Hey community I'm taking some much needed downtime for the next few days. A little hiking, a little outdoors, and hopefully lots of good food and sleep. I encourage you to set aside time to rest as well. When I get back, I'll have some new Q&As set up in the calendar, and other opportunities for you to connect! See you soon!

Use this link to join - looking forward to seeing you on the chat! Come with all your questions about emotional mastery, anger, anxiety, communication and problem-solving!

Hey everyone! Join me live on June 8th at 2pm EST for a Q and A session. Bring your burning questions - what do you want to know? Types of questions I'll be ready to answer: 1. Emotions - how to recognize them and to "label them" 2. Questions about righteous vs. selfish emotional responses 3. Let's talk communication! All questions about how to say ____________ assertively and safely - I'm here for it. 4. Anything around self-regulation and anger resolution. I'm looking forward to this first live! Will you be joining us?

I haven't posted much this week because I have been away doing hard things and first things. It is my first time traveling alone with my brother. My first time to Jamaica where I have not stayed in my parents' home. This hasn't been a trip for fun, but we are finding fun where we can. Mixing a business meeting with Devon House ice cream, hitting the pool instead of going to the beach. Laughing over foolishness and making others laugh too. Eating honestly Jamaican food every night and searching for the perfect beef patty (Devon House for the win). Yesterday was my late mom's birthday. And we were in her and my dad's house doing hard things. I told my brother that this thing we're doing for dad is a "great sadness", but I am also profoundly grateful that we are able to stand in his place to make decisions on his behalf. I'm grateful for the many lessons I have learned on this trip, and thankful for the gifts we've been given while here, even if we didn't get to do all the things we wanted to. The point of this post? Treasure your loved ones when they are with you. Live responsibly. Trust the right people. Make things easy when you can - for yourself and others. Be a blessing whenever you can, wherever you can. Life is too short - so live to the fullest. I will be back next week and I look forward to sharing more insights with you! #musings #gratitude

Hi there Blueprint members! I am currently in Jamaica with my brother on a trip that I did not want to take. Let me explain. My mother passed away in 2007 and I traveled home for her interrment. We had already done a memorial service in Canada and I didn't want to do it again. But, she was being buried in Portland and her Jamaican family and friends (and my dad) wanted a service here. Just as we were supposed to proceed into the church, I realized the finality of what was happening and suffered a severe panic attack. Pulling myself together was facilitated by a childhood friend, not my dad or my siblings. They were too entrenched in their own grief to even register what was happening to me. On reflection, I wonder if they even processed my distress because to them, I am "the strong one" of the family. Maybe you can relate to that label. You hold it together for everyone, all the time. But when you reach your breaking point, everyone stands rooted in shock, and no one comes to your rescue - at least no one that you would expect. So, why did I not want to come here? My brother and I are here to take care of our father's business. When I left after my mom's funeral, I truly felt no desire to return here. Too much sadness, you know? But my dad's health is declining and he has affairs that need to be settled here. It falls to us to settle them on his behalf. It is our first time traveling together, just the two of us. We are both concerned about the outcomes of this trip, but we are here to support each other. That is making it easier. We are also trying to eke out moments of joy where we can... eating Jamaican food, buying fresh fruit from a local street vendor, and searching out opportunities to relax and be refreshed. And just maybe, if we are lucky, some of the pain from my last visit here will be healed. Being the strong one, the dependable one, the dutiful one comes with a cost. This group exists in part to help replenish what gets spent in those moments of being strong for others. You don't have to fake anything in this group. You can come with your vulnerabilities, and share your truth in a safe space. You don't have to save anybody here. Just come and get the support you need. If you are looking for something specific and you can't find it here, let us know. I have a wealth of resources and if I don't know an answer, I will try to find it for you.