Life’s been busy!

Life’s been busy!

My posts have been few in the last couple of weeks with other things in life taking priority.

I’m wrapping up my 50 sessions needed to qualify for the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching exam. The next step is to figure out my study journey for this 4½-hour exam.

I’m doing a few projects for my bookkeeping clients.

Working on my paver project and creating the outdoor space that calls my name.

Taking care of horses and mules. I had a week off from those duties. I didn’t realize how much I needed to rest and reset. Ready to start it up again.

Working 4 days a week at my seasonal job. Which is a lot of fun, and I am getting the socialization I’ve been missing. Didn’t realize how much I missed it. LOL

Oh yes, and taking care of Radar and myself somewhere in there.

The bottom line, my life right now is not what I planned, whatever that plan was. I know I wasn’t planning on starting a new journey in Montana. I had to pivot a lot in that season I was in, and I landed here.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped looking so much at what might have been and started looking at the life I was actually living. And I keep moving toward that tug I feel in my heart.

I created this adventure and I am going to live it the best I can no matter how many times I have to pivot, even if I get dizzy.

What a Difference a Good Night’s Sleep Makes

I have not been sleeping well because of the unusual heat we have been having here in Montana this summer. With triple-digit temperatures and no air conditioning at home, the house stays warm well into the night. Some nights it doesn’t cool off until around 2:00 a.m. Ugh.

Then we got lucky with a couple of days in the 70s. The evenings were cool, no fan was needed, and I slept.

I did not realize how much sleep I had been missing until Tuesday morning, when I woke up actually feeling rested. I had forgotten what that felt like.

What it made me realize was that my body was fatigued, perhaps even stressed.

I felt that fatigue Monday morning when I tried to flip a bale of hay and do some digging around my paver project. My thought was, “Dang, this is hard this morning. Why?”

You see, Monday’s temperatures were finally in the 70s, so naturally I thought, I need to get some things done outside.

Unfortunately, I got very little done. I had to take several breaks, and at one point I asked myself, “What are you doing?”

That was when I realized what my body really needed was to rest and reset before feeding the horses—something that needed to be done.

It is so easy to get caught up in what we want to accomplish, taking advantage of whatever free time or cool temperatures we have to push through and get things done.

I’ve been so busy doing—working my summer job, taking care of bookkeeping clients, coaching, building a business, caring for animals, and taking care of myself—that I forgot part of taking care of myself is stepping back and taking a breath.

Asking, “What does Pamm need right now?”

Sleep was—and still is—definitely one of those needs.

As I move through my days, I am going to try to step back more often, take a breath, and stop being in such a rush to get everything done.

There will always be another task, another project, or something that feels like it needs my attention.

But right now…

Step back.

Breathe.

From “You Inspired” to “Aligning with Life”

My original blog title, You Inspired, no longer felt like the right fit. It didn’t really reflect what I write about or the intention behind Align Divine Wellness.

My hope has always been to inspire you to seek out your best life. To find the part of yourself that may have gotten lost along the way. To encourage you to make the changes you know you want to make, even when you aren’t quite sure how.

By sharing my own journey of aligning with life, I hope something in my reflections sparks something in you.

Whether I’m writing about running, hiking to count horses, laying pavers, or trying to find my balance, these are simply reflections of my real life—me figuring out how to align my divine wellness.

I welcome and encourage comments and shares on my blogs. We are all moving through this life together, whether we know each other or not. Most of us want many of the same things: to feel connected, fulfilled, and able to live a life that feels like our own.

Giving Myself Permission to Be Flexible

Life is funny, we are funny. We think we can keep things in order, keep everything under control, and somehow make all the moving pieces line up perfectly.

And they don't.

With all the changes and moving pieces in my life right now, I know if I wasn’t flexible, I would be constantly stressed.

And sure, even being flexible can create some stress. Flexibility still requires us to pivot. It asks us to adjust when plans change, when energy shifts, or when life throws something unexpected into the day.

I’ve been really trying to pay attention to my nervous system.

Because it’s real — that fight-or-flight response. That feeling of being overwhelmed, scattered, tense, or like everything is too much. When we are constantly trying to hold everything together, our nervous system feels it.

Even if we don’t.

For me, one thing that helps calm my nervous system is using my planner.

I write down what I want to accomplish. Not as a rigid checklist I have to force my way through, but as a way to get it out of my head and onto paper.

If something doesn’t get done one day, I roll it over to the next.

That simple act helps me feel less overwhelmed. It gives my brain a place to land.

And when I come home from work tired, I can look at my list and say, “Okay, I can do that, or not.”

The point is, I don’t really have to think so hard about what to do next — it’s already written down.

Most days, that’s enough.

Not because everything is finished. Not because life is suddenly perfectly organized.

But because I gave myself a little structure, a little grace, and permission to be flexible.

That feels like a pretty good place to start.

Staying Grounded When Everything is Moving.

Life is shifting again.

A new seasonal part time job. An uncertain schedule. Business-building. Studying for a board exam. Livestock responsibilities for the summer. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, finding time for the things that help me feel like me: running, yoga, meditation, quiet time, and space to breathe.

It is a lot, and it is challenging.

The running series was about rebuilding connection, trust, and momentum. It was about learning to listen to my body again, follow through with myself, and keep showing up one step at a time.

But connection is not something we build once and then never have to practice again.

Life changes. Schedules shift. Responsibilities pile up. Energy changes. What worked before may not fit life now.

When life gets full, it is easy to think we are falling behind because we cannot keep the same rhythm.

But changing the rhythm is part of adapting.

It is how we keep moving forward and stay grounded at the same time.

It means real life is happening.

Sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is stop trying to force an old routine into a life that has changed.

The other morning before heading to work, I took one thing I had already been doing and fit it in before heading out the door. It was simple, but it made a huge difference. I felt more grounded all day.

I am learning to take what already supports me and find a new place for it to fit.

One thing I keep reminding myself is that when overwhelm grows and every responsibility feels like it has the same level of importance — it doesn’t.

This is where I can pause and ask myself, “What do I need right now?” to help calm the overwhelm.

Breathe, yoga, meditation, running, a walk, rest, or quiet time?

These are the things that keep me grounded.

These are the things that calm my nervous system, bring clarity, and help create some kind of momentum.

Staying connected through change is not about doing everything perfectly.

It is about noticing what is moving, choosing what matters most, and taking the next small step.

What helps you stay grounded when life feels like it is moving fast?

Running - Connected: Crossing the Finish Line

Crossing the finish line was a goal.

But it's also a new beginning.

Now the question becomes: how do I keep the momentum going when I’m not training for a race?

There are a lot of unknowns in my life right now. My routine has already changed, and it’s going to change even more over the next couple of weeks. On top of that, I haven’t been feeling well, so running doesn’t look the same as it did a few weeks ago.

That in itself is frustrating.

So here I am again. Having to choose what I would normally do, push through it—or listen to my body and be mindful of what it’s telling me.

I’m listening.

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

For now, I’m starting with walking. The walking feels good, so that’s where I’ll begin. Slowly, I’ll start picking up the pace and integrating running back in.

It won’t be long distances, it will just be a couple of miles.

But I can refine those miles. I can make them count.

Because this isn’t about race training anymore. It’s about keeping what I’ve gained over the last several months—strength, consistency, confidence, and connection.

Running is more than something I do.

It’s one of the ways I connect to myself.

In the middle of the unknown, running is something I do know.

I need to make time for what I can, even if it looks different than it did before.

Because running makes me feel like me.

So this isn’t the end of the story.

It’s the beginning of a new chapter.
A new season.

Running - Connected: Trusting What I feel

I went from an 8 mile run to running 9, even though a part of me knew my body hadn’t fully recovered.
Lesson learned.

Even though I felt good after the 8… that didn’t mean my body was ready for more.

Life plays a role too—weather, running indoors, allergies, and even being a little overly ambitious.
It hasn’t all been ideal.

I’ve had to adjust my training so I’m not compromising my body.
Not because I can’t do more… but because I want this to last.

So I pulled things back.

Shorter runs.
Giving my body time to actually recover.
Increasing distance every other week instead of pushing it too quickly.

It worked.

My energy began to come back.
My confidence started to build again.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped trying to prove I could go longer…
and started focusing on being a stronger runner.

This is what self-connection looks like in real life.
Listening to your body’s energy,
and giving yourself permission to pull back.

I’m not just training for distance anymore—
I’m re-building something I want to last.

Running - Connected

I no longer feel like I’m reconnecting to running.
I’m connected.

Even when life came along and threw me off for a couple of days—
not feeling great, off my routine—
I didn’t start over.

I picked back up.

Gradually, I found my rhythm again…
and I’ll be back to increasing my distance on Sunday.

Was it easy?
Not exactly.
But it wasn’t hard either.

I just had to pause, remind myself why I run,
and see what I could do that day.

That’s the difference.

It’s not about being perfect or staying on track all the time.
It’s about staying connected—even when things shift.

Because when you’re connected,
you don’t quit.
You adjust.
You come back.
You keep going.

And this kind of connection starts to show up in other areas of your life too.

This is the kind of connection I help my clients build.

Running - Reconnected: The Power of an Anchor

I’ve started to notice that when life feels overwhelming, running becomes my anchor.

It’s what keeps me from spiraling… or going off in directions I don’t really want to go.

When things start to feel like too much, my mind used to just keep going—overthinking, bouncing from one thing to the next, trying to sort everything out all at once.

Now, I come back to running.

I think about my next run.
My goal.
How I want to feel when I’m out there.

And somehow, that brings me back.

It shifts my focus.

Instead of getting pulled into everything that feels overwhelming, I come back to something steady. Something that matters to me.

And I’ve realized it’s not just about the run itself.

It’s the way everything starts to align around it—
how I fuel my body,
how I move,
how I take care of myself,
even how I think.

It all comes back to running.

Not in a rigid or obsessive way… but in a way that keeps me grounded and focused on what I actually want.

That’s when it really clicked for me—

Running isn’t just something I do.

It’s how I reconnect.

And that’s what an anchor really is.

Something you return to when life starts to feel like too much.
Something that brings you back to you… and what matters most.

Running just happens to be mine.

Running - Reconnected: Listening to the Body

Sometimes self-connection means moving forward.
Sometimes it means pausing and trusting you're still on the path.

Tuesday I felt off so I ran 2 miles, listening to what my body needed instead of pushing through my planned distance.

Wednesday I still felt off and wasn’t feeling 100%.
Every part of me wanted to keep the momentum going — just do another 2 miles, I told myself.
But my body was saying not today.

So, I rested.

I had to keep reminding myself that one day off doesn’t erase progress.
Listening isn’t losing momentum — it’s protecting it, even strengthening it.

Today I feel better.

Which means tomorrow’s run will come from strength, not force.

Sometimes the body asks for adjustment instead of effort.
The same is often true in other areas of life.

Learning to pause, listen, and respond with awareness instead of force is one of the most empowering forms of self-trust we can build.

What has your body been asking you to listen to lately?

Running - Reconnected: Rebuilding Self-Trust

Lately, I’ve been feeling a deeper sense of self-trust.

As my running distances increase, something else is strengthening too — my intuition.

It’s subtle.
It tells me how to pace myself.
When to push.
When to ease back.

There’s something empowering about reconnecting with that inner knowing — and actually listening to it.

Not perfectly. Not flawlessly.
But with awareness.

And that awareness feels peaceful.

Running has become that space for me.

It’s where I lean into the extra mile.
The uncomfortable stretch.
The moment when my body says, “This is enough,” and I simply ask, “Is it?”

And I’m noticing something else.

That same intuition — the one I feel on my runs — is showing up in other areas of my life.

My relationships.
My business.

It feels natural.
Like it’s always been there.

I just lost the awareness.

And the more I listen, the more I feel self-trust return.

Running – Reconnected: Still Me. Still Strong

I’m heading into week six of my half-marathon training.

Around week four, I noticed something.

Not a dramatic shift. Not a breakthrough moment.

Just a quiet awareness — my legs are getting stronger, I am getting stronger.

There’s a grounded steadiness now that wasn’t there at the beginning. And I know it isn’t just from the running. The daily yoga. The targeted strength training. The consistency. The mindset.  It’s all contributing.

On running days, I shorten my yoga practice.
On non-running days, I go longer and add strength training.

Week six, though? It’s getting harder.

The distances and times are longer. Today was 2.5 miles in 30 minutes. In the last 5 years, that is a big improvement for me.

I can’t say I feel stronger every single run.

But I am more determined than ever.  When I feel it get tough, “I am a strong and vibrant runner” is repeated out loud, (along with a few other words, not to be published) and it gets me through.

I’m pushing through what’s uncomfortable, because that’s where I reconnect with the best version of me I remember.

Where I prove to myself I’m still me, I’m here.

Where strength becomes something I feel again – not just something I say.

Where in your life are you reconnecting with your strength again? I’d love to hear.

Running — Reconnected

I’m training for my half marathon using a beginner program — even though I’ve been running for years and this is far from my first race.

As I mentioned in my first post, I use an interactive treadmill that has me running along with the instructor, wherever they are in the world. My six-week beginner program is set in Portugal, and I’m currently in week four.

At first, I was skeptical. It didn’t feel like enough. I questioned whether I was really getting a “good” workout. At one point, I almost talked myself out of it entirely — until I stopped and said, Wait a minute, Pamm. Let’s do this differently.

When I started this training, I had four months. There was no need to rush. No reason to push. Instead, I chose to slow down and focus on building strength and endurance steadily — paying attention not just to my runs, but to my whole body, my nutrition, and where I am in life right now.

This time, I’m not jumping back in the way I would have five or ten years ago. My life has changed. And so has the way I choose to take care of me.

Just because it’s a beginner program doesn’t mean it’s easy — or that it’s not good enough. Those are thoughts and beliefs I used to carry. Now, I see “beginner” as an invitation to start fresh, like a new student, and to let go of some old habits and thoughts.

Beginner means slowing down enough to enjoy the process instead of rushing through it. It means honoring the fact that I have time, and that there’s no reason to push harder than my body is ready for.

This shift isn’t just about running.

It’s about reconnecting body, mind, and spirit — and choosing to move forward with intention, awareness, and kindness rather than force.

Running again makes me feel like the me I remember.

Why the “21-Day Habit” Myth Can Hold us Back

There’s a common belief it takes 21 days to change a habit. While that idea is popular, it isn’t rooted in modern science — and for many people, it creates unnecessary pressure and self-judgment.

Research in behavioral psychology shows that forming a new habit actually takes an average of about 66 days, with a wide range depending on the person and the pattern being changed. Some habits begin to feel natural in a few weeks, while deeper emotional or lifestyle patterns can take several months to truly settle.

This makes sense when we look at how the brain and body work together.

Lasting change isn’t just about willpower or discipline. It’s about neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to form new neural pathways through repeated, supportive experiences. When a behavior is practiced consistently, new pathways strengthen. When an old pattern is no longer reinforced, it gradually weakens.

This process happens through repetition, not force.

In the early weeks, awareness grows. You begin to notice old patterns as they arise. With continued practice, new responses start to feel more accessible. Over time, those responses become familiar — and eventually, they feel like you.

Sustainable change happens when the nervous system feels safe enough to choose differently.

If you’ve ever felt discouraged because change felt slow, know this:

Nothing is wrong with you.
Your system is learning.
And learning takes time.

True wellness isn’t about rushing transformation — it’s about allowing integration.

Because real change doesn’t happen overnight.
It happens through patience, presence, and self-connection.

~ pamm

Have a comment or thought? I’d love to hear from you.

You Inspired - Post #1 (Thanksgiving Edition)

As I sit here on this Thanksgiving Day, I’m reminded of how easily we move through life without pausing to truly connect with ourselves — to notice what’s here, to listen to the inner wisdom we tend to push aside. Our dreams and desires live within us, and strengthening that self-connection is what carries us toward the life we want.

Starting this blog today feels meaningful. I have so much to be grateful for — my journey to Align Divine Wellness being one of them. It feels like the perfect moment to open a space where we can slow down, reconnect, and breathe a little deeper together as we each continue our own journey toward our best lives.

You Inspired is a place for simple reflections and soft reminders — the kind that help you return to the person you’ve always been but may have forgotten. Not by striving harder, but by softening inward.

Today I reflect on the journey that brought me here. I’m grateful for the women I’ve walked beside — each one reminding me, in their own way, that growth begins within. Being able to share these reflections with you is the beginning of something I never thought I could do. I’m grateful I’m in a place where my heart feels it’s time to share some of my life experiences and knowledge I’ve gained along the way.

My hope is that each post meets you exactly where you are — offering a moment of pause, a breath of clarity, or a gentle nudge back toward yourself. We don’t need grand transformations to feel whole; sometimes the smallest shifts in awareness open the biggest doors.

If you’re reading this on Thanksgiving, I hope you can take a quiet moment just for yourself.
Place a hand on your heart…
Take one gentle breath…
And ask: “What do I need today?”

Today, I am grateful that you’re here. As you move through the rest of this day, I hope you remember that your inner wisdom is always guiding you. Every pause, every breath, every ,moment of honesty with yourself is a step toward the life you desire. I’m honored to share this journey with you.

Warmly,

Pamm

Have a comment or thought? I’d love to hear from you.