Let’s start with mine.

It all began with a broken heart and
a little girl determined to heal it.

I was seven years old when one of the adults I trusted left a hateful note meant for me to find. They told me I was not kind, not respectful, and not fun to be with. It broke my heart. Like all children, I wanted to be loved. I wanted to belong. I wanted to know that everything was going to be okay. Instead, I felt ashamed. I felt unwanted. I felt like an outsider.

For a long time, I believed those hateful words. I believed them so much that I stopped playing sports, stopped attending dances, and made my world really small. 

When I was 14, I realized that I had a choice: I get to grow up and become anything. And all I wanted was to be joyful again. When I looked around to see who, at any age, seemed to be feeling better than I did, I was saddened to see so many other hurt, lost, and apathetic people.

I seek to improve people’s lives in everything I do.

So, I hatched a plan. I started writing the words I longed to hear on small scraps of paper. Words that would help me to feel valued. Words that would let me know that I was going to be okay. I thought that maybe, just maybe, they would mean something to someone else. I left these notes everywhere I went, certain that the right people would find the right words at exactly the right time. I tucked my notes within library books, taped them to lampposts, and fastened them to community bulletin boards. I called it Random Note Project and, after a short while, the people who found the notes tracked me down to tell me their stories. My words resonated with them. They told me heartwarming and heroic stories of how that small scrap of paper made them feel seen, changed their perspective, and gave them hope. 

I was creating the world I wanted to live within and, without realizing it, I was changing my life too. Writing the words I longed to hear made them real. It made them true. In healing others, I healed myself, and I learned that we are all so deeply connected.

It starts with getting real.

Later, when I sought mental health care following a breakup, I was told that the next opening was in five months in a city eight hours from my home. The system seemed to be as broken as I felt. Crowdsourcing healing worked well for me at 14, so I decided to try it as a 30-something. I packed my car and traveled the United States asking strangers, “How do you cope without access to care?” I wrote my life story and the stories and wisdom of the people I met in my book, Waiting Room. Therein, you’ll find at least one person like you, at least one person who needs someone like you, and enough fire to warm your heart for a lifetime. When I bravely shared the unfiltered details of my own story with others, I broke the barriers that make us all feel so alone. 

And I’m just getting started.

I’m creating a world where people are fearlessly connected to themselves and each other.

The stories I heard from people like you pointed me in the direction of healing and supported me along the way. Yet, none of those people thought they had a story to tell. They felt like they were just normal people living normal lives. You probably feel the same way about yourself. But, I promise you that you have a story to tell. Your story has power. Your story can change the world. It’s time to heal, to connect, and to feel fully alive. Discover the power in your story, heal what hurts you, and connect—deeply—with people who get you. I’ll be by your side, celebrating you, the whole time.

Connect with me at my newsletter, by booking me to speak or lead a workshop for your organization, or by following Random Note Project.

When I’m not writing, spreading Random Notes, and building experiences that make people feel, I spend my time taking walks, traveling, sipping tea, and practicing random acts of kindness everywhere I go. Sometimes with a cat on my shoulders.