“You speak of monsters and superheroes.That’s the stuff of myth and fairytales.Reality, truth, is rarely so simple.People are not so easily defined.Only by facing all of ourselves,the good and the bad,can we become whole.” ~ Dr. Brenner, Stranger Things ~ As I shared in the last entry, the classical training...

“True stories are nourishing. They feed us.” Gracious Wings, His Dark Materials Welcome back. Whether you’re here because you feel called to uncover more Truth, or you’re just being nosey about mine, I’m glad you’re here and hope you’ll read to the end. My obsession with Truth started with the...

“But what if that story isn’t true?” His intensely curious tone didn’t do much to soften the impact of the direct assault on my… well, my whole identity really. I was eighteen years old. Just graduated from a religious high school. Recently moved out of my childhood homebut still close...

I know what’s worth a fight and what’s not.  ~ Jamie, Outlander ~ “What would you do to protect your family from evil?” As my client’s question reverberated through every cell of my body, it beckoned another asked by one of my most supportive allies from a decade of pruned...

Oh… uhhhh… that was… exactly how SHE would have said it… Time slowed internally for a moment as I looked out at two hundred or so faces. How would I say it? There, in front of mentors, clients, friends, and perfect strangers all gathered in celebration, I had an out-of-body...

“I stand here without fearbecause I remember that I amhere not because of the path that lies before mebut because of the path that lies behind me.” ~ Morpheus, The Matrix ~ You really can’t make it up, I thought, as the single tear rolled down my cheek. Monday, I sent out a...

“There is more.I hear it hiding in your voice.” ~ Marie, All the Light We Cannot See ~   Eyes already welling with tears, I almost missed him toddle under the canvas flap that separated the city’s sounds and creatures that swirled around us, unaware of what was happening inside this sacred...

It was mid-December when I quickly clicked the button and selected seats for the book tour I’d been waiting for.   This messenger’s psychological and neurobiological approach to the primary story that defined my identity has opened portals of healing since 2017 when I first found his lectures on Genesis.  I’m...

“The Sphinxes’ eyes stay closed until someone who does not feel his own worth tries to pass by.” ~ Engywook, Neverending Story ~ What the…? I sat up on the couch and grabbed the remote to rewind the scene I’d watched a dozen times since I was little… and never really heard…...

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” ~ Carl G. Jung ~ Exhausted to my core after a long week of disrupted sleep and fighting a bug, and working to close out some giant projects on time, I stepped out...

Dumbledore: "Back again, Harry? I see that you, like so many before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised. I trust by now you realize what it does. Let me give you a clue. The happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only...

“We repeat what we don’t repair.” ~ Harris III, The Wonder Switch ~ “Grrrrr…” I’m pretty sure that was the sound I made as I flung my office door open and startled my son, who was just trying to walk down the hallway in peace. “Uh oh, what happened?” he...

In the last few weeks, I’ve lost count of the number of times I have heard or read content that equates Netflix binges with numbing substances such as alcohol and drugs, or behaviors such as promiscuous sex or self-harm. It’s just being included in lists as one of the many...

"Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An...

Intuition Isn’t Enough “Be curious, not judgmental.” ~ Ted Lasso ~   I clicked “End Meeting,” flopped back in my chair, and let out a little scream. Loud enough to release the pressure, but not so loud that everyone in the house would come running. I needed time to myself to...

"The brand isn't something you earn, it's something you live up to." ~ John Dutton, Yellowstone ~ The words slapped me in the face, and their impact reverberated through every cell. I had to pause, rewind, rewatch, repeat, and then eventually write it down. If you've seen the show, you know that the...

I know y’all are probably kinda busy right now, so I’m gonna make this short. As I reflect on all that has transpired this year, there are a few major themes that stand out [okay, they slapped me in the face!] that I offer here in hopes they act like a shortcut...

If I asked you to tell me your story,what would you tell me?   Would it be a comedy or a tragedy?Would it be a tale with themes of:abuse, achievement, addiction, adventure, anxiety, betrayal, bullying, confusion, depression, evolution, fear, gratitude, healing, indignation, inspiration, joy, kismet, loss, love, meaning, neglect, overcoming, pain, pleasure, questioning,...

“What are you most grateful for this year?” If you are a human who’s been living on this planet for the last 18 months, your answer to this question might not come quickly or easily… or at all. Maybe you have lost a loved one. Maybe you have survived a...

So… I’m going to speak to the elephant in the room first… I’m sure you’ve noticed that there are stretches of time where I’m deeply inspired and writing and sharing and inviting regularly… And then there are stretches of time where I’m really quiet and committing the cardinal sin of...

Wow. Six weeks. Where did it go? Ever feel like you're on a roll with a project, and then a plot twist appears to take you far away from that path that felt like the right one? A relationship rupture.A financial fall-out.A health crisis.Or…I see this all the time with...

We’ve seen this series so many times before that I only half-watched most of the episodes while playing Words with Friends with my mom. But last night, the quiet voice inside said, “Put your phone down for this one.” Curiously, I had missed the title of it, “The Calling,” by...

“All men are not created equal,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Umm… what do you mean?” I asked while consciously fixing my fallen jaw and wide eyes before she looked back at me. “Well, people are not the same…” she started. “They have varying personalities, levels of intelligence and capacity, moral compasses...

Less than an hour into my shift, and I was already beside myself with frustration. The mask reducing my oxygen intake, making my chest constrict and heart race. This can’t be healthy! The clear, hard plastic wall between me and the customers. It’s more of a barrier for human connection...

Note: The first half of this blog might seem repetitive and annoying, but I encourage you to read it all.  “Hi there, how are you today?” I ask as I reach for the first item to scan. “I’m pretty good. How about you?” she asks as she piles her items...

“Amanda,” she started and then took a deep breath. “You know how you’ve been saying that something isn’t right, but you can’t put your finger on what it is?” I was so exhausted, all I could do was nod and stare straight ahead through the windshield of the SUV, into...

“I just give that part of me a JOB. They are in charge of…” One of my cherished mentors proceeded to list all of the tasks and activities she’d delegated to her Ego: wardrobe, hair, makeup, etc. My sides nearly split with laughter, but I was so grateful for that...

"How was it in here this morning?" I asked the top dog at the grocery store, who happens to be one of the most awesome leaders I've ever met. Top 10 for sure. "Honestly," he started, his eyes misting, "I was pretty teary-eyed that first hour. The seniors were really...

I can’t count the number of times someone told me to “Stay Safe” as we were finishing our interaction at the register or somewhere else in the store. They struck me funny, as they were usually preceded with episodes of forgotten phones and wallets, dropping items on the floor, etc....

“You know what’s great about this show?” my teenager started as I wiped my tears. “It’s the only show that I’ve seen that assumes that life happens FOR us, not TO us.” We’d just finished the season finale of “God Friended Me,” and despite the somewhat cheesy lines and overcooked...

“Amanda, how are you?” he asked in his thick Colombian accent. “I’m well,” I responded and glanced up to smile at him before continuing my task of cleaning the café counter that had been destroyed by the dinner rush. “You look tired, Amanda. Is today your Friday?” His voice was...

I was on the phone with an old friend who had known me for a long time and witnessed my passion and capacity for helping messengers. “How long do you think will you have to work there?” he asked after I told him I had a part-time job at Whole...

With True to Intention, I am blessed to work with messengers—visionaries who have developed solutions to massive problems in the world. These are not simple “how-to” folks. These are big picture, “we have to change this paradigm or there will some serious consequences” folks. These messages are elixirs they have...

It was almost time to go home. My feet hurt. My back was ready for me to call it a day. Making change was becoming stupidly challenging. Come on, Amanda—just another twenty minutes. I glanced up at the last-minute-shopper line forming and forced a sleepy smile. “Hello, how are you...

It was early July 2018 and time to write my book, Upside-Down Messenger. I’d told the world that it would be out in September, and my deadline for completing the manuscript was fast-approaching. But I was stuck. Sit down. Type a few words. Get stuck. Leave the office. Repeat. What is...

“Do you have Prime?” I asked the smiling young woman on the other side of my register. “My husband does. His phone number is…” Her voice trailed off and I glanced up to see her eyes scanning her brain for the numbers. I smiled to myself and put the last...

It was the day after Thanksgiving when I first noticed the magnet on the register at Whole Foods. My heart resonated a loud YES, while my mind offered a quiet HMMMM. Noticing a customer coming toward me, I waved at my register to indicate it was open, took my position, and got...

“Oh man! How did I miss that?” I put the tv remote down a little too hard for dramatic effect. “There were a whole bunch of foreshadows, and I still missed it! My story-ometer is off. Must be the gross amounts of sugar…” They both laughed at my dramatic display...

I wish you could have seen me yesterday about 4:30pm. In the middle of Whole Foods — the hot bar section specifically — waiting for my pizza to come out of the oven. Reviewing the dozens of posts/comments and emails that came in all day long. Smiling. Glowing with gratitude....

Six years ago today, I received my last email from Ruben. “I love it! This was the perfect way to end this story! Thank you, Amanda!” I sat back in my chair and cried at the legacy this man left and the powerful way we had decided to conclude his...

Two days from now, Upside-Down Messenger: Making the Magical and Messy Journey from Inspiration to Impact is going to launch.It has been quite the adventure. Fourteen months of this particular journey from inspiration to impact. Five years of intensive work to heal and rewire the st*ries that would have undermined all of...

Last week, I sat in a room with more than a dozen college students and watched one of my clients share her message with them. As I listened to them discuss the challenges they face in today’s cultural climate, I thought back to this era of my life and winced....

Back when people knew me only as a book coach (ahem)…I was waiting to take a stage and the person introducing me said something like, “…because we all have to write the book that we really need to read.” He didn’t mean it. In fact, he corrected himself. But I...

For those of you who are new to this conversation, I had a few powerful interactions with one of my clients/mentors in 2012 that utterly changed my life and work. The first question he gifted me was, “What would I do if I only had 30 days left?” because when...

Living in the question of, “What would I do if I only had 30 days to live?” a sweet little soul took me straight to the core answer. I could see her little light shining from the front of the plane. As I made my way back to my seat in...