Wintersβ Day In
Spilling the tea since 2006. Wanna cuppa?
Conversations on life, faith, stories, music, and creativity from author and songwriter (and aspiring mermaid) Talena Winters.
Working with Impostor Syndrome
When it comes to self-makeovers, there is no louder voice about what "should be done" than the one coming from between our ears. And there is nothing wrong with self-reflection and a determination to do something better in the coming year. But there are certain things that we will never be βreadyβ for until we start doing them.
Embrace It
No matter your age, itβs not too late to chase your dream. Maybe youβre already doing it, which is awesome. Or maybe we are closing out another year where you have still been making excuses about why you didnβt go for the longing of your heart.
Life is long, but itβs also short. Do you really want to spend a minute of it not living up to your potential?
Work Afraid
Hereβs a secret: Weβre all afraid. Every person who succeeds at something has had to confront fear at some point to get to where they are. The trick is to start anyway.
The Benefits of βEscapist Fictionβ
Humans are made of stories. And, no matter the "world" that a story may be set in, at the heart of every good story is a character who is overcoming difficult situations that must be relatable to the reader in some way, or the story would not resonate with us. In this post, I talk about some ways that fantasy and other genres of fiction have benefited me, and why I think everyone should read or watch it.
Adventures in Authoring
Being an author, I have discovered, is nothing like anyone ever expects it to be. And today, I made a decision to go down a road in my career that surprised even me.
Making Love Work
My 7 βNo-Duhβ tips for creating a happy, healthy relationship with your partner.
Healing from Loss, One Bite at a Time
There is an old joke that goes, "How do you eat an elephant?"
"I don't know, how do you?"
"One bite at a time."
The not-so-hidden truth in here can be applied to so many thingsβprojects, goals, ginormous meals. But today, I'm going to talk about how I have found this true when tackling emotional hardship.*
*No elephants were harmed in the making of this blog post.
When the Mirror Lies
Over and over again, I have seen how what we believe to be true about ourselves, we make true about ourselves. And there's nothing that anyone else can say to change that self-image unless we want to change it.
Why God Didn't Stop the Shooting
So often in the aftermath of tragedy, Christians who have been raised to think of God as their protection charm turn away, and atheists mock the impotence of the God we declare to be firmly in control. But is it possible we have Godβand his view of human tragedyβall wrong?
Drawing the Line: 5 Loving Reasons to Say βNoβ
Saying "no" to trying to control things which are impossible to control anyways means saying "yes" to peace, tranquility, and more time and energy doing things I love with people I love to be with.
Could Your Story Change the World?
You might think your story isn't that special, that you have nothing to give. But if you think about it, you'll probably realize that you have already learned some life lessons that others would benefit from. Have you ever wondered how your story might be a powerful blessing to others?
What Are You Known For?
This iconic building of our flag inspired some insight into being our best selves. The choice is up to us.
The Healing Power of Community
Two years after losing our son, we are still completely humbled when we consider the massive wave of support we received when Munchkin died. I am convinced that the support of our community through that first difficult year had a good deal to do with the progress we made in our healing. Yes, the work of grief must be done on an individual basis. But knowing that we were never alone had a significant impact on how brave we were in approaching that work.