For years, I carried the weight of shame—some of it mine, but most of it projected onto me by culture, being raised in the Bible belt, and expectations I never agreed to. After years of people-pleasing, I sought self-discovery and wholeness.

If reality is shaped by how we see it, then shifting our perception shifts our world. If many people shift their perception, what dramatic shifts become possible for the world?

Too often, we can get caught up in “the work” or the pressure for something to be good right out of the gate. I believe play to be radically healing.

And I’d love to offer the perspective of looking at ourselves and life more like a miracle to explore and expand, rather than a project to fix.

This viewpoint holds a more gracious and playful energy. (At least, it has been working for me in that manner.)

Baring one's soul takes courage. 


I can feel the wrath and judgment parts of my story will have. I sense how the story may polarize. As an empath, or from a trauma response, I developed a keen ability to sense the needs and emotions of others, to gauge reactions. In years past, I adjusted my behavior accordingly, which I would now argue is a synonym for manipulation.