Shannon's Corner

  For most of my life, I wore availability like a badge of honor. If someone needed something, I said yes. If someone had a crisis, I rearranged everything. If a request came in last-minute, I made it work—even if it meant sacrificing rest, rushing through my own responsibilities, or pushing past what my body and heart had capacity for. On the outside, it looked like kindness. On the inside, it felt like depletion disguised as service. As a lifelong people-pleaser, setting boundaries didn’t feel natural—it felt selfish. Irresponsible. Even unkind. And the idea of scheduling margin? That was almost laughable. Why would I intentionally leave empty space in my calendar? How often do you feel the angst of constantly rushing, being behind, overcommitted, disconnected, or living out of alignment? When margin is missing, life doesn’t just feel busy—it feels  tight . The body tightens, the mind races, and the heart carries a low-grade ache that we often ignore because it’s become norm...

  When I first sat down and wrote out my core values, I half-expected something dramatic to happen—some clear sense of direction or a feeling that everything would suddenly “click.” But honestly? I just sat there looking at the list thinking,  Okay… now what?   What I’ve learned over the years—both in my own life and walking with others—is that naming your values is just the first step. The real transformation comes when your values begin to quietly shape your everyday rhythms… your choices, your boundaries, your relationships, even the pace at which you move through life.   For me, it started really simply: a note on my mirror, a gentle “no” to something that wasn’t aligned, paying attention when my body felt off. Those tiny cues helped me see,  Oh… this is what it feels like to honor my values. And this is what it feels like when I don’t.   So, if you’re sitting with your list right now wondering what to do next, here’s what I’d invite you into: 1.  ...