bills to pay. And we have to show up to those facets of life every day. But someone else made the rules for us that we need to follow, and thatās where we hit that wall.Ā
The resistance.Ā
The overwhelm.
The exhaustion.Ā
And we walk around proclaiming it because, well, isnāt everyone just effin tired, and we all celebrate in the fact that we are knowingly and willingly burning ourselves OUT.Ā
Who. Made. This. Shit. Up.Ā
I know we canāt change the set schedules for most things, but we sure can change our level of functioning to better suit our own needs and well being!Ā
No one else is gonna do that for us.Ā
So letās start by removing the TIRED BADGE and replace it with a big ass trophy we can put next to us when we lay down on the couch to relax or REPLY NO to something we arenāt feeling. We can look at that golden trophy (yes, I imagine it is gold and shiny) and be proud AF that we are honoring ourselves in the moment.Ā
And we can also raise it up overhead when we are conquering life, making moves, embracing change and loving on ourselves!!
I will be the one slow clapping to your efforts of self care!ā¤ļø
Much love,Ā
Ta xoĀ
Why I am breaking up with BALANCE…
Balance. What an overused word these days. I am ready to end my relationship with the word balance. And hereās whyā¦Ā
I feel like we are constantly working towards maintaining this impossible state of balance in our lives, and always left feeling disappointed and defeated when it doesnāt happen.Ā
Or even if it miraculously does happen, itās for like 3 minutes, right?!Ā
Because the house will get messy again. The bills will need to be paid again. The fridge will need to be stocked again. The workout will need to happen again. The mediation will be necessary again. The water will need to be chugged again. The kids will need a ride somewhere again. The project will have a deadline again.Ā
These are ongoing life moments, that we are BLESSED to be able to experienceā¦whether or not we decide to be grateful for it is totally our choice.Ā
But why are we waiting for this pinnacle moment when itās all ātaken careā of? Wonāt that mean life is sorta done?!Ā
And why do we maintain this expectation that we are supposed to have it all taken care of at the -EXACT SAME- time or capacity?Ā
Guys! Perfect balance in our lives is impossible. There will always be something that requires more of our effort or attention at any given time. And there is nothing WRONG with that! Thatās LIFE! So why the F do we get angry or frustrated about it? As we work tirelessly to have it all balanced out.Ā
Listen, go stand on one foot for 30 seconds. Chances are, itās a little shaky, might fall over, might not feel so hot. Do we intentionally walk around on one foot all day willingly? Probably not by choice, right?!Ā
So why is it that we are presently doing one thing (say, family time) while we are thinking about the laundry or the work deadline or the client who needs us? Then we bury ourselves in guilt for feeling like we canāt MANAGE all of it.Ā
Itās exactly like trying to just stand on one foot. We are choosing to struggle, instead of understanding that there will always be things in life that will require MORE of us at any given time.Ā
More effort. More heart. More love. More time. More mental strength. More emotion. More creativity.Ā
And if we are giving something more, then something else will be getting a little less, and there will always be a natural imbalance that we really should just start to EMBRACE!!Ā
Iām not saying that we canāt have it all and do it all. But do we really HAVE to?! Thatās all a choice, too, peeps. Iām simply saying letās replace the word balance with HARMONY!Ā
Accept the imbalances.Ā
If the house is a mess but youāre playing with the kids, find the harmony in the present moment of joy. If work has been slammed but youāre making shit happen, find the harmony in your efforts! If you feel bad for taking time for yourself because the to-do list is a mile long, find harmony in your choice to make yourself a priority in YOUR OWN LIFE!Ā
Balance is a bad word, not because of its meaning in the dictionary, but for what we allow it to mean for ourselves!Ā
We define ourselves based on our productivity, our success, the size of our pants and how much we appear to have our shit together.Ā
And itās effin exhausting. Itās no way to live. But who says we have to? Social media? Marketing ads? Other people you āseeā who seem to be doing it all better than you?Ā
I call bullshit.Ā
I want harmony. In fact, here and now I am declaring my desire for HARMONY to the universe and I am open to enjoying harmony in all the areas of my life!Ā
Mmmmhmmmmm. That feels good just to SAY, doesnāt it?!Ā
Iām gonna end with thisā¦when you see someone actually balancing themselves, like on a balance beam or a tightrope, itās totally nerve wracking and only lasts a few seconds or minutes. No more than a few moments of time are they holding themselves steady. And it looks so damn hard and Iām often sweating as I witness it. So why, oh why do make that a GOAL? Whyyyyy do we try to live every moment of our lives BALANCING?Ā
Itās like instant stress ball syndrome, and who needs another reason to be a sweaty mess?Ā
I encourage you to release the need and urgency for balance, and invite in more harmonyā¦just for a second, just to see how it feelsš
Much love, Ta xoxo