A Pocket Full of Sunshine
And an unexpected lesson from my daughter.
A big part of self-care is finding moments of stillness throughout the day. I meditate twice a day, and while I realize that might sound like a lot, it didn’t start out this way for me.
When my children were younger, if someone said the words self-care, it meant a day at the spa or something else that felt unattainable. I’ve always been deeply intuitive and drawn to self-inquiry, personal growth, and self-evolution. I’m sure you’ve heard me say this before, but a critical part of parenting is continuing to parent, grow and heal yourself alongside your children.
Self-care is the time we take to nurture and care for our emotional, mental, and physical well-being. You don’t have to meditate twice a day formally; you can find your own pockets of sunshine.
That said, the above picture is me taking a moment of stillness, feeling the sunshine, and quieting my mind. I am surrounded by the sounds of nature, birds chirping, and a gentle breeze on my face. Finding moments of stillness is my mini meditation (lasting 30 seconds at most), anchoring me throughout the day. Presence returns, and I feel steady and calm.
So what stops us?
When I showed my 19-year-old daughter this picture, she begged me not to post it on any social media outlet.
More specifically, she said, “Mom, don’t post this, this is super weird. Believe me, I’m saving you right now.”
I laughed and told her I didn’t care what people thought. She kept insisting. The truth is, the more she explained all the reasons I shouldn’t post the picture, the more my inner teenager came through. I started to agree with her and think that she might be right; this could be embarrassing. Even though I said I didn’t care, suddenly, her words resembled the exact dialogue in my head.
A major obstacle for me has always been the fear of being embarrassed or called out for doing something wrong and publicly shamed for it. There are many reasons why this fear exists, but ultimately, it keeps me small, which makes me feel safe. If I hide, I think there’s no risk of getting hurt.
Although I’ve made progress and become more comfortable showing up on camera and sharing more of myself, I can still be restrictive. Overthinking what I’m saying, policing every word, and overexamining how I look.
At the start of 2025, I decided to release this. A part of my journey is to allow others to see my process, growth, and transformations. For as many parenting questions as I get, I receive just as many asking me about how I grew an audience, writing, coaching, creating a business, etc. I knew this meant that I would need to share more of my process, more of my truth.
I am deeply spiritual and have always been very intuitive. I’ll share more about this soon. But for now, let’s get back to my weird picture.
I said to Hana, “Okay, let’s play out the worst-case scenario. If I weren’t your mom and you saw this post, what would you say? Don’t hold back; my feelings will not be hurt.”
She said, “I would think, what is she doing? That’s so weird.”
“Keep going,” I said.
“I would wonder why is she posting weird things like this? This is so embarrassing.”
I told her, “Ok, let’s assume some people will say that. It’s ok, and people are allowed to feel whatever they feel. But what if someone sees this picture, reads it, and thinks, ' What would it feel like to take 30 seconds outside, eyes closed, in the sun? ' How would it feel to pause and experience the rising and falling of my chest as I breathe? To welcome the sun's warmth on my face and to feel my feet firmly planted on the ground. How much better would my day be if I could find small moments of stillness to reset my nervous system? What would it feel like if I started to hear my own voice during these moments of silence?”
I continued, “What if meditating twice a day sounds impossible to someone, but hearing about my 30-second pauses and moments of stillness feels doable. What if, as a result, that person experiences more calm, joy, and gratitude, and then her loved ones experience her in a new way? What if saying yes to tiny pockets of sunshine is the slight opening of a door that that person did not know existed?”
As I continued my daughter’s shoulders softened and her body relaxed. And then she offered, “Then maybe you should post it.”
It was a full-circle moment for me. Although I was talking to my daughter, I was also talking to my inner teenager because she was just as scared. My wiser self emerged and guided us through that moment.
Moments will always arise when we are forced to ask: Should I continue to hide and stay small, or do I allow myself to be seen fully in my essence? Those are the moments we have to call on our inner parent, the wise guide, the one who always knows. Parenting is the constant dance of healing and growth, not just for our kids, but for ourselves as well.
Hana’s resistance was a blessing; it was exactly what I needed to shake free from this self-imposed suppression. If meditating doesn’t feel doable, find pockets of sunshine throughout the day. These brief moments of stillness will bring back balance and welcome in presence. The magic of taking and observing one full breath (A full inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth) is invaluable.