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Happy Saturday! The posts I’ve been writing lately are focused on the idea of freedom- the freedom to be who you are! Well, it’s ironic because being at #colorfactoryhouston last night with my daughter, Marlie, felt like the perfect physical expression to what I’ve been trying to write about. Being there is an all encompassing sensory experience. Letting go of inhibitions, insecurities and embodying a sense of joy is food for the soul. And, especially for people with neurological differences. Marlie is working harder than the rest of us to make sense of her environment and feel secure and in control. But, at The Color Factory all that flies out the window! We are free to let go! We are free to be in the moment and fully engage with ALL our senses. Let’s just say... watching her experience this made my heart full. ❤️ And, can I just ask- why is confetti so addicting? We love it! We spent more time in that room than any other. I guess there’s something about soft, bright paper rain that makes us feel alive. Bravo Color Factory! Thanks for coming to H-town and allowing us the chance to feel FREE, JOYFUL and ALIVE!!! 🙌

If there is one word I would align myself with in 2020, it would be “untethered”. I feel like for a large part of my life I’ve been “tethered” to certain identities that have shaped my actions, decisions and behavior. Some of those identities are: creative, driven, competitive, entrepreneur etc... And, yes, I am all of these things, but they aren’t all that define me. So much of my life has centered around doing, building and achieving. I thought if I work really hard, do all the right things, and look the right way, voila’, it will all work out. 🤦🏻‍♀️ But here’s the deal: Life doesn’t work that way! Our inherent nature as human beings is dynamic, ever changing and forward moving. Letting go of the limited view we have held for ourselves is essential in order to expand into the fullness of our identities. It’s a necessary part of experiencing being fully alive, fully human. For example, I’ve always been passionate about psychology, personal development, writing and speaking. But if I’m honest, I think I kept some of these things hidden in order to appease what I thought others wanted from me. (Anybody relate?🙋🏻‍♀️) The good news is I plan on continuing to grow these parts of me in 2020. 🙌 I loved writing my book, #breaktheglassslipper last year, and this year I’m writing and launching a self-worth program/guide for women. I’m also signing up for psychology classes in hopes of getting my master’s degree. And, I continue to book speaking engagements to share my story and connect with other women. Giving ourselves permission to explore and manifest the “wholeness” of our being might be the greatest gift we can give ourselves and each other. What’s your word for 2020? I’d love to hear. 🥰

I’m a major Star Wars junkie and I had the pleasure of meeting Yoda and Princess Leia in the bathroom @houstonrockets game this weekend. 🤣 After my encounter, I kinda had an a-ha moment. It got me thinking about the complexity of being human and how our identities are ever changing and evolving. There’s always more going on than meets the eye. When Luke and Yoda first meet in Empire Strikes Back and Yoda says to him, “Judge me by my size, do you?” Luke was convinced that the odd looking, diminutive creature that stood before him could not actually be Yoda, the legendary Jedi master. As humans, we tend to judge each other only by what we see. But, we are never one thing. And, we are never static. When I asked the two women why they dressed up for the game, they simply said: “because we wanted to and we love Star Wars.” It made me pause. I didn’t know these women, and I could have easily written them off and judged them as being silly and childish. But, if we are honest, there’s a freedom in expressing different sides of yourself. There’s a freedom to letting go, having fun and releasing inhibitions. There’s a freedom in not adhering to one way of being to appease others. Embrace your inner Yoda and know you are more than what people see or think of you. Maybe you are Yoda one day and a stay at home mom the next... whatever it is - own it! The world needs ALL of you to show up. 🙌

As the new year has kicked off and we are heading into its second week, I’ve been looking back on my Instagram feed and seeing my own personal transformation over the past year. I definitely see a lightened up version of me. There seemed to be a theme going on of baseball caps, yoga pants and graphic tees?!? 🤣 For one, I didn’t dress up as much 👆as seen in pic above. Let’s just say Lululemon became my new uniform. I also didn’t wear makeup everyday- again the no makeup selfie 👆of the hubs and I is proof.🤣 Looking past the exterior though , I also see a person adapting to a new phase in her life and transitioning from an overwhelmed, stressed out entrepreneur to a vulnerable woman sharing her story in order to connect with others. I truly believe there are seasons in life, and we should honor those seasons. Personally, I’ve needed reflection. I’ve needed to hit the pause button. Instead of diving head first into who I want to become next year, I've needed to focus on today and fully acknowledge where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. I find myself resisting the #newyearnewyou mantra that is inundating our insta feeds. All the language around #resolutionsetting and #goalgetting can be anxiety provoking. I understand the positive intention behind these messages, but If we aren’t careful, we can easily read into them as a feeling of not being “enough”. Here’s the deal: we need to meet ourselves exactly where we are with mindful, self compassion. It’s here where we are fulfilled. It’s here where we receive the truth. Instead of asking what we want, what if we began to ask ourselves what we need? Do you need rest, healing and reflection? Do you need action, productivity and motivation? Only you can know. Be courageous, dig deep, listen and engage in some self examination. The answers are there- we only need to tune in and listen. 🙏❤️

Our family has started off the new year taking care of each other. My husband had shoulder surgery today, and my mom had important scans for her cancer treatment this week. Needless to say, we’ve had to hunker down and be there for each other. Ya know, life isn’t always beautiful, easy or fair, but showing up for those you love fills our hearts in the most profound way. It takes you out of your own story and widens your window to what matters most. Who are you showing up for this new year? (And, yes, showing up for yourself counts too!) 🙌🙏❤️

Happy New Year from our family to yours! Today is an opportunity to hit a reset button. The past is the past, the future is full of possibility and the present is where our true power resides. An invitation to awaken to what’s real. An opportunity to accept the magic of what it means to be fully alive. The all of it- the mess, the pain, the joy, the sorrow, the failures, the successes... As we step into this new year and decade, we are thrust upon change. A new chapter begins. One thing is for certain: you will most likely read things you don’t want to read, but you will have moments when you don’t want the pages to end. Don’t try to skip ahead to the end; life doesn’t work that way. Embrace the complexity of your story. Live it fully. Keep going. You are worth it! Happy 2020!!! 🥂🙌❤️

At first glance , our Christmas picture looks pretty darn ordinary this year, and in some ways it was- no fuss, no planning, no frills- just the four of us facing a stranger holding a camera as we quickly boarded a gondola to head up Vail mountain. When we arrived at the top of the mountain and I saw the picture posted on the board, I was surprised by how much I liked it. And then it hit me... It felt safe. It felt real. It felt like us. It felt like family. Family is like a mountain, no matter what the weather, it remains steady and solid. No matter what life throws at us, we can always return to each other other. There’s a profound simplicity in knowing that all we really need is to love and be loved. Wishing you and yours a love-filled holiday season!! Merry Christmas!! The Turner family

I found myself alone in the house earlier this week, and I decided to get a jump on wrapping gifts. I turned the TV on and saw #charliebrownchristmas was playing. As I watched the movie again for the thousandth time, I had a deep nostalgia wash over me. I realized the profound beauty in its simplicity. The simple story. The crude animation. The low key music. It’s the antithesis of what our modern culture rewards today- bigger, better, faster. It’s not epic or even that exciting but it is poignant. We all relate to Charlie Brown. He says what we are all thinking. He feels something is missing. We all connect with his discontent as he struggles to find the true meaning in Christmas. I think what grabs our hearts more than anything else is how Charlie Brown never loses hope. He symbolizes optimism and he never gives up believing things will always get better. In some ways, he is the perfect metaphor to represent Christmas- the season of hope. Just as he saw the potential in the puny Christmas tree, we too discover that with a little extra hard work and help from those we love, we also can turn something seemingly ugly or insignificant into something beautiful. Our faith is renewed when we strip down all the extras and discover the true meaning of the season: faith, hope and love. Thank you for the reminder Charlie Brown. 🙏❤️🎄✨

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