True Stride

It can be humbling to realize how much energy a new chapter asks of us, even when it is something we wanted. A new job, a new home, a new business, a relationship, a move, or any fresh beginning can bring possibility and purpose, but it can also bring pressure. Suddenly there are more doors open in the hallway, more decisions waiting, more people offering opinions, and more distractions trying to...

It seems like everyone I talk to right now is carrying a lot. We have the normal responsibilities of work, home, health, relationships, and family, but then summer arrives and somehow adds even more. More plans, more projects, more people needing support, more things blooming in the yard, and more opportunities that sound wonderful but still ask for time, energy, and attention. I have been thinkin...

I'm so excited to be celebrating episode 300 with you, my listeners and fellow Striders. Today, we are looking back at how True Stride began, how it has grown, and how much can change when we keep showing up with honesty, curiosity, and a willingness to listen to what feels aligned. When this podcast started nearly six years ago, I had just left corporate America, I was writing a book, and I was b...

When I was growing up, asking for what you wanted was not seen as a good thing. It was considered impolite, as though you were putting somebody out or being an imposition. If someone offered something to you, then you could say yes, but asking directly was different. It felt as though you were putting someone on the spot. I am not really sure what that mentality or belief system was about, but it...

Adversity has a way of showing us where we need support, even when we think we should be able to handle something on our own. Since moving to the farm, I have had plenty of moments that stretched me in new ways. Some have been exciting, some have been overwhelming, and some have involved learning more than I ever expected about chickens, weeds, acreage, and all the little surprises that come with...

Pressure has a way of getting our attention. I don't always love how it feels in the moment, but I can't deny that it often brings me into sharper focus. When there's a deadline or a real sense of urgency, I start to see what matters most and what I can let go of. The extra noise gets quieter, the mission-critical pieces become clearer, and somehow that pressure can turn into momentum. Lately, I'v...

I have been feeling waves of exhaustion, waves of energy, and honestly, a little out of rhythm as I settle into my new home. I'm only about 10 days into this move, and even though I'm excited and grateful, I've also had moments where I feel disoriented, tired, and unsure of what needs my attention first. When I shared that with my aunt, she reminded me of the Rule of 3s: three days to decompress,...

Sometimes the smallest misplaced thing can stir up the biggest reminder. A set of keys on a walking path, a phone left behind in a restroom, or eight tiny screws tucked away in a "safe place" can all feel like inconveniences at first. But I've been thinking about how these moments also invite us to slow down, pay attention, and notice what life may be trying to show us. After my recent move, I fou...

Life has a way of reminding us that we are not meant to carry everything alone. This past weekend brought that lesson into focus for me as I coordinated a big move from St. Augustine to Georgia, with belongings spread across storage, family, my van, and the pieces of a life that had been in transition for months. It was exciting, exhausting, emotional, and full of moving parts, which meant there w...

I was recently reminded how hard it can be for some of us to receive, especially when we are used to being the giver. A young woman I love shared a story about borrowing a dress from her cousin, only to have her cousin offer it to her as a gift. Her first instinct was to say no because it felt like too much, but I could see so clearly that the dress was meant for her, and that accepting it would a...

I am getting closer to closing on my future home, and I feel like I'm being invited into something much bigger than a property transaction. The sellers have cared for this land with so much love, intention, and respect that it feels less like I am buying a home and more like I am being trusted with a living ecosystem. They have tended to the land, the home, the animals, the bees, the hummingbirds,...

Thank you, Striders. The response to last week's episode really moved me. The shoutouts and questions that came in reminded me of why these conversations matter so much. Last week we talked about the things in life we are constantly training for, and I used the example of my dogs, because raising them into their best selves has always been an ongoing process of patience and intention. The other ex...

My dear friend's son, Doston, just got a German Shepherd puppy. She is small, curious, and already testing boundaries in all the ways puppies do. It is that early stage where behavior is still forming, and it would be easy to overlook the habits that are starting to take shape. I admire how Doston reached out and asked me for advice on how to train her. How to set things up so she grows into a wel...

There are moments when something finds you at just the right time. A quote, a phrase, a random text from someone you love, and it lands in a way that you weren't prepared for. That happened to me this week. A loved one sent me a quote and I couldn't stop thinking about it: "Healing is when you stop telling the story that broke you, and you start telling the story that rebuilt you." Simple words, b...

Getting knocked off your feet has a way of bringing everything into focus. Whether it's a physical setback or something deeper on an emotional level, those moments where you feel depleted can leave you wondering how long it's going to take to feel like yourself again. I was recently in that place, recovering from a stomach virus that completely drained my energy, and it got me thinking about what...

I just got back from the most beautiful weekend workshop called Celtic Medicine Storytelling, and I have to tell you, I didn't fully know what I was walking into when I signed up. What I walked away with has been sitting with me ever since. The whole purpose of the course was to honor the oral tradition of storytelling and to explore it through a Celtic lens, because the Irish, the Welsh, the Engl...

As we approach springtime, I can already feel that anticipation and anxiety. This idea of okay, let's get ready to rush, let's get ready to move fast. This wanting, this desire to move out of the waiting place. Because winter kind of feels like a waiting place. This season of calmness, this season of slowing down. And then we hit spring and everything just moves a little bit faster. I have a dear...

As a follow-up to last week, I chose to attend my friend's 50th birthday party and go all in on that experience, and I'll tell you what, it totally paid off. We danced, we laughed, we had some sentimental moments. It was just a beautiful thing. I haven't danced in a long time and I love dancing, so it was really fun to connect with myself, and I felt even more connected to my friend and her family...

Have you ever said yes to something that felt like a full-body, no-doubt-about-it yes and then almost immediately, another opportunity showed up that you were equally excited about? That has been my world lately. And honestly, as much as I love having options, there is something quietly exhausting about standing at a crossroads when both paths genuinely appeal to you. What I've been noticing is th...

There are moments in life when something can feel completely right and heavy at the same time. That's the space I've been sitting in lately. We recently sold our camper van, and while I know this decision aligns with where I am in this season, I'd be lying if I said it didn't stir up a surprising mix of emotions. Gratitude, nostalgia, sadness, relief, excitement. They've all been showing up, somet...

I've said the phrase "I'm a really lucky gal" for most of my life, and interestingly, I often say it right after someone tells me no. Not because rejection feels good, but because somewhere along the way, I stopped believing that no automatically means never. Recently, that mindset was put to the test while I was preparing to sell my Mercedes Sprinter camper van. I wanted to have it serviced befor...

The past week felt like it stayed with me longer than I expected. After getting back from New York and everything surrounding my Aunt Ronnie's service, I noticed I was still sitting with that feeling of surrender I talked about in the last episode. There were so many moving parts with the travel and the weather, and even though everything worked out, I could feel how tired I was from trying to hol...

This past week really tested my need for control. I had a lot going on emotionally as I was getting ready to travel back to New York to honor the passing of my Aunt Ronnie. There was a snowstorm moving across the country, flights were being delayed and canceled, and plans kept changing. Emotions were already high, and with everything unfolding the way it was, I had to keep reminding myself that th...

Over the past eight months, I've lost two dear loved ones who had a profound impact on my life. They lived fully, with vibrant energy, wisdom, kindness, and deep care for others. While I'm heartbroken that I no longer get to experience their physical presence here on earth, I also feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the love I was able to receive from them, love that was unconditional and...

I feel like there's been a lot of conversation lately about the Chinese zodiac and the year we're moving out of, which is the Year of the Wood Snake. That year comes to an end on February 16, and then on February 17, according to the Chinese zodiac, we move into the Year of the Fire Horse. Even if you don't follow the Chinese New Year, I've really appreciated how this way of marking time gives us...