Soulful Living Blog | Conscious Growth + Spiritual Insights

When Life Has Other Plans

Posted on September 28, 2026 by Kristin Larsen

“This is not the life I imagined. What I really want is…….” How do we accept this when life has other plans?

Difficulty in Accepting

At this moment a thought I am having might be telling me;

I thought I would be married by now.

I thought I would have children.

I thought my career would look different.

I thought I would be further ahead financially.

I thought my health would be different.

I thought I would have figured certain things out by now.

Everyone has a vision of what we imagine our life to look like.

What relationships, family, success, security, health, and fulfillment might look like.

When reality doesn’t match our vision, there can be a real sense of loss.

The sense of loss might make it difficult to accept. If it is accepted, it could mean accepting that part of my life is a failure.

Letting Yourself Down

It can feel like we have let part of ourself down by not fulfilling the desired vision. The self judgement intensifies. A personal inquisition of character. Not only do we feel like we let ourselves down, but it feels like we didn’t become the person we thought we were meant to become.

With the self judgement is guilt. Maybe the pressure was extreme in many directions. It might magnify into feeling like we let others down.

Embracing the Grief

The grief can be felt for the circumstance, but also for the attached vision of who we thought we were meant to become.

“I thought I would be a mother by this age.”

“I thought I would be successful in this particular career.”

“I thought I would be healthier.”

“I thought I would have financial freedom.”

“I thought I would be further along.”

A new question develops;

Who am I if that isn’t my story?

The loss of control makes it even more difficult. The internal narrative shifts to “I should have.”

I should have done more.
I should have known better.
I should have made different choices.

Grief can invite a compassionate part of ourselves to emerge;

Can I be honest with myself about what hurts?

Can I meet myself there without blaming or shaming for being there?

The grief can be a way to honour what is or was important to us.

We don’t have to turn disappointment into a lesson immediately.
We don’t have to find the blessing before we are ready.
We don’t have to be grateful for everything that happened.

We can acknowledge:

“This mattered to me. And it hurts that it didn’t happen the way I hoped.”

Embodiment For Acceptance

True acceptance extends beyond convincing our mind to make a mental shift.

Sometimes we have to feel where we are.

What happens in your body when you say:

This is not the life I imagined.

Where do you tighten?

What emotion comes forward?

Sadness?

Anger?

Fear?

Shame?

Relief?

Longing?

Maybe there are several at once.

Embodied acceptance might ask;

Can I stay here for a moment without trying to change it?

Opening to New Possibilities

Accepting circumstances as they are does not mean accepting that this is all my life gets to be.

It can simply mean, “this is where I am at this moment.”

It doesn’t have to mean we have to stay in the disappointment of the circumstance.

Choice doesn’t come from something imagined. It comes from what is already here in this present moment.

There can still be a place for what we want. We don’t have to hold the struggle that we are not there yet, or the person we have not yet become.

With this life I have, what is still mine to choose?

What is possible to live this life more fully?

How would I like to continue experiencing my days?

Transition To Trust

When does trust become possible?

When does trust become believable?

When do we have faith in trust?

What if I don’t need to know what comes next at this moment?

Maybe the invitation to trust, is to allow a space of openness for what we haven’t considered.

Life may not offer the exact future we imagined.

That doesn’t mean there is no future.

Possibilities can still exist that we couldn’t have imagined from the perspective we once had.

We don’t have to decide what they are today.

What might expand within ourself in conscious curiosity?

A deeper question unfolds if we choose to embrace trust.

Can I trust myself to meet what comes next?

I can listen.
I can pause.
I can choose.
I can adjust.
I can begin again.
I can meet myself where I am.

Anchoring With Gratitude

In the trust, in the curiosity, in the acceptance, in the grieving, we might begin to notice what is here.

The people.

The moments.

The experiences we never could have planned.

The person we have become already.

The things we know now that we didn’t know then.

The life that may not be the one we imagined, is still ours.

Gratitude doesn’t have to be about deciding that this is the life or path we would have chosen.

As difficult as it may be to see, maybe gratitude is opening to a possibility to see the life that chose us.

To see the ambiance of details that make it beautiful.

What if we choose to view life from a different lens?

It might become less obscured from the judgement of imperfections that initially attracted our attention.

A different focus helps us to see the blessings that were hidden from our vision.

We realize our life is beautiful because the choice that was made was to see it’s beauty. Accepting the imperfections as part of life’s grand experience that revealed something special to us.

The light of compassion guides a pathway to accept an imperfect circumstance with a greeting of possibility as a choice.

A Space To Reflect

What is the life I imagined?

What part of that imagined life am I grieving?

What am I disappointed about?

Where have I been making myself wrong for being where I am?

What would change if I met myself here with compassion rather than judgment?

What am I trying to force myself to accept before I have allowed myself to grieve?

What is actually true about my life right now?

What is still within my choice?

What wants my attention—not because I need to fix it, but because it wants to be acknowledged?

What possibilities become visible when I stop requiring my life to look a certain way?

What would it mean to trust myself with the next part of my life, even if I cannot see the whole path?

Can I make room for gratitude for the life that is here without requiring myself to stop longing for what I still desire?

The Cycle of Being Inspired

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Kristin Larsen

Do you ever have that feeling that prompts excitement to take action in some way?

You might be in the cycle of being inspired.

How did I get in the cycle?

Maybe it began with curiosity and wonder. Being curious about an idea or something you see. Taking an action toward the curiosity and wonder because it is important to you.

It might even be a challenge that creates an intrigue to navigate.

Did you wait to be in the cycle or did you actively immerse yourself in your experiences and observations?

Did you accept the invitation?

When did I choose to BE inspired?

The choice to be inspired might have come from seeing new perspectives and new possibilities. The enthusiasm created an energetic impulse to take action. A readiness to transform the idea into something that unleashes your capability. A transformation of your unique creativity into a process of actionable sequences.

Was I actually ready?

Did the perspective or idea guide me?

The moment I created inspiration

What action was taken to create the inspiration?

Momentum was generated by a step. A small simple, intentional step.

It wasn’t overthought. The focus was not directed at “what if” the action does not succeed.

Maybe the focus was an intention, “what do I want to create?”

Repeat the inspiration cycle

What allows the repeated momentum of being inspiration?

Taking action might feel like it needs to be constant. Sometimes responsiveness to “doing” softens.

It might feel like the momentum is disappearing. Maybe the cycle of inspiration is calling for something that isn’t about taking action.

Being intentional about inspiration also requires connection. This might include reflection or some type of organization of thoughts, feelings, or associated purpose to the inspiration.

The wave can be strong for a period, then slow gradually. Accepting the flow of the wave through the cycle of inspiration can be beneficial to maintain momentum.

The misconception might be to question if the inspiration is lost, or lessened due to the softened energy behind it.

When the intention is connected in fullness with inspiration, it is understood that the softened energy is part of the process.

The cycle continues in momentum through intentional energy, presence and connection.

Until the inspirational wave reaches its peak again.

Inspiration has an intentional purpose. It connects with a vision of importance.

The Transition From Worry to Calm

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Kristin Larsen

The mind can often construct distorted perceptions and stories in a state of stress. In this state, it can also seem difficult to begin the transition from worry to calm.

First, there is a focus on what is wrong, what isn’t right.

Second, shame or inadequacy makes it’s entrance.

Third, the pressure to initiate a “fix” for the moment becomes a strong incentive to comply.

What this often contributes to is a sense of not being enough.

In the moment, the reaction is to confront, resist, or navigate the fight-or-flight response.

Processing the Emotions

Being in the fight-or-flight response makes it challenging to step away from reacting. What if awareness were pre-intended beforehand?

A habit that builds within each experience. A powerful presence WITH the emotions.

Soon, the pre-intended awareness moves to the thoughts that trigger the emotions. You are no longer identifying yourself as the emotions. You see yourself as someone experiencing an emotion. It becomes two different ways of processing the emotions.

You stop to take a breath. To notice your breath and gradually slow it down. A feeling of calmness begins. You say to yourself, “I notice I’m feeling _________ right now. That’s okay to feel ____. I appreciate that I noticed it.”
The invitation for curiosity is presented. I wonder what is causing me to feel ______ right now? May I give myself a moment to be with this feeling.

A sense of peace returns. You see gratitude for the feeling that is trying to capture your attention. With each passing moment, clarity returns.

There is some space to settle with the feelings, without the obligation to force a resolution. You can let go of the need to fix something.

The Story That Supports The Worry

Worry is like an author who is actively writing a book. The antagonist is worry. It is the internal conflict. The obstacle must be identified to see the lesson that needs to be learned to let go of the worry.

Typically, the worry is an obscure fear about something that might happen if control is lost, uncertainty is not clear, and doubt persists in not knowing the answers.

The transition to calm is a deepening trust that everything will be ok.

Within this state of trusting everything will be ok,

is surrendering to what can’t be controlled
uncertainty can be safe
answers are in progress
belief of being enough in the moment

Maybe the illusion of our worry is rooted in fear. Our perception of safety will be disrupted because we aren’t sure how to control or stop it quickly enough.

What we interpret as “not being quick enough.”

The meanings take their form, and worry evolves into an elaborate story of intrigue.

How will the main character navigate the moments of intrigue?

If worry is a form of protection, what would the intention of calm be?

The Blessings In Life

Posted on June 30, 2026 by Kristin Larsen

When we see the blessings in life, what allows us to see them?

If our focus is fixated on what we don’t have, what we don’t want, what is not aligning with our vision of possibility, what do we see?

If joy is overlooked in our lived moments, what is it being replaced with instead?

If our perspective is based on evaluating negative and positive outcomes, where do we miss seeing the blessings in life?

If love is our greatest fundamental value for well-being, what will bring us back to nurture its value?

If our intention is not held with conviction, what are we holding that is more important?

If living with an energy of connection is not chosen, what energy are we choosing?

If we believe that blessings happen only when we are worthy to receive them, when do we see them?

If gratitude is left unacknowledged, what takes its place to validate life’s experiences?

If our faith weakens, what happens to the perception of our world?

If being in a state of presence becomes unanchored, what happens to the details of our attention?

The Practice

What is the practice of seeing the blessings in life?

It starts with slowing down to appreciate. How we choose to appreciate is the repeatable practice.

It might be through actions such as acknowledging daily gratitude, journaling, meditation, and consciously reflecting more deeply into the challenges we face to uncover lessons or learning.

Maybe people don’t have the opportunity to see blessings in life because the repeated patterns disrupt how we function internally. Just like any habit, seeing the blessings requires discipline to repeat and create.

We may not know or understand;

How to embrace resilience
How to be present with our emotions
When to slow down
When to reframe and reflect

What prevents us from seeing the blessings in life?

It might seem ordinary to be distracted and consumed by our challenges and our suffering. To allow ourselves to think and feel isolated and alone.

Among these reasons are internal survival strategies that influence how we choose to think and feel in that state of being.

It is the misaligned choices of presence and connection that take us further from what we really want. They continue to keep us stuck and feeling unfulfilled.

Real life examples of seeing the blessings in life

Thankyou for…. or I am grateful for…..

I am grateful for the shelter over my head.

I am grateful for the food I have to nourish me.

I am grateful for my life today.

I am grateful for my breath in this moment.

I am grateful for the water available to me.

I am grateful for the functioning of my body.

I am grateful for the challenges I have overcome.

I am grateful for my family and friends.

I am grateful for moments of connection.

I am grateful for the lessons I have learned in my life.

I am grateful for the lessons I have yet to learn.

I am grateful for unexpected moments of pause.

I am grateful for the time I can rest my body and mind.

I am grateful for the kindness of others.

I am grateful for the opportunity to give and receive.

I am grateful for the availability of peace and calm whenever I want it.

I am grateful for the sunrise and sunset.

I am grateful for compassion.

I am grateful for the expression of love and caring.

I am grateful for having choices.

I am grateful for my faith.

I am grateful for infinite blessings.

What blessings do you see in your life today?

How we choose to see the blessings in life transforms our state of being. It is not forced or coerced into something imagined. It is real because it is honest. A true reflection of appreciation for the intricate mache of details in our life.

In the darkness, I get to see the light within myself. For that, I am truly grateful.

Recommitment To Life Importance

Posted on May 27, 2026 by Kristin Larsen

Today I realized something……what is important to me has faded into the distance. It is now time for a recommitment to life importance.

What have I let become more important?

The distractions, the setbacks, the daily habits I choose, the energy I choose?

What I realize is that commitment is an ongoing, consistent action. When commitment loses its consistency, much learning lies within the inconsistency.

What were the daily actions I truly wanted to take?

What core values was I neglecting?

What passions were left flameless?

What a recommitment to life importance will offer

A recommitment will offer some form of meaning and purpose. A way that efforts feel everlasting. It is part of the resilience process. A knowing that, despite not being in alignment with what is important in life, it is possible to recommit again at this moment. In the recommitment is freedom through the choice of being integrity.

Growth happens in the form of accepting the imperfection of returning to recommit. To become conscious and aware of daily choices. To have self compassion and let go of attachment to mistakes for the past choices that led to the setbacks.

The process of recommitment

Recommitment is not something that happens on its own. There is a requirement for clear intentions. A clear definition of why the intentions are important. Those commitments are daily habit changes, but most importantly, they are life changing.

A follow-through on these intentions means accepting accountability each day. It is a personal responsibility to be the living commitment to those intentions.
It is a choice of inner leadership that transforms available choices into definitive, aligned actions.

In this process, the narrative perspective shifts from self-criticism of the current circumstance to acceptance and compassionate understanding of oneself. There is a connection to motivation, recommitment to intentions, and clarity of how recommitment is important to one’s implementation.

It is all an opportunity for growth in the process. This includes all the challenges, setbacks and failures.

What might a compassionate recommitment look like?

Self compassion is the foundation of recommitment. It might acknowledge the self-judgement, but does not let it linger. It treats the intricate details with kindness.

Through this perspective, there can be a way to embrace imperfection. Being in the acceptance of imperfection can allow a universal understanding of the struggle. A realization that it is part of the human experience. There can be a choice of connection instead of staying in a state of isolation. The choice to be in connection with oneself can lead to kind acts which have small, positive effects.
Operating from a place of compassion instills the courage to move towards the pain instead of away from it.

We can act with integrity, which encourages us to be resilient in the midst of what we are experiencing.

The journey of a connected life

The learning that we take away from recommitting to life importance helps us see the shifts that diverted our attention.

In the growth, we can see that achieving external goals is less important if it does not offer internal fulfillment, authenticity, and deeper, meaningful relationships. It becomes a necessary agenda to honour our own feelings, needs, and truths.

The journey of connection to life importance means being present and consciously mindful of living intentionally with integrity. A powerful decision to allow ourselves to be authentic and overcome the fear of failing or not being perfect.

It becomes empowering to share the loving parts of ourselves without losing ourselves. Constantly maintaining alignment with self-care and core values. This also includes a healthy boundary with our expectations.

When we can commit to this path of recommitment and connection, we become more forgiving of ourselves. We take ownership of our choices, even if they have led to setbacks or challenges. The perspective changes, which helps place focus on self-acceptance rather than critical self-judgment.

Recommitment is a conscious choice to let go of perfection in the safe space of compassionate understanding to proceed.

When the Heaviness In Life Opens Up

Posted on April 27, 2026 by Kristin Larsen

Life has been feeling heavy for a while. The presence of everyday emotions that get you through the day. Then there is that moment when the heaviness in life opens up.

“The distance to get there felt like a long, over-travelled journey.”

The moment you know it opens up

Awareness is the opening. The challenging pathway is to surrender and accept. To stop fighting the emotions. Being with them provides insights into understanding the thoughts that are creating them. In the process is possibility. A “yearning” to take a step towards an action. You may want to gain perspective by seeing things from different viewpoints. A willingness to acknowledge accountability. This could mean changing a personal viewpoint, a narrative that is no longer strongly supported because it doesn’t align with your values that are important to you.

You decide to utilize resources and tools that are accessible that will assist in moving forward.

An energy force inside pulls you forward from the “glued spot” you were standing in.

You now see new ways of “being” in thought, intention and commitment.

How you arrived at that moment

It was a combination of many empowered realizations. The challenge that was encountered was viewed as an opportunity for growth. In those moments you began to see a greater potential within yourself. An acknowledgement of the resilience that has helped navigate the experiences.

There was a new perspective that released some of the heaviness. This offered clarity into what was possible. An accountable acceptance that shifted the focus of what was serving and supportive.

All of this translated into a renewed inner connection.

A return to self.

What you might be realizing

It’s okay to feel what I am feeling. It can be uncomfortable and messy, and there is nothing wrong with that. The experience can be as it is. Shame doesn’t have to be part of it.

There is a shift towards the willingness to heal the wounded parts of the inner self.

A dedication to discovery your own truth.

Uncovering answers to the question, “how does this experience contribute to my truth?”

Where are you being guided

Things are becoming more in focus. Those things of focus are, expanded possibilities and inner leadership.

Inner leadership says, “I will no longer suppress the emotions. I now see them as valid.” In this acceptance is a respect for being vulnerable.

A change in perception of emotional expression as strength instead of weakness.

Self compassion is breathing a new practice of returning to wholeness. Being consistently gentle with yourself in the moments that are tough.

Being connected becomes more important than struggling alone. Making space for what is supportive and doable.

The insight reveals itself, “it doesn’t have to be more.”

When the heaviness in life opens up you will surrender to release the weight. It will feel like a readiness for healing, for necessary changes, and the anticipated return to self. The continual weight of exhausted emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing reaches it’s breaking point. You feel a transformational shift from being in the inner turmoil to accepting, from the choice of isolation to being in connection.

Surrendering to heaviness is a choice to let go of the weight of failure and expand the imagination of what is possible.

When Inner Leadership Overshadows Personal Growth

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Kristin Larsen

Personal growth is an important component in the continual process of developing knowledge and wisdom to expand one’s capabilities.

It is also important to be aware of the calling when inner leadership overshadows personal growth.

What is inner leadership?

Inner leadership harnesses personal growth through inner wisdom to regulate emotions and be authentic to one’s values. It is a dedicated focus of awareness for our intentions in the process.

The connected importance of both

Personal growth is usually focused on becoming better in some way, improving, or developing something that contributes to our overall well-being.

Inner leadership takes these valuable learnings and transforms them into actionable guidance. The learnings are used as tools to help regulate emotions and behaviours. There is a prioritized consideration for “being” the chosen intentions with a commitment to integrity.

The personal growth loop

The experience of continual improvement, combined with the feeling of growth, can become an obstacle to accessing our true potential. A personal growth loop begins to form because it becomes the only main strategic choice we are familiar with.

However, when we feel the need to constantly “fix” ourselves, the focus shifts away from the purpose of what we want to improve. Fixing is the narrative the ego suggests is important because of the feelings of not being good enough. There may be an absence of self-trust to lead ourselves through the challenges. What this means is that we are not able to manage our ego’s needs effectively.

The personal growth loop continues because we are continually trying to prove our worth and validate to ourselves and others that we are good enough and worthy.

The calling for inner leadership

In times of challenges, the focus might shift from personal growth and the “needing” to be better, to answering the call of inner leadership. Self-regulation may be more important for calmness in the moment while trusting the decisions being made in that emotional state.

When the desire to lead with authenticity becomes an important choice in the process, honesty and compassion help someone let go of the attachment to outcomes. In those moments, emotional intelligence is allowed to guide the experience.

Living our core values gives direction through resilience rather than reacting to external distractions.

External distractions, such as panic, anger, or people-pleasing, are instances when reactions control our decisions.

Sometimes we feel that our achievements no longer hold the same purpose that supported our inner security. We begin to question who we really are without the accomplishments and achievements. It no longer feels safe to operate in that way.

Another thought is, if we are constantly striving to be a “better version” of ourselves, where does gratitude get lost in appreciating the person we are now?

Most often, it is fueled by comparison, perfectionism, and the need for validation.

Inner leadership ensures that performed actions are inspired by value-driven, aligned intentions.

Inner leadership in your life

Inner leadership starts by asking, “Who is leading my inner world right now?”

The answer to that question initiates awareness. In that awareness is the opportunity to choose clear intentions for how you would like to lead yourself.

It is a practice that focuses on emotional regulation. A trust in our inner wisdom to guide us during stress without the reactionary dialogue that is conditioned for our inner safety.

Allowing our values compass to lead with aligned authority to our actions.

Inner leadership is a shared partnership with personal growth. To lead ourselves effectively, it is essential to understand ourselves and develop our inner resources through personal growth resources.

Being an effective inner leader means taking responsibility by being a valuable, giving contributor to the shared human experience.

Inner leadership is an invitation to act upon the full potential that already resides within.

A Serving Truth

Posted on March 2, 2026 by Kristin Larsen

What does a serving truth mean to each person?

It could be something that is believed with conviction. In the belief could be a choice of alignment to the truth.

In the context of a serving truth, “alignment” refers to what serves the greater good. To view it from the perspective of a positive, supportive truth.

The choice of a serving truth

A choice implies that there can be an optional truth. Perception and interpretation can distort the serving truth. What happens if there is a conflict of belief, and what could be the serving truth?

The deepest truths involve love, acceptance, and belonging. In those truths are various sub-truths, such as trust, worthiness, self-respect, and self-acceptance.

If perception and interpretation never change, neither will the serving truth.

When the serving truth changes

Sometimes growth, healing or being in a transformational phase is the catalyst for a truth that changes.

The change could begin with perspective. Then curiosity can help us see other perspectives.

Self-honesty offers an authentic lens to view from the connected self.

Self-compassion bridges the gap between reactionary distortion and connected awareness.

What interferes with the serving truth

Fear can be a common obstacle to aligning with a serving truth. Our inner fear instructs choices to be made that self-sabotage what we want to believe is true.

The instinctive habit of adapting to comfort makes it easy to accept a misaligned truth. Within that is the energy required to remain in that place of comfort. Then, it further amplifies the disconnection to oneself and what is most important.

Always coming back and maintaining

Integrity is what is required to continue coming back to living in a truth that serves you. It requires honest courage to say “no” when it means no, and “yes” when it means yes.

Being in the loving sanctum inside yourself is a daily practice of devoting a willingness to surrender and let go. It is consistency that ensures the actions align with the intentions.

There is a balance between a loving self and following a serving truth. The words that instruct the fellowship are meant to be compassionate and graceful. The actions that follow reflect a loving self.

A serving truth embodies compassion and love for persuasive belief.

Soul-Centered Insights for Living with Purpose, Passion, and Presence