My path

“You never find yourself until you face the truth.”

~ Pearl Bailey

Here’s a little bit of who I’ve been and who I still sometimes think I am, should be, or fear that I am:

  • A perfectionist
  • A people-pleaser
  • All knowing
  • Totally competent and together
  • Unloveable
  • Unworthy
  • Unimportant

Mom-w-Shon-babyLike most people (at least all the regular humans on the planet), I get caught in old beliefs and habits that limit me and disconnect me from my power, authenticity, and divinity. While I had a “normal” life (which, I don’t actually think is very healthy or soul-nourishing), my formative years included being adopted at birth, being taken away from one of my adopted parents by the other parent during a time of great turmoil in their marriage, living in a reunited yet unhappy household, and experiencing my parents’ divorce and eventual remarriages. Added to these powerful early experiences, my teenage and young adulthood brought a long-distance move from away from one parent, living abroad, my adopted-mom’s sudden illness and quick death, and a reunion with my birthmom. Thankfully the difficulty of these experiences — and the meeting of my one-day-to-become husband — brought me to step on the path of healing, awakening, and living my life (as much as I could) from an intentional and conscious place. The experience of becoming a mother equates to what I call the “life PhD” and has deeply influenced by belief in motherhood as a wonderful path to spiritual development.

I’ve been actively on this journey of discovery for nearly two decades and as an avid and perpetual student, have invested thousands of dollars and countless time on learning how to learn from life — the “good” and “bad” — and unlearn the falsehoods I latched onto along the way. While I don’t agree with all the choices made by the key people in my life, I’ve worked to forgive them for the wounds that came from them. I also fully claim my own responsibility in holding onto limiting beliefs and distorted ideas about reality, because my life is mine and I have the power to change whatever isn’t true for me. Finally, I keep seeking — to better understand, more fully experience, and more easily embody — that which helps me be whole, authentic, effective, at peace, and in love with this life that I’m blessed to live.

My blessed family

My blessed family

I am the author of two books — one which I co-wrote with my husband, Bruce Mulkey. I love to run, be in nature, and savor time with my beloved husband of 15 years, our amazing, funny, and loving daughter, and our adored feline family. I am grateful to call Asheville, North Carolina my home and to have a life filled with joy and adventure. I look forward to learning more about you, your path, and what makes your heart sing and cry.