~ August 2025 ~
Enjoying your OWN company
Bonjour! I am sitting beneath an old magic tree, gazing out upon golden fields of sunflowers—past their prime, yet still regal and beautiful—here in the French countryside near Chalais, enjoying my own company. They say one might ask a question of this wise old tree, and in time, receive an answer. I listen to the gentle breeze as it blows through the low-hanging branches that create shade and protection for me. I notice a ladybug scurrying over a leaf, along the edge of an old round table. There is something cyclical and comforting about this round table and the familiar sight of a ladybug.
My time here is coming to a close, and I have been reminded again, during this gathering of women of all ages from different areas of the U.S., that we are linked together—across time and geography—through deep stories and ageless humanity. I came here seeking connection, community, and freedom. During the drum circle from which I have just emerged, I was reminded that everything I need is within me.
This month, I have been reflecting on the journey I’ve been traveling for many years: the journey back to who I really am, the journey of deep self-acceptance and love. I’ve been learning to enjoy my own company, and I see this as a sign of my growth—my expanding acceptance and kindness toward myself. This year, my year of “joy,” I have prioritized spending time with myself, and I have taken two trips alone for my own well-being and care. While I love sharing adventures and special places with my family, traveling with young children is anything but a vacation. I find myself wearing the hats of mom, travel agent, taxi driver, baggage handler, concierge, and customer service all at once. When I travel alone, I have the opportunity to let go of those hats and travel simply as me.
When I arrived in France to begin this retreat, I learned that the theme of the week would be joy. The pen I was given to use with my journal bore the phrase “Je mérite d’être heureux(se),” which translates to “You deserve to be happy.” I took it as a sign that I was in the right place at the right time. When I embarked upon my first solo adventure this year to Costa Rica in March, it was divine to reconnect with myself and to celebrate the accomplishment of a long, arduous PhD journey that had finally come to a close. I felt deep joy and was inspired to continue building the habit of joy—to tap into the well of joy within. Later, when a colleague invited me to attend a retreat she was planning, I said yes and chose to spread the joy by inviting a friend.
I have found it challenging to stay grounded in who I am during this wonderful yet demanding stage of life we call motherhood. My focus has been so committed to my children and family, to building a life and foundation for them. Yet I’ve realized that taking this time to reconnect and invest in my own well-being allows me to show up as the person I want to be—as a friend, a mom, a wife, and a coach. I am reminded that I cannot give what I do not have. One thing I want my children to always hold on to is a strong sense of who they are and the ability to honor that deep sense of self from within.
So, I continue to commit myself to this journey back to my essence and to honoring my purpose, knowing, and calling within. I take this space to connect to my own foundation and strength so that I might inspire that same connection in others—my children, my friends, my clients. Joy is necessary for change and growth; her cousins—gratitude, awe, optimism, hope, faith, love, kindness, serenity, and fun—give us what we need to show up as our best selves and to honor our purpose.
“Je mérite d’être heureux(se).” You deserve to be happy.
Reflection Questions:
When was the last time you allowed yourself to simply enjoy your own company, without distraction or guilt? What “hats” do you wear in your daily life, and which ones feel most freeing—or most heavy? In what ways does prioritizing your own joy and well-being positively ripple out to those you love and serve? If you truly believed you deserve to be happy, what choices or changes might you make in my life right now? What practices help you cultivate joy when life feels demanding? Which roles or responsibilities could you release, delegate, or soften to reconnect with your essence? How can you build regular moments of solitude into your life as a way of sustaining joy? What evidence in your life shows that when you invest in yourself, others also benefit? What one choice could you make this week that reflects the belief: “I deserve to be happy”? What might bloom if you committed to cultivating the inner you? How do you remind yourself that everything you need, you already carry within?
Journal Prompts:
· Describe a recent moment when you felt truly at peace in your own company. What did it teach you about yourself?
· Reflect on the many roles you play in life. Which roles feel nourishing, and which feel draining?
· Write about a time you realized you already had the strength or wisdom you were seeking.
· How has tending to your own joy influenced your relationships with family, friends, or colleagues?
· Imagine fully embracing the belief “I deserve to be happy.” What shifts in daily life might that open for you?
Quote(s) I’ve Been Pondering:
Novelist Anne Lamott on the power of reading:
“Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyancy is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.”
Source: Bird by Bird
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
~ Henry Miller
“I have fallen in love with my own soul. No one can hurt me now.”
~ Erin Van Vuren
Book I’ve Been Reading:
The Positivity Effect: Simple CBT Skills to Transform Anxiety & Negativity into Optimism and Hope
By Dan Tomasulo, PhD
My Key Takeaways:
Chapter 2 – Hope: Act with Agency by Believing in Your Future has really been sticking with me. There is such empowerment in learning, “it is in this space of uncertainty that hope lives.” Dan goes on to offer such thoughts and ideas as:
“Hope is different: It is a belief that a positive future outcome is possible, combined with a desire for that outcome (24 (36)), and this means there is something you can do specifically to control the future.” He continues,
…hope is the belief that we can make change happen… Hope is the only positive emotion that requires uncertainty or negativity to be activated. This means that hope uses the raw material that can lead to worry, anxiety, depression, and despair – and converts it into a motivational force for change. Hope has the ability to transform obstacles into opportunities, problems into possibilities, and setbacks into challenges.
Isn’t that empowering and exciting?! For me, that was a powerful reframe, this idea that chaos and pain can be a perfect place for hope and joy to grow.
It is unique because it engages our conflicts, hardships, obstacles, and difficulties – to our advantage…. Hope takes the manure that shows up in our life and uses it as fertilizer to grow magnificent things.
So if you have been suffering, collecting hardships, feeling trapped by circumstances, this just means you are wealthy in the ingredients that will fertilize incredible outcomes, and you get to choose what you grow!
Hope is triggered by the despair that can come from negativity or being uncertain.
Through hope, obstacles become like fertilizer, enriching the soil of your life.
Dan defines hope as a belief that a positive future outcome is possible, combined with a desire for that outcome. He offers that hope provides us the ability to be flexible and motivated to change (25).
“When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change” ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
At heart, intolerance of uncertainty is a lack of alignment between goals and motivation. Hope offers the solution: recalibration (26)
When something uncertain or negative comes about, there is a moment when the event and your interpretation of it intersect, and at that moment, meaning is made. You’ve interpreted what has happened, and your response is determined by the reaction to the interpretation, not to the event. What influences your understanding has a great deal to do with your habits of explanation and context. (27)
We control our habits and stories and the meaning we make, which means we can change our stories, we can align our goals and motivations, we can recalibrate, we can invite hope, and we can create more joy, and that is very, very exciting! What might you do with more hope and joy?
What Amazon has to Say:
Harness the power of positivity to overcome anxiety—and thrive!
If you suffer from anxiety, you may feel stuck in a vicious cycle of rumination, worry, and avoidance—and ultimately miss out on all life has to offer. But what if you could shift your thinking and start living with more expansiveness, hope, and happiness? What if you could transform stress and anxiety and find lasting balance, peace, and joy? This book can show you how.
Based in proven-effective cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and positive psychology, psychologist Dan Tomasulo—author of Learned Hopefulness—offers powerful skills to help you overcome negative thinking and harness the power of positivity to reduce stress, boost confidence, and find instant calm and sustainable happiness. With this uplifting guide, you’ll learn how to:
· Replace anxiety and stress with learned hopefulness
· Boost positivity, amplify joy, and awaken inspiration
· Increase motivation and perseverance
· Overcome self-limiting thoughts and beliefs
· Build a solid support system and connect with your community
Not being anxious is not the same as thriving. Nor does worrying less mean that you are at peace. With this inspiring guide, you’ll learn to do more than just stop worrying—you’ll learn to completely transform your outlook for long-lasting serenity and joy.
Podcast Connected to My Ponderings and Wanderings:
It’s Never Too Late to Let the Real You Shine. A Love Story | Sherri Dindal
The Goodlife Project || Jonathan Fields
August 7, 2025
What does it take to completely reinvent yourself at 50? After decades of conforming to others’ expectations, playing small, and carrying the weight of trauma, Sherri Dindal found herself asking this question. Her answer led to an extraordinary transformation that’s now inspiring millions.
Known to her 5.7 million followers as The Real Slim Sherri, she went from working as an investigator for 26 years to becoming a voice for midlife transformation, especially resonating with Gen X women who feel invisible or constrained by society’s boxes. Through raw storytelling laced with humor and hard-won wisdom, Sherri shows us it’s never too late to become who you truly are.
In this intimate conversation, Sherri shares her journey from childhood trauma to viral social media creator and founder of multiple businesses, including natural skincare brand Wholesome Hippy. She reveals the wake-up calls that sparked her transformation, the courage it takes to “unbecome” everything you were conditioned to be, and why authentic self-expression matters more than ever in midlife.
You’ll learn:
• How surviving two near-death experiences transformed her perspective on life
• Why “forgiveness” means something different than what most people think
• The unexpected freedom that comes from breaking social media’s rules
• Practical wisdom for releasing old conditioning and stepping into your truth
• Why joy, playfulness and authentic self-expression are vital at any age
This conversation serves as a powerful reminder that our most meaningful transformations can happen at any time. When we have the courage to show up as ourselves, we give others permission to do the same.
You can find Sherri at: Connect with Sherri | Wholesome Hippy | Episode Transcript
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversations we had with Karen Walrond about rewriting the mid-life narrative to one of joy, grace, and possibility.
~
You can sign up to receive my Three Thoughts for Thursday post as an email on the third Thursday of every month by clicking here. If you’ve missed any of my Three Thoughts, you can find them all on my blog. If you enjoyed this post, take a look at August’s Three Thoughts. You may also be interested in reading my four-part Lessons of the Run series –Endurance, Resilience, Rest, and Grit. Take a look at my latest post, “YOU are the MISSING Piece!” and stay tuned for an update to this piece, along with a recent and new 5th Lesson of the Run – Humility and Adaptability!If you are interested or know someone who may be interested, I also offer leadership and emotional intelligence coaching and workshops. You can find more information on my website, or you can use this link to set up a free 30-minute introduction to coaching session.
As I mentioned, the stroke I had in February 2018 was a pivotal event and valuable turning point in my life; you can read more in my commemorative post. Please join me in celebrating these milestones, turning points, and calls to “winter,” by taking time to celebrate your own milestones and by fully embracing the opportunities in front of you, the value in the little things, and the beauty that surrounds you in this wonderful, messy life. I will forever be grateful for my stroke and the path of integrity I found in its wake.
Over the course of the last two years, I’ve hosted a few local, in-person events here in the Seattle area, like Savor the Sweetness and the Serenity Retreat. The Serenity Retreat was another success! This relaxing and delightful even took place again June 14, 2025; learn more and see the photos below! If you are interested in such local events, please contact me for more information, with any questions, or to join the invite list for future events! Savor the Sweetness will take place again September 20, 2025, so mark your calendars and watch for more information!
I have the privilege of hosting the Emotional Intelligence Special Interest Group for ICFLA. We kicked off our 2025 explorations and learning journey on February 25th with guest Dr. J.D. Pincus of AgileBrain, who walked us through The LA Wildfires through the Lens of Emotional Needs: Coaching in Times of Loss. On Tuesday, June 24th, we both revisited and explored emotional intelligence in coaching through our topic, Emotional Intelligence Foundations for Coaching and Workplace Impact, with guest Maribel Hines, MBA, SPHR, CPLP. Maribel offered her insights, wisdom, and perspective through her in-house leadership and coaching and EQ practitioner lens. It was a great session as we translated theory and emotional intelligence into action and impact! It’s not too late to join the August 26th session with Dr. Joan Flora on From Reactivity to Resilience: Coaching to Soften Reactivity and Strengthen Resilience and register today!
In 2024, we had Dr. Heather Backstrom, author of Collaborative Confidence, who presented on “Using Stakeholder Mapping to Help Clients Enhance Self-Awareness.” We explored The Relevance of EI in the Workplace and Exploring and Supporting Confidence in Our Clients, with guest, Irené Turtle, Executive and Team Coach. In August, I hosted and spoke on the topic of “Decision-Making and Anxiety in the Workplace”. We closed the year on October 22nd with guest Dr. Sohee Jun, who spoke on the topic of How to Be” vs. “Who We Are”: Confidence and Authenticity in the Workplace. If these sorts of topics intrigue you, please come join us! You do not need to be a coach or a member of ICFLA to attend these sessions. Please join me for our remaining sessions in 2025, taking place June 24th, August and October!
I have also joined forces with James Garrett at BrainByDesign, where I have had the distinct privilege of working with colleagues, Paula Miles and Sandra Clifton, to support aspiring female leaders in the workshop series, The Brain Science Advantage for Women Leaders. This 8-week course takes a deep dive into the brain science of habits, productivity, fear and happiness, and includes 8 live sessions with James, Paula, Sandra and me where we dive even deeper into related issues specifically relevant to women. Check it out and join us as we begin a new journey in September! Also check out the latest work at BrainByDesign – The Confidence Challenge and The Confident Finisher Program – and leverage neuroscience to overcome the roadblocks in your brain to achieve your most important goals!
If you are interested in joining and co-creating these learning communities, please use the links above to learn more about ICFLA’s Emotional Intelligence Special Interest Group, BrainByDesign, and the Women’s Events. I hope you will come along for the journey!
I’m always looking for new inspiration, new books to read, and new podcasts to listen to, so please send your suggestions my way or comment on this post to offer some new recommendations! As always, thank you for your continued support and readership! Stay strong, stay brave, stay true to you!
Wishing you a season of spending time alone, solo adventures, enjoying your own company, and a deep awareness that everything you need and desire lies within! Thank you for being a part of my journey!
Au revoir!
Desiree Briel Rodi Consulting & Coaching 
[…] you can find them all on my blog. If you enjoyed this post, take a look at August’s Three Thoughts. You may also be interested in reading my four-part Lessons of the Run series […]
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