Awaken Your Inner Goddess with 7 Powerful Affirmations

How often do you catch yourself saying something unkind to yourself? For many of us, self criticism is the language of the land. And even with a hundred reasons to celebrate ourselves and speak power over ourselves, we still fall into the habit of repeating and even believing the bad stuff. Everyone has an inner dialogue. And usually, any critical thought we have is connected to some negative core belief we’ve been holding onto, that likely isn’t even true. Luckily, the act of creating and reciting affirmations rewires our brain and builds the muscle required to dismiss the negative thought and believe the positive one. 

If you’re struggling to overcome a difficult experience, it’s possible that affirmations alone won’t cure everything. However, they’re a good place to start if you’re looking to take back your power and connect with your Divine Feminine energy. 

Affirmations work best when recited routinely. It also helps to write them down and post them in places that catch your eye-sight easily, like your bathroom mirror or your refrigerator door. Seeing your affirmations regularly can help to imbed them into your subconscious. 

Try looking in a mirror when you say them to build confidence and belief.

• I am unique. I am valuable. I am worthy. I have much to contribute. I love and appreciate who I am.

• My feelings are valid. I make time to pay attention to my emotions. I can easily express how I feel. I am safe. I am comfortable with myself. I am committed to my emotional health.

• I am powerful. I get things done. I have the ability to manifest. The things I want are coming to me. I am confident, strong and bold. I create the life I want.

• I hear the truth and speak the truth. My voice is important. I communicate my truth. I am able to share my wisdom with people who need it.  I use my voice to express love and positivity. 

• I am a money magnet. Money flows to me. I always have what I need. I am open to receiving all the abundance of the Universe. I am receptive to good health, wealth and prosperity. 

• Love is my strength. I embody love in all my interpersonal relationships. I am at peace with myself. I am connected to the most high through love and compassion. I value my body and treat it with love. I deserve sweetness, warmth and reciprocity. 

• I have the gift of endurance. I carry out my responsibilities with confidence and ease. I am careful, practical and disciplined. I make time to do what needs to be done.

5 Thought-Provoking Quotes to Ease the Peer Pressure to Have Kids

Not all childfree women are barren. Some women may have lost children early in their lives and never had more. Whatever the situation, some celebrities managed to have refreshingly honest conversations about a very personal subject to empower women. Remember it could always be a decision to opt out of parenting and the pressure to have children. Childfree women are far from incomplete and we have some celebrity quotes to help you see that womanhood is not always synonymous with motherhood.

• "I try not to listen to the shoulds or coulds, and try to get beyond expectations, peer pressure, or trying to please—and just listen. I believe all the answers are ultimately within us. When I answered those questions regarding having children, I realized that so much of the pressure I was feeling was from outside sources, and I knew I wasn't ready to take that step into motherhood." ​​—Kim Cattrall, O Magazine, 2003

• “I’m happy, but the fact that I'm not married and don't have kids — it's taken me a long time to get to a place where I actually am OK with that, where I actually don't feel like I'm some sort of loser."—Rashida Jones, The Guardian, 2014

• "I've thought about this a lot lately. I never thought I'd be this age and not have kids. But my life has also gone in a million ways I never anticipated. I kept feeling like I'd wake up with absolute clarity, and I haven't. And we have a pretty great life together. The chance that we'll regret it doesn't seem like a compelling enough reason to do it. I may wake up tomorrow with that lightning bolt, and I'll have to scramble to make it happen."—Jennifer Westfeldt, New York Times, 2012

• "Of course I wonder what that would be like but, your destiny is your destiny and I can't imagine, if by some miracle I got pregnant…at this point in my life, I wonder, could I even manage that? It would be a lie to say there's not a bit of sadness there, but I don't get caught up in it."—Kylie Minogue, The Sunday Times, 2018

• “So here I am sorting out what MY LIFE looks like when it’s fully mine, it takes a certain bravery to do that. It means risking being misunderstood, perceived as alone and broken, having no one to focus on, fall into or hide behind, having to be my own support and having to stretch and find family love and connection outside of the traditional places. But, I want to do it. I want to be the Brave Me, the real me, the one whose life is my own.”—Tracee Ellis Ross, Ebony Magazine, 2017

Childfree-A Decision from a Place of Love

“Charles and Monica, sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage” Talk about illegitimate expectations! 

Many of us grew up blushing beet-red at the idea of anyone taunting us with this seemingly harmless nursery rhyme. For some, that is the general path that their story takes. The parts are mixed up for others, and the order gets rearranged, but eventually, they stick the landing. What happens, though, when our young impressionable brains tell us that these three parts: Love, Marriage, and a Baby, must be present for us to be complete? What happens when you get to “level two” only to find out that that is where the story will end?

The answer to these questions will vary, depending on the couple. One thing is for sure, for most women experiencing infertility is devastating, especially if they’re married. This is only made worse by the crippling insecurities and fears that come along with it.

Picture a couple, young and in love, ready to begin a new life together. There is an age difference of ten (10) years between bride and groom, with the bride being the older of the two. The mother-in-law cautions the groom that there is a real possibility that they will not have children naturally. But the groom, at 30 years old, decides that he loves her as she is and doesn’t care whether they can have children or not.

The years go by, and despite their best efforts, the wife cannot get pregnant. Insecurities start setting in, and jealousy takes a seat in her heart. 

“I wish I could have a baby. I know how happy it will make him.”

“I’m sorry that I can’t give you what you want.”

“He’s young and handsome, and I know there are many who want to throw themselves at him. Would he ever…”

Her mind begins to wander, and her confidence in her husband and, worse yet, herself begins to fade.

On the other hand, the husband tries to assure her that, while he wants to have a child, he knew it was always possible that they would not, and he was okay with it. It takes years, but eventually, he convinces her that he is happy with it being just them. 

It isn’t easy for him, though. He meets women who offer to bear him children, and while he would never leave his wife, the temptation is sometimes overwhelming, and he finds himself saddened by the fact that they can’t have children.

The combination of his wandering eyes and her wandering mind inevitably puts an unbearable strain on their marriage. His frequent business trips cause her stress, and knowing that his wife, the woman he loves, does not trust him makes him insecure.

This is the power of the mind. In reality, the husband is satisfied with his wife, and the wife is satisfied with him, but they have both convinced themselves that their shortcomings make them undesirable to the person that loves them the most. Eventually, they seek help and get to a place of acceptance. They discuss but decide against adoption and ultimately go on to enjoy a full and happy marriage.

It is important if we find ourselves in a situation where infertility is an issue that we remember these key things.

• Your spouse is your partner, not your enemy

• Acknowledge the insecurities on both sides.

• Acknowledge the wandering mind.

• Call into focus the wandering mind.

• Discuss the solution that is best for you.

There are many “solutions” to the issue of infertility. You may find one that works for you or, like our couple here, decide that you don’t want to move forward with any of them. 

Whatever you decide to do, especially if it’s to be childfree, be sure that it is a decision, that you make together, and from a place of love.

Break Before You Burn Out: Six Ideas for Your Bucket List

Many of us live hectic and busy lives that don’t really afford us the opportunity to relax at home. Sometimes we all need a little time to ourselves, to make decisions, and discover our strengths. Perhaps you're experiencing health, career, and relationship changes that call for a solo travel solution or a trip with friends. 

It's wonderful to share a special trip and new experiences with a partner, family, or alone from time to time, and here are 6 good fun activities to try on your next vacation. 

• Bolt Farm Treehouse

• Strom Nordic Spa

• Cielo Farms

• The Gondola Getaway

• Macari Vineyard 

• Magic Hour Rooftop

How to Date When You're Childfree Not By Choice

Enter each relationship honestly, being true to yourself, and keeping your eyes wide open.

For many women, dating is already an Olympic sport. Going through the dating process with candidates who appear to be one person only to transform into someone else later down the line is exhausting. The dating pool can seem extremely shallow at times, while you may find yourself jumping into the deep end at other times. The long and short of it all is that dating is an often complicated process.

This process, however, is further complicated by fertility challenges such as PCOS, hormonal imbalance, and infertility. Many women were raised to aspire to motherhood. It has gotten to a place where the value of a woman is hinged on her ability to “give her husband a child.” The effect of this is not an assumption. Many women admittedly tick “relationship goals” boxes; however, when the issue of marriage and children is raised, and the truth is revealed, they find themselves alone… again.

Take, for example, a young Christian woman in her late teenage years who has struggled her whole life with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This is made worse by an earlier misdiagnosis and the administration of the wrong medication. As she approaches her 20s, she is told that if she does not have a child before she turns 25 years old, the maternity window will slam shut for her for good.

This young woman, we’ll call her Jane Doe, desperately wants a child, but she has two main problems. One, she is not married, and it goes against her beliefs to have a child outside of marriage, and two, she lives with her parents, who share her faith.

The shame of her medical condition is so overwhelming that she decides not to tell her family, and she also decides that she is willing to go against what she believes in. This makes her miserable, but she convinces herself that if she can get a child at the end of it all, then it will be worth it. She becomes sexually active with her boyfriend, who is much older than she is and ready to start a family.

Eventually, she moves out of her parents' house, and their relationship becomes strained. Still, she is convinced that everything would work out just fine if she could just have a baby. Her desperation to become a mother causes her to ignore the most blatant red flags in her relationship. Her boyfriend loses his patience with her but does not have the decency to end the relationship, and she is so blinded by the rapidly closing window that she doesn’t end it herself. Eventually, and in the worst way possible, she learns that her boyfriend has been seeing someone else. Not only that, but they are expecting their first child.

She is heartbroken, devastated, and by now, 25 years old. She was so terrified of losing him and the opportunity to have a child that she lost herself.

Now, both sides of the relationship have to take responsibility for their contribution to the ultimate breakdown of the relationship. If you just thought that Jane’s contribution was failing to have a child, then you missed the point. She contributed to the deterioration of the relationship by not being fully present. Her willingness to ignore red flags all in the name of having a child caused her to do more harm than good.

If you are single and childless for medical reasons, you should not feel like less of a woman. You are still valuable and worthy of love, loyalty, and affection. You should enter each relationship honestly, being true to yourself, and keeping your eyes wide open. When the time is right, inform your partner of your medical condition. Until then, be sure to address the red flags and take things slowly. This will give you sufficient time to decide for yourself whether or not this is a person worth revealing your infertility to. Ensure that he is emotionally mature enough to handle this information, regardless of his decision. And remember, just because you cannot bring a child into the world does not mean you deserve to be alone. You are more than just a womb; you are a woman. 

5 Getaway locations for Childfree Adults

There are many reasons why women aren’t having kids these days, whether they want to save money, to focus on themselves, or they’re in the IVF process with their partner, that decision should be respected by family and friends. No matter what your reason is for not bearing children at the moment, everyone deserves a little self-care (especially after the year we’ve had) which is why we’ve created a list of 5-weekend getaway locations in the United States for you to visit to unwind, relax, and indulge in a little me time. 

• Post Ranch Inn - Big Sur, California – Big Sur continues every year to be a beloved vacation spot for anyone needing a getaway. For this location, you’ll want to head to Post Ranch Inn, where you get majestic views of the Santa Lucia Mountains from your room, as well as award-winning cuisine, specialized spa treatments like no other, and bonus, the resort doesn’t allow any kids, which gives you plenty of room indulge in all that Big Sur has to offer.

• Hallmark Resort – Cannon Beach, Oregon – This one’s for the romantic getaway you’ve been meaning to take with your partner, I mean come on, it’s in the name. Hallmark Resort is located on one of the most beautiful stretches of Oregon’s shore overlooking Haystack Rock, a location many people jot down on their itinerary each year. The resort sits a few steps from the beach where you get to explore colorful tide pools and an array of sea life. The resort also features a spa and wellness center, as well as heated saltwater pools, a sauna, and complimentary bike rentals for those times when you want to adventure out.

• Little Palm Island Resort and Spa – Little Torch Key, Florida – So exclusive that you have to take a small plane or boat to get there, this resort sits a few feet from some of the most crystal-clear water you’ll ever see. At your arrival, you’ll be greeted with champagne waiting for you and the chance to walk just a few steps out to the gorgeous ocean view that’s all yours for the weekend. Nap during the day in a hammock or walk along the snow-white sandy beaches and try and spot vibrant coral or the fish that call it home.

• Lake Austin Spa and Resort - Austin, Texas – Keep Austin weird they say, and while we love the vibrant energy this city carries, just a little further out of the city and you hit the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Lake Austin resort is the perfect secluded vacation to take yourself on or go with your partner. They offer all-inclusive packages, gourmet cuisine, and access to the lake for some water activities or tanning.

• Triple Creek Ranch – Darby, Montana – We know a good beach trip is always relaxing but we had to add a location that would help take you out of the stressful city environment and right into the Montana wilderness for some much-needed R&R. This ranch offers you the chance to stay in a lavish cabin or ranch home. They have cozy fireplaces, hot tubes, and activities like hiking, dog sledding, and golfing.

LeNora Faye: Owning your Stance to Live Childfree

Get to know Canadian blogger, LeNora Faye who created a space for childfree men and women.

At a certain point in a woman’s life, she is flooded with questions about bearing children. Questions that can be triggering for women who struggle to get pregnant. However, that’s not the case for LeNora Faye, who loves to rock colorful wigs and portrays herself as an open book. In fact, the Canadian shared that she uses questions about her childfree lifestyle as an opportunity to raise awareness about a growing community of men and women who are unapologetic about their leisure time and confident decision to live childfree. Unsolicited advice from people have also opened the door for LeNora to plug-in her brand namesake which has grown from a blog to a small media company.

LeNora’s creativity has led her to launch not only the podcast, “Childfree Girls” but the “Accidental Parenthood” podcast that tells the story of her brother’s unplanned journey to fatherhood. She is a woman who wears many hats, from a boss to an author.

To further uplift others, LeNora recently partnered with a group of like minded men and women to host a worldwide free conference happening in July 2021 to connect people who live childfree by choice. 

Two moments in LeNora’s life led to her childfree choice. She recalled both experiences in a recent interview. Take a listen: 

Self-Love: An Act of Self -Care

In life, childfree women often feel the same stress as any other woman. And no matter how different our lives are, we all can benefit from a little self-care. So why not take a moment and mark off a square each week as you make mental, physical, and spiritual wellness a priority this week.

Friendship Check-In

Spread the word, and make the first move by checking in with your friends. Below is a funny but serious plea to all the folks who are looking for gifts this holiday season.

Quiz Time: Which House Matches your Personality?

“Home is where the heart is.”

Your romantic life is going well. You finally have a stable career and now you’re looking for the perfect home, or at least dreaming of one. Find out which home suits you best.