Wholehearted Living
Welcome to my monthly newsletter, Attunement!
Each month we “tune into” a theme related to mindfulness and
explore a creative practice and tune based on this theme!
This month of December we’re TUNING INTO the frequency of:
WHOLEHEARTED LIVING.
Brené Brown, known for her research on vulnerability, courage, and shame, defines wholehearted living as a way of engaging with the world from a place of authenticity and connection.
THE GUIDEPOSTS
In her book The Gifts of Imperfection, she names 10 guideposts for living with deeper meaning, courage, mindfulness, and self-compassion:
Cultivating Authenticity: Letting go of what people think.
Cultivating Self-Compassion: Letting go of perfectionism.
Cultivating a Resilient Spirit: Letting go of numbing and powerlessness.
Cultivating Gratitude and Joy: Letting go of scarcity and fear of difficulties.
Cultivating Intuition and Trusting Faith: Letting go of the need for certainty.
Cultivating Creativity: Letting go of comparison.
Cultivating Play and Rest: Letting go of exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth.
Cultivating Calm and Stillness: Letting go of stress/busyness as a lifestyle.
Cultivating Meaningful Work: Letting go of self-doubt and "supposed to."
Cultivating Laughter, Song, and Dance: Letting go of being cool and always in control.
THE INVENTORY
Brown has created this Wholehearted Inventory that you can complete for free. It assesses your strengths and areas for growth relative to the above guideposts. On average, the inventory takes less than ten minutes, and you will be able to print or email the results to yourself. It's a great end-of-the-year contemplative activity, and the results may help you better consider where to put your energy in the coming year.
WORD OF THE YEAR
I like to choose a "Word of the Year" each December to serve as my personal guidepost for the year ahead. My word for 2024 was INTEGRITY, and 2023's was PLAY. My word for 2025 is… INTENTIONALITY.
I invite you to complete the Wholehearted Inventory, read your results, and consider if one of your lesser developed guideposts might serve as your personal "word of the year" for 2025. For example, if your results indicate that you tend towards perfectionism, you could select SELF-KINDNESS as your word for 2025.
What you choose to do with your word during the year is, of course, up to you. But here are some suggestions:
Daily Reminders
Write your word somewhere visible: on a journal, a sticky note, your phone background, or a bracelet.
Use it as a mantra during mindfulness practices, like meditation or deep breathing exercises.
Decision-Making
Let your word influence your choices. For instance, if your word is "courage," remind yourself to take bold steps in moments of hesitation.
Before making a decision, ask: Does this align with my word of the year?
Reflection
Use your word as a focal point for journaling. Reflect on how you’ve embodied it and where you can do more.
Check-Ins
Periodically review your progress. Is your word still relevant, or do you need to adjust your focus?
Mindfulness Anchor
Use your word as an anchor in stressful or overwhelming moments. Repeating it can help ground and refocus you.
Celebrate Small Wins
Recognize and celebrate moments when you’ve successfully aligned with your word. This reinforces its importance and motivates continued growth.
By embedding your word of the year into your routines, thoughts, and goals, it becomes a tool for self-awareness and a reminder of the direction you want to be heading in 2025 and beyond.
Creative Mindfulness Practice: Wholehearted Vision Board
Reflect on the above 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living, and choose the guideposts that resonate most with you or focus on all of them.
Cut out images and words from magazines that relate to these guideposts.
Collage the images and words onto a piece of poster board. You might choose to divide your board into sections for each guidepost, or let the themes flow naturally. Reflect on each item as you place it on the board, asking how it aligns with the guideposts and your vision for wholehearted living.
Place your vision board somewhere prominent where you’ll see it daily. Use it as a mindfulness anchor by taking a few moments to reflect on it each day or week, setting your intention to live by the guideposts.
*If you'd like to create a board in community (with all supplies provided!), there's still space in my MINDFUL VISION BOARDING WORKSHOP, 6:30-8:30pm on Tues. 12/3 at The Be Sanctuary in UA. Register here or see "My December Events" section to book your spot.
My December Events:
Tues. 12/3, 6:30-8:30pm @ The Be Sanctuary, Upper Arlington, 3360 Tremont Road, Suite 240, 43221
Put holiday busy-ness on hold and take time to reflect on your values and map your vision for mindful living in 2025. Relax and enjoy this opportunity to “fill your cup” with creativity, present-moment awareness, self-compassion, and connection!
Mindfully reflect on your core values through guided prompts.
Map a creative vision for mindful living in 2025 using imagery and words.
Explore how to set workable goals & engage in actionable change related to your vision.
Connect with others in a supportive and inspiring group environment.
Live music at Pure Roots boutique
Sat. 12/14, 3-5pm @ Pure Roots, 18 N. State St., Westerville, OH
Pure Roots is a hip and artistic space filled with handmade goods that are new, vintage, rustic, and repurposed to help promote local artists and provide eclectic pieces that are affordable for everyone. I'll be singing a variety of covers, holiday favorites, and originals on their stage inside the store, so stop by for some holiday shopping and entertainment!
Tues. 12/17, 6:30-8pm @ The Be Sanctuary in Upper Arlington, 3360 Tremont Road, Suite 240, 43221
This is an informal gathering time to play with SoulCollage® cards, clip images or organize them, and just relax and enjoy the company of kindred spirits!
NOTE: Open Studios are ONLY for those individuals who have already attended at least one SoulCollage® workshop with me.
Upcoming Events:
Unlocking Your Inner Wisdom: 6-part SoulCollage® Series
Saturdays, Jan. 18 - Feb. 22, 9-11am @ The Be Sanctuary in UA
This 6-session SoulCollage® workshop series is perfect if you're new to SoulCollage® and for more experienced SoulCollagers who would like to deepen your practice and create lasting tools for ongoing insight and guidance on your life journey.
During this series, you'll:
Build a personalized deck of SoulCollage® cards consisting of the four suits (Committee, Community, Companion, and Council), and the Transpersonal Cards (SoulEssence, Witness, and Source).
Explore self-awareness, intuition, and mindfulness through creative card-making.
Learn to "speak from" your cards to connect with different parts of yourself/your world.
Learn how to engage in card readings for reflective self-inquiry and mindful, intuitive guidance.
Engage in meaningful reflection and compassionate connection with fellow participants.
BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL ends 12/2; register by then using the code SAVE50 to bring the cost down to just $200!!
Spring SoulCollage® Retreat
Sat. 5/3, 9am-5pm @ Mills Park Hotel in the heart of Yellow Springs, OH
Revitalize your spirit this spring with a SoulCollage® retreat set amidst the serene beauty of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Join me at the charming Mills Park Hotel (just a 5-minute walk from downtown shops, restaurants, and Glen Helen Nature Preserve). This retreat is an opportunity to:
Explore your inner landscape by creating a personal deck of SoulCollage® cards.
Connect with like-minded individuals in a nurturing and supportive environment.
Experience the peaceful surroundings of Yellow Springs as you reflect and recharge.
The day will include all materials, guided instruction, and a swag bag!
Investment: $159.
Register before 12/31/24 and save $20 with the code SOUL at checkout.
Hotel room block available if you choose to stay overnight Sat.; email me for details.
This Month’s Tune :
Each month I share a tune that resonates with the newsletter theme.
For this month’s theme of WHOLEHEARTED LIVING, I've chosen my song "The Way of Your Heart" from my 2020 album Shine. Listen on Apple Music here or Spotify here.
Wishing you a wonderful, wholehearted December!
P.S. In the spirit of this month's theme, you might be interested to listen to a podcast episode (my friend & colleague Brian John of Echo & Athena is the host, and I was his guest) that's all about authenticity and wholehearted living. LISTEN HERE (or wherever you stream podcasts).
