Good Human Collab

> > Soulful Saturday 7.0 - Week #5: gratitude + grace

For several months, I’ve been circulating this open dialogue about the weight of responsibility, the guilt we carry when we get tired, and the shame we have trouble shedding. It’s like saying it out loud and having real conversations provides permission for acknowledgement, for empathy, for healing.

But then this thought popped into my head: out of chaos comes clarity. And right now, I believe that must be true because there are so many levels to this life… and maybe the seasons are packed with lessons and teachers and heavy emotions that feel too big to manage.

Or maybe it’s the conversation about the things that light you up, the ways you discover your genius, the humans who love you even in the hardest times. Because out of chaos comes clarity, and with clarity comes creativity — to provide a space to grow, to create, to be.

And that latest iteration of creativity is a new subsidiary of Good Human called gratitude + grace. Teaming up with a soul who constantly wants others to win, our first series of events are called “Peace by Piece: A Mindfulness Journey.”

> > Soulful Saturday 7.0 - Week #4: forever

My computer updated overnight. And when I logged in, my iMessages were opened… even though my phone hasn’t synced in a while. The text message that was opened wasn’t the first in the list; rather, it was the one I needed most. Like a gentle reminder that my blessings exist in human form.

It just so happens that I spent the day with two of my biggest blessings. While my dad and I were in a doctor’s appointment, my mom was busy making best friends with a woman in the lobby. My mom mentioned this woman on three different occasions while we were driving in the car, noting how much she loves people like her. And then she said, “May blessings go to her today.”

I pray I never forget how blessed I am. I love you forever.

continued…. > > Soulful Saturday 7.0 - Week #3: level up (part 2)

So what does it look like to continue to show up and lead while you’re stuck in this pile of pain? How do you ask for help when it has the potential to backfire? Where do we find the reprieve when it feels like the pause is broken? Carrying the weight of responsibility and purpose gets harder when humans trust that you’ll get it right, expecting you know the best way to navigate or make decisions… even when the tank is empty. 

Yesterday, I had a meeting with a stranger who helped me repackage my doubt. She said something along the lines of, “Rachael, what if this season of learning creates greater opportunity when you level up?” She breathed belief into my exhaustion and reminded me that growth was always going to need room for imperfection. That there was never a version of this journey where I was going to get everything right all the time, even and especially when others disagree. 

To those who met me with love in the hardest moments of this journey, my gratitude runs deeper than words can hold.

And to those who are sitting in this space of doubt or pain, you are welcome to join a yin or meditation class… there’s something powerful about walking beside each other as we learn to soften and strengthen the voice within.

> > Soulful Saturday 7.0 - Week #2: level up (part 1)

I’ve spent the better part of these past twelve months desperately seeking balance. I negotiated with myself constantly, saying things like:
-“If you can make it through this week, this project, this meeting, this conversation…”
-“If you can build better habits — exercise, eat better, create a stronger sleep routine…”
-“If you can change the way you internalize things, carry responsibility, hold the pain of humanity…”
-“If you can hear what humans need and innovate, strategize, adapt, meet them where they are…”

But the “if you” statements just crafted a perfect storm of an unregulated nervous system, one where I thought I needed to fix every problem brought my way, one where I started to doubt my mission in this world, one where I allowed cortisol and anxiety to come out of my mouth in ways that weren’t in alignment. I became exhausted by rehashing the pain, thinking I wasn’t doing enough, trying to defend and over explain myself, while simultaneously holding myself together. It’s like I lost myself in the messiness of life, trying to mop up the spillage with a broken, splintered handle.

…continued

> > Soulful Saturday 7.0 - Week #1: begin again

It’s an interesting concept… to begin again. As if we have this ability to restart, realign, reignite who and how we are. Like when we change our mind, our stance, our opinion on how we pave our way in this life, following a blueprint crafted uniquely for us.

But what happens right before the shift? For me, it’s been seasons of trying to rapidly sit still, of outgrowing who I thought I wanted to be, of changing and reshaping and releasing the parts of me that no longer fit. It’s forgiving myself for the mistakes I’ve made, acknowledging the humanness of being out of alignment, realizing the exhaustion of overthinking without action. It’s all the things I said or didn’t say, the way I overanalyzed or underdelivered, the feelings I justified out of hurt or misunderstanding.

It’s that sweet spot in life — the way we can begin again and again and again, hopefully becoming better versions of ourselves with each iteration. It’s letting go of the competition and showing up for the reasons that fill your soul. It’s apologizing for the things you didn’t mean and saying the meaningful things you left unsaid. It’s this internal dance that we all get to learn… the one that has new harmonies with each lesson, new moves with every chapter, new rhythms with each season.

May you find the courage to begin again… this time with an overload of self-love.

> > Soulful Saturday 4.0 - Week #51: carry on

This past year redefined the way I live my life. The lessons tested my core values in the spaces of my career, my time, my purpose. It crafted a deeper sense of self-reflection that turned pain into purpose. It cracked open my depths of understanding that everything is internal — the way we talk to ourselves, the way we interpret situations, the way we react based from our reality. This trio determines the way we navigate the next steps, stepping into our best self or learning another lesson.

And maybe that’s how it feels to deepen our understanding and care of humanity… the heartbreaks and the happiness, the storms and the sunshine, the grieving and the gratitude. This year generated a strength inside of me that is graceful and gentle, compassionate and courageous, determined and dedicated.

This life is meant for us to carry on — as a light in the darkness, as a messenger in the noisiness, as a peacekeeper in the chaos.

Poem (pictured) by the wildly talented Morgan Harper Nichols 💜

> > Soulful Saturday 4.0 - Week #50: irregular

I was in a hurry the other day, running a little behind for an appointment. I had a bit of coffee left in my irregularly shaped cup, one that I knew wouldn’t fit in my cupholder. But I didn’t want to transfer it because… well, I’m not trying to clean more dishes than absolutely necessary.

Here I am — driving to this appointment, attempting to eat a post-workout protein bar, balancing this irregularly shaped coffee cup in the cupholder. I thought to myself what a mess it would be if it would spill, but the cup was less than half full and my protein bar was almost gone. So as I come down the hill, I see a police car on the side of the road. I instinctively hit the brakes and the coffee spills directly into the cupholder, holding still a few sips because I clearly needed the coffee post-spill.

And all I could think about is how often we force something, even though we know it doesn’t fit. We still rush, even though we know we should enjoy the journey. We still doubt ourselves, even if we are going the speed limit. We still worry about cleaning up the mess, even if it lands conveniently in a contained space.

Today, I took another irregularly shaped cup in my car, knowing it wouldn’t fit in the cupholder but trusting myself a little more. No force, no rush, no doubt, no worry.

> > Soulful Saturday 4.0 - Week #49: joy

I was scooting to one of my new fav coffee shops with one of my favorite humans this morning. This song came on that I’ve listened to on repeat, but this one line kept replaying in my mind: “What a joy it is to fall into your presence.”

And I started processing this one statement, creating a sense wonder in a burst of thoughts:
-How often have I overlooked or undervalued the joy of someone’s presence?
-Imagine falling into someone’s presence, like a symphony of gentle love notes.
-The older I get, the more drastic my goals shift from doing to being.
-Presence is a gift — no distractions, no competition, no fear.
-Should I create a workshop on the intentionality of being present?
-If I “caught” myself being present for the next 30 days, what would shift?

Anyway, the beauty of falling into someone’s presence is now something I’ll consciously be monitoring and grateful for… not just convenient presence, but intentional presence. Because there is something deeply valuable, deeply human, about being with someone who is fully there — unfiltered, unbothered, unhurried.

Even if only for a few seconds.

> > Soulful Saturday 4.0 - Week #48: carriers

This morning, I was flipping through the pages of the notebook I bring to church. Out of curiosity, I looked at the first entry, the page I left undated because I thought I had abundant faith and uncertainty if four walls could generate a deeper sense of purpose. I thought I had enough reminders in life — humans, places, situations. Like the sunsets created enough of an exhale, allowing me to find gratitude on the heaviest days.

But this entry reminded me why I continue to attend, sitting quietly so I can absorb the message that expands my grace and creates calm in my chaos. Those four walls build community organically, design timely messages to heal and rejuvenate, and welcome all to be carriers of hope. Those four walls contain a plethora of love and have enough courage to expand in untraditional ways, piloting a more impactful sense of doing life together. Because together is more hopeful.

May you find ways to be a carrier of hope... through the good and the bad, the organized and the messy, the inhale and the exhale.