Creativity and Courage Archives

Spread Your Wings

Have you ever felt a quiet nudge within—an inner knowing that it’s time to grow, to evolve, to let the next version of yourself emerge? I like to think of this moment as the call to spread your wings.

Transformation doesn’t always come with fanfare. Sometimes, it begins as a whisper. A restlessness. A sense that the life you’ve been living no longer fully fits who you are becoming.

The image I’m sharing here—a peacock, wings at its sides—captures that moment just before the full expansion. It’s beautiful even in stillness. There’s strength and grace in the pause, in the waiting. It’s not any less magnificent because it hasn’t fully opened. In fact, that’s often where the most profound growth begins: in the quiet space before the unfolding.

Like the peacock, you, too, carry within you the potential for radiance. Even if you’re not quite ready to show it all. Even if you’re still gathering your courage. There is power in simply standing in who you are, right now.

Your Dreams Are Alive and Well

by Nancy Harris 2 Comments

Life can be disappointing. People let us down. They lie, cheat, betray our trust. Unexpected events knock us off course, draining our energy and breaking our spirit. It can feel almost impossible to pursue what we want when most of our time is consumed by obligations, responsibilities, and putting out fires.

But what if—beneath all the chaos—your long-forgotten dreams are still alive and well?

If that feels hard to believe, let’s just pause and suspend disbelief for a moment. Let’s peer into the corners of your heart and brush off the cobwebs. Let’s uncover the dreams you tucked away when life got too loud, too busy, too painful.

Take a moment.

Close your eyes. Breathe. Drop into your heart and listen.

What do you hear?

How to Listen to Your Soul: A Guide to Deepening Self-Awareness

by Nancy Harris 1 Comment

In today’s busy world, it’s easy to lose touch with ourselves. External distractions, the pressure of daily responsibilities, and constant noise can drown out the subtle yet powerful voice of our soul. But beneath all the external clamor, your soul is always there, guiding you toward deeper peace and purpose. It’s all about deepening self-awareness.

Listening to your soul isn’t about hearing dramatic revelations. It’s about reconnecting with your inner wisdom, finding clarity, and living more authentically. When I work with clients, their issues begin to resolved when they slow down and listen to their inner voice which invariably holds the answers they are seeking.

Let’s explore practical ways to tune into your soul and create a life aligned with your true self.

1. Create Quiet Space for Reflection

To hear the voice of your soul, you must first create space for stillness. In our hectic lives, moments of calm are precious, yet essential.

Meditation: In deepening self-awareness, meditation is one of the most effective ways to quiet the mind and tune into your deeper self. Even just a few minutes a day can help you cultivate awareness and start hearing your soul’s whispers.
Journaling: Writing can help you clarify your thoughts and access your inner wisdom. Don’t worry about perfection; just let the words flow. Sometimes the most profound insights come when you express your thoughts on paper.
Nature Walks: Spending time in nature offers a simple yet powerful way to reconnect with your soul. Whether you’re strolling through a park or hiking in the mountains, nature helps you quiet the mind and listen deeply.

Whose Life Are You Living?

by Nancy Harris Leave a Comment

In the book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, by Bronnie Ware, she discusses what most haunts those actively dying about how they ultimately spent their time on earth. What do you think is the number one regret? It is something I can vouch for as someone who has talked with hundreds of people over the past twenty years about their lives.

Bronnie found that the number one regret of those dying, is not living life according to one’s own terms. Essentially that means making choices in life to please others rather than listening to one’s own heart.

Bronnie states it as: “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

I see this pattern in almost every client in one form or another. We’ve all been there, right? Can you relate?

This can be the client who married a partner who needed caretaking because that was her role in her family as a child. Then at age 50, she realizes she never pursued her own career or dreams.

Turn Towards the Light

by Nancy Harris Leave a Comment

When I feel like writing something and don’t have a topic, I search for photos that inspire me. This one seemed to have such an obvious message…

Nature is such a great teacher. In these times of extreme change and darkness, we can always do as nature does and turn towards the light.

Darkness is so easy to find these days. All you have to do is look at any headline and you are hit with talk of fear, toxic behavior and impending doom and gloom.

It’s easy to become numb to it and start to lose hope for our future, our planet and life itself. It can start to feel like a constant slog through obstacle after obstacle.

However, I have found that it all depends on where we put our focus. I am reminded of the story of the race car driver who said he never looks at the wall when racing around the track at high speeds. His advice was to only look at where you want to go, not where you don’t want to go—otherwise you increase your likelihood of hitting the wall! Makes sense.

When I work with clients who want to make a big transition, it is natural that their “ego mind” is full of stories about all the things that can go wrong. The ego loves a good drama. It can be comical sometimes. On occasion, I will point out to clients, “Wow, there’s a lot of drama going on there” and we have a good laugh. Seeing the absurdity of the fear-based story can break the trance or spell that this kind of thinking creates.

I’ve been there myself. My common story was that If I made some big change everything would go wrong and I would inevitably end up living as a bag-lady on the street somewhere. Ever run that story? I actually think I have conquered that particular fear, but I remember it well!