Wintersβ Day In
Spilling the tea since 2006. Wanna cuppa?
Conversations on life, faith, stories, and creativity from author and songwriter (and aspiring mermaid) Talena Winters.
Take Another Step: How Every Part of the Journey Gets Us to Our Goals
You are only one step away from being one step closer to your goal. Take another step today.
Like a Phoenix
When I crashed and burned, it made room for a new paradigmβaccepting who I am as an artist and what I truly want from my life. This year is looking brighter already.
Turning Points
In which I talk about When Words Collide, the hierarchy my kids used to survive the weekend (and provide therapy fodder for later), the Adventures of Hagrid and Dumbledore, and purple hair. Also, a sneak peek at whatβs coming next βround these parts.
The Secret to Breaking Writerβs Block: Do It Anyway; Also, an update.
Whether itβs fitness, professional, emotional, or spiritual goalsβthe only way to reach them is to do the work, whether you feel like it or not. The same is true for Writerβs Block. And, since itβs been a while, there are updates on multiple topics in this post.
Please, Get Uncomfortable
Christians tend to grab a flagβand a sword and pitchforkβwhenever we perceive that our βrightsβ or our βfaithβ are being threatened. But as the standard-bearers of Christ, are we really crusading for what we think we are?
Equilibrium: What a Rush!
Today, I had an epiphany. I realized that my idealized state of βbalanceβ and true homeostasis are not the same thing. This is going to change everythingβ¦
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.