How To Create A Mindful Morning Routine
Starting your day with a positive mindset and a mindful activity is crucial! Early morning self-care rituals can significantly alleviate anxiety and depression, enhancing overall mental well-being. Incorporating your favorite coffee, cozy slippers, or quiet music into your morning can foster a sense of presence and groundedness. It’s important to personalize your routine; there is no right or wrong! Experiment to discover what energizes and aligns with your spirit, and it doesn’t have to look the same every day!
1. Start The Night Before
Starting your mindful morning the night before helps because it allows you to wake up in a calm, organized environment, reducing morning stress and decision fatigue. Preparing the night before—such as choosing your outfit, planning your breakfast, or setting a to-do list—can enhance your morning routine’s effectiveness. This proactive approach also ensures a better night’s sleep, as it minimizes anxiety about the upcoming day, allowing you to wake up refreshed and ready to engage in your mindful activities with a positive mindset.
2. Avoid Technology
What do we see when we reach for our phones first thing in the morning? A list of notifications. Emails and calendar reminders. Engaging with technology can quickly shift your focus from internal awareness to external demands, undermining the benefits of a calm, centered start. So what to do if you aren’t on your phones? Instead, consider starting with a quick meditation or deep breathing exercises to center your thoughts. Journaling can help you set intentions and reflect on gratitude. Gentle yoga or a quiet walk in nature can connect your body and mind. Reading a few pages of an inspiring book can also uplift and prepare you for the day ahead.
3. Make Gratitude Your First Thought
Gratitude is one of the most impactful habits, especially when done first thing in the morning. It can positively influence our day and help us to move through the world with love and kindness toward others. You can also keep a gratitude journal on your nightstand. Write down something you are thankful for before going to sleep, and then look at it first thing in the morning. You can also write letters of gratitude and connection to the people you care about. This has a guaranteed success rate of 1000%. It is impossible to not feel a spark of joy and love when you write down what you are grateful for.
4. Create Small Rituals
Embrace simple, joyful rituals to enrich your mornings. Light a candle while your coffee brews, or awaken your senses with a refreshing spray. You could also have your favorite, most softest pajama pants and slippers that will help you feel warm and cozy even on cold winter days!
You Deserve to Be Seen: A Conversation with Kelly Kendall
There’s something magnetic about meeting someone who just gets you. Kelly Kendall and I have more in common than photography—we both grew up on dairy farms, found our way into creative careers, and now use our cameras to do something deeper: help women feel seen.
In this episode, Kelly shares how her journey took her from 4-H in Minnesota to running her own photography studio in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. But it’s not just about location—it’s about transformation.
The Hidden Struggle Behind the Camera
Even as a photographer, Kelly admitted she didn’t feel comfortable being in front of the camera. Like so many women, she learned to pick herself apart in photos—zooming in on the things no one else would ever notice.
“I thought I just wasn’t photogenic,” she said.
But what she learned? That wasn’t true at all.
Kelly began to realize that her sessions were becoming more than photo shoots—they were experiences of reflection and self-acceptance. She even said they sometimes felt like mini therapy sessions.
It wasn’t about capturing a perfect image—it was about capturing a feeling. A spark. A story.
To face her own discomfort, Kelly turned to hypnotherapy. Through this deeply personal work, she was able to revisit childhood pain, old stories, and begin rewriting them.
“I gave myself the photo session I needed,” she said.
“No retouching. No Photoshop. Just me. And I loved them.”
That moment marked a huge shift in how she saw herself—and how she wanted others to see themselves too.
The Sacred Power of Portraiture for Women Over 40
One of Kelly’s dreams is to launch an “Over 40” portrait project—celebrating the real, radiant stories of women who’ve lived, lost, loved, started over, and claimed their worth.
We’re not just preserving their faces. We’re preserving their legacies.
Because as she beautifully said,
“Life doesn’t end at 40. In many ways, it begins.”
You Are Loved. You Are Worthy. You Matter.
The conversation closed with what felt like a universal truth—and a loving reminder to anyone who needs it:
You don’t need to earn your worth. You already have it.
You deserve to be seen, photographed, celebrated, and remembered.
Connect with Kelly at https://www.kellykendallstudios.com/
Ready to Step Into the Frame?
If this episode spoke to your heart and you’re ready to experience what it feels like to be seen—really seen—I would be honored to photograph you.
Whether it’s a portrait session to celebrate your journey, a branding shoot to show the world who you truly are, or you’re curious about my “Heart and Soul Portrait Sessions”, I’m here to hold space for you.
💌 Click here to connect with me and book your session.
✨ Let’s celebrate your story—the one you’ve lived and the one you’re still writing.
Because it’s never too late to be seen.
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Subscribe to my podcast Unwritten, where we talk to people—especially those over 40—who’ve made bold changes and embraced their most authentic lives.
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You Deserve to Be Seen
You Deserve to Be Seen: A Conversation with Kelly Kendall There’s something magnetic about meeting someone who just gets you. Kelly Kendall and I have
Hey friend,
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about fear. Not the kind that jumps out at you in the dark, but the quiet kind—the kind that lives in your chest when you’re considering making a big life change. The kind that whispers, “Who do you think you are?” or “You’re too old to start over.”
If you’re a woman over 40 and you’ve been craving something new—something more aligned, more fulfilling—I want to tell you something I wish someone had told me sooner:
You are not too late. You’re just getting started.
For a long time, I let fear run the show. I thought I had to wait until I was “ready.” Until I had it all figured out. Until I knew for sure how it would turn out. But here’s the truth: you don’t get clarity before the leap. You get clarity because of it.
Fear Isn’t the Enemy. It’s Just Energy.
What I’ve learned—through years of messy growth, spiritual work, and a whole lot of midlife unraveling—is that fear doesn’t have to be overcome. It just needs to be felt, honored, and transformed.
When fear rises now, I ask myself:
Where do I feel it?
Can I take the story out of it?
What if it’s not fear… but energy waiting to be used?
And then I breathe. I choose something different.
Joy. Excitement. Curiosity. Expansion.
For the Woman Who Feels the Pull… But Doesn’t Know the Path
If that’s you—if you feel something inside that’s calling you to start over, to try something new, to finally do that thing you’ve been daydreaming about—I want you to know:
You are not broken. You are being called forward.
This chapter of life—this season of “What’s next?”—can be the most beautiful one yet.
Not because it’s easy, but because it’s real.
Because it’s yours.
You Already Know How to Be Brave
You’ve already done hard things. You’ve loved through heartbreak. You’ve shown up when it was inconvenient. You’ve raised humans. You’ve held people together. You’ve rebuilt yourself more times than you can count.
Now it’s time to build something just for you.
What I Want You to Know
You’re allowed to want more.
You’re allowed to pivot.
You’re allowed to leave what’s no longer aligned—even if it looks “successful” from the outside.
And you don’t need to be fearless. You just need to take one small, sacred step at a time—trusting that the path will meet you there.
💫 If this spoke to you, let’s stay connected.
Join my weekly newsletter for women over 40 creating a life that feels like themselves. We talk about growth, fear, truth, alignment—and the beauty of becoming.
Redefining “Go With the Flow” After 40
Are you facing a big life decision and wondering if it’s too late to change? You’re not alone. Many of us hit a point—especially after 40—when we realize the life we’ve built no longer fits. But here’s the truth: it’s never too late to start over.
In this blog, I want to share a deeply personal story about how I redefined what “go with the flow” means, and how I overcame the fear of change that kept me stuck for years.
The Real Meaning of “Go With the Flow”
You’ve probably heard it a thousand times: Just go with the flow.
To be honest, it used to drive me crazy. I had dreams, passion, and big ideas—and being told to just chill felt like an invitation to give up. But now, I see it differently.
Going with the flow doesn’t mean settling. It means aligning with your soul.
It means following the energy, the excitement, the curiosity. Abraham Hicks calls it “alignment.” Bashar says to “follow your highest excitement.” Joseph Campbell says to “follow your bliss.”
No matter how you say it, it comes down to one thing: trusting your inner compass.
Why We Fear Change (Especially After 40)
Let’s be real—change is scary.
We worry about money, stability, relationships, failure, judgment. We ask questions like:
What if I regret it?
What if I fail?
What if I lose everything I’ve built?
I asked myself all of these. I had a life that looked secure—a marriage, a home, a routine. But inside, I was exhausted, anxious, and spiritually empty. My body was sending signals through illness and burnout, but I kept pushing through… until I couldn’t anymore.
And here’s what I’ve learned: The fear of change is often just fear of the unknown. But when you step into the unknown with trust, that’s where transformation lives.
My Journey of Starting Over in Life
The turning point for me came after reading a book called Your Prince Charming Isn’t Coming. It shook me. I realized I had been waiting for someone else to save me, when what I really needed was to save myself.
So I made a terrifying decision:
I left my marriage.
I took a business class.
I moved. I created debt.
I started over at zero.
It wasn’t easy—but I found myself in the process. And now? My life is full of meaning, creativity, aligned relationships, and joy.
It’s never too late to start over when the life you’re living no longer reflects who you are becoming.
How to Begin: Small Steps to Follow Your Bliss
You don’t have to leap tomorrow. You don’t need a perfect plan. But here’s how to begin:
Notice what lights you up. Pay attention to what brings you joy, peace, or curiosity.
Trust your gut. That inner nudge? It’s your higher self guiding you.
Start where you are. Whether it’s journaling, taking a class, or having a hard conversation—every step counts.
Find support. Podcasts, communities, or people who’ve been there can remind you that you’re not alone.
Remember: It’s never too late. Your story is still unfolding.
Ready to Follow Your Own Flow?
If this blog spoke to you, it’s not by accident. You’re being called to something more—and I’d love to walk beside you.
✨ Book a Photo Session – Let’s capture the real you. The bold you. The becoming you. Book your session here
📝 Read More Blogs Like This – Head to the blog archive for more stories and soul-aligned inspiration. Explore the blog
🌿 Join Me at the Retreat – Need space to breathe, reset, and reconnect? Come retreat with me and other amazing women on a transformational weekend. Retreat details here .
Because it’s never too late to follow your bliss.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
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