May 2017 – Shining Means – All

You can read about the start of this project here.

And here we are. Another month is over.

karenika.com

karenika.com

Goodbye, Spring, Hello Summer!


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for May 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 20

karenika.comThis card says: Shining means moving forward anyway and not letting others or the circumstances tell you who you are or what you are worth. Shining means sitting with the pain. Standing in the hard work of being there with the hurt. And doing it anyway. Being there + moving forward anyway.

I had this long conversation with David the other day in the car. I told him that I want him to not get so upset when he hears criticism from me. That I am the best person to criticize him because he knows without a doubt that I love him and he knows without a doubt that I will forever love him with all of my soul. So he knows that my criticism is coming from a place of love. From a place of encouraging him to learn and grow and try doing differently. 

I then told him that I would like him to take risks and to be brave and to be willing to fail. And that none of that can happen if he’s not open to criticism. Because failure comes with a lot of that and failure stings. And it’s hard. And it hurts.

And it’s inevitable.

We all fail. In ways small and big. I have yet to meet a person in my life who hasn’t failed. Because part of living is taking chances. However small. When you take a chance, there’s a statistical probability that you will fail. And what matters is not whether you fail or not. Because failure is guaranteed.

What matters is how you handle that failure. What matters is where you choose to go from there. 

For me, shining means sitting with the failure, feeling the pain, letting it hurt. And then learning what it was there to teach you. Growing. And then moving forward so you can take more chances, try again, and apply your learnings. So you can learn, take a chance, fail, grow, learn, take a chance, succeed, take another chance, fail, learn, grow and keep doing it over and over again. 

I believe that it’s the only way to move forward.


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 19

karenika.comThis card says: Shining means showing up being willing to be seen. Stepping into the light. Not being afraid to show myself. Not being afraid to say what I came to say. It means showing up again and again even after it hurts. Even when it’s hard. Especially then.

Life is an exercise in showing up. 

You can’t do anything if you’re not there. You can’t do anything if you don’t participate. 

It doesn’t mean not being scared. It doesn’t mean not wanting to get under the covers and hide. It means showing up anyway. 

It doesn’t mean not making mistakes. It means getting up and dusting off and showing up again anyway.

Again and again and again.

I work on this every single day.

I’d rather hide in the shadow. I’d rather everyone leaves me be and I can leave them be. But I don’t.

I choose to participate. I get into the light and let it shine on me and try to do more good than harm. I am scared, worried, and have to fight my instincts every moment. But I show up anyway. 

Because I can’t shine if I am not there.


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 18

karenika.comThis card says: Shining means taking the time to heal. Resting my body + soul + mind. But also taking specific action towards healing. Taking the time to move and to journal. To watering my soul, body, mind, so it can bloom.

Not so great at this one. 

But isn’t that what these cards are about? Remembering what it does mean to shine and making the recurring choice to honor that.

I know that when I choose protein and vegetables and water and I stick with that choice, I feel better. I know that when I move more, I am increasing the duration of my life. The way in which I will age. I know that when I journal, I gave my soul a way to speak to me and let me know what’s going on.

All of these have definitely had an impact on my life. On my ability to shine. 

But these particular things are hard for me. It’s easier for me to multi-billion dollar prioritization exercise across three timezones than it is to wake up 20 minutes earlier and exercise. Or than drinking more water.

It’s just the way it is.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t get to choose it. That doesn’t mean I take the easy way out. It means that if I want to choose to shine, I get up, I show up, and I do the hard work.


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 17

karenika.comThis card says: Shining means being willing to do things for the people I love. Even when I don’t feel like it but also knowing my own boundaries for when it’s best to say not right now please. It’s taking the time I need to be my best self for the people I love.

There are two main things here:

  1. Doing things for people I love even when I don’t want to.
  2. Saying no, to people I love, when I know that I need to say no.

Both of these are ways to show love to them and to me. When I am shining, I do both. I know my boundaries and say no when I need to and I say yes even when I don’t want to. 

The difference for me is the “need” vs “want.” I can easily sit and read all the hours of every day. I love to read and I can choose to do that over anything else. I don’t like to drive my kids to playdates or birthday parties or anywhere else that I know I will have to do smalltalk. I hate small talk. I hate it. 

I hate it.

So I avoid it at all cost. Except when I need to do it for my kids. I may not want to go to these parties, but I still go. I choose to be there. I choose to show up because I love my kids and I know these moments are important for them. 

But there are also times when, being an introvert, I am so depleted that I cannot handle one more event. And at those moments, I ask for help. Jake takes over and he does all of what I can’t do. (In fact, he does almost all the birthdays now, bless him.)

Shining means showing up for the people I love. Including myself.


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 16

karenika.comThis card says: When I shine, I wear things that make me happy and bring out my inner light. I do not worry about looking good or right. I spend my energy on feeling food and right. I choose to sparkle inside and out. I show up exactly as I am.

This is such a small thing and yet such a big thing. As I get older, I am working hard to learn that what matters most in life is being able to be exactly who I am. Unapologetically. 

This doesn’t mean being in people’s faces, or having an aggressive attitude. I can be who I am quietly, patiently, and kindly. I can embrace who I am without rejecting who you are. 

And when I shine, I embrace myself 100%. I embrace my good qualities and my not so good ones and everything in between. Accepting and embracing doesn’t mean that I don’t try to improve, it just means I am not beating myself up. It also means I am owning who I am. I can only change what I am willing to accept. Denial doesn’t lead to change. 

I don’t even want to conform in my clothes anymore. I want to wear makeup that makes me happy. I want to wear clothes that make me smile. I want to be able to be me from the outside in and the inside out. 

 When I do this, I shine. I can feel myself shine when what I wear is a reflection of who I am. 


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 15

karenika.comThis card says: When I choose to shine, I remember that all things can be said in a kind way. That we do not treat each other with mean words. When I shine, I remember to show how much I care not by worrying but by loving and smiling and loving some more. Always choose kind.

Even though I’ve never picked the word “kind” for a One Little Word, I think kind is one of my life-words. A lens through which I am always aiming to live my life. I don’t have many life words. The three that always seems to come are: kind, loving and brave.

I want to be kind. I want to be with people who are kind. I want to say everything with kindness. I want to receive everything with kindness. I don’t want to worry. I want to love. I want to be there. I want to sit with hard things. I want to encourage my kids to be brave and not hold them back by worrying. I want to be kind and brave. 

And I fail at both of these all the time. All. the. time. 

And yet, I pick myself up and try again. 

And I will again and again and again until I can get it right more often than I get it wrong. 

Because word might come and go and people might come and go and projects might come and go but what will not ever go away is the way you make people feel and the way you feel around other people. And I want everyone around my to feel brave and kind. I want to exude it and receive it.


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 14

karenika.comThis card says: When I shine I am not thinking about tomorrow or yesterday. I am here, now, seeing the magic of this moment and all that it means to me. I am paying attention to the gifts of this moment and cherishing the facts that I am here now. I am remembering to live this very moment.

My word a few years ago was “present.” The whole point of choosing that word was to remember this one fact. To be here, now. 

This moment, right here, is so magical. In this moment, I am sitting on my couch with a blanket that’s warming my feet, some really comfy, soft tights that are colorful and listening to “I Bet My Life” by Imagine Dragons while I sip some coffee. David is in the other room, taking some alone time and Nathaniel is reading Calvin and Hobbes. Jake is traveling with his brothers and father. I am healthy. I am sleepy. I am content. 

There’s so much magic in this moment. This exact moment will never come around again. In fact, it’s already gone. I am in the next moment already.

And when I focus on what will happen three hours from now (I have to make lunches), or  two days from now (all-day work summit) or one week from now (David will be leaving for D.C) or a month from now (almost time to leave for Sydney again) or a year from now (both kids at the same school and David almost done with middle school!) I am filled with emotions that are related to that moment. My expectations, my worries, my focus changes. It’s not possible for me to hold on to this very moment and that other moment at the same time. 

It’s only when I am here, now that I can truly live this moment. Shining is only possible in this moment because it’s the only moment I have.


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 13

karenika.comThis card says: When I shine, I listen with my whole body. I turn towards the person, maintain eye contact and hold them in our combined light. I do not focus on my reply or even on what I think about what they are saying. I focus only on them and on what they are saying right now. Right here. I listen.

This is one that I need to repeat 100 times. And I will still get it wrong. Listening means paying attention. It means hearing exactly what the other person is saying. Staying engaged with them and paying attention to their words, to the feelings under those words, to the facial expressions, the body and on and on.

None of which is possible if I am too busy thinking about my week or even forming my reply. If I am thinking,  I am not listening. I am not present. 

When I listen to respond, I am not really listening. I am not really open to what’s actually being said. As it is, we often listen with so many filters. The person says one thing and we hear something different. When you then add the “replying” to that, I’m really not listening.

There are rare times when I am not too busy thinking about my todo list or any other distracting thought. In those rare times, I’d like to at least listen with my whole body, mind and soul. 

And then when I can get good at that, I can work on getting better at doing in when it’s a time when I do feel rushed.

Learning to shine takes many, many, many days.


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 12

karenika.comThis card says: I shine when I assume the best of other people and see what’s possible in every situation. This allows me to be in the most positive space when giving and receiving information. And allows me to approach conversations from a generative space as opposed to a me vs. you space which then allows the best of me to be.

I have found this to be true over and over again. There are two things here that are good for me to remember:

  1. People are resourceful and whole. This is one of the core perspective changes I learned when I did my coaching training. People do not need “me” to help them. They are whole and capable all on their own and can solve their own problems. What they might benefit from is my asking the right questions or creating the space for them to find their own answers. This assumption is important outside of the coaching/mentoring space because it helps me remember that there are many perfectly valid answers/paths through problems/life. So,
  2. When I assume the person in front of me has a valid perspective and when I assume they are good people, intending no harm, I am likely to be able to listen to them, hear their perspective, learn, grow and be grateful.

The combination of assuming people are all equally capable and equally wonderful, that allows for conversations that are generative, powerful and inspiring. Then I shine, they shine, we all shine.


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 11

karenika.comThis card says: Shining means approaching the world in a collective way. In a way that assumes we are all in this together. That it’s not me vs. the world. It’s all of us together. We are one. Their suffering is my suffering, their joy is my joy. This allows me to be open + giving and to remember there are plenty of cakes to go around.

Oh this is one that I really remind myself again and again. We are all one. If they suffer, I suffer. If they rejoice, I rejoice. I have such a tendency to close off. To go into myself and assume that I am alone and get in my head.

What I’ve learned is that the way out of there is to help others. To show up and do what needs to be done. I have volunteered many times in my life and I always love it regardless of the task on hand. I love getting out of my head and doing something, however small.

Just like other people’s suffering is ours and we need to help fix things together, other people’s joy is also my own and i want to celebrate together. When good things happen to my friends, even if that exact good thing didn’t happen to me, I still want to celebrate. If it happens to her/him, it means it could happen to me, too. We are not each eating slices from the same cake so his/her slice will not prevent me from having a slice of my own. We each get our own whole cake. There are plenty of cakes to go around.

When I remember to look at fellow people as a people and remember that we are all in this together, then I shine.


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.

May 2017 – Shining Means – 10

karenika.comThis card says: Shining means focusing outwardly. Showing people what full attention looks like and reflecting their thoughts + feelings without judgement. Being fully present in their light and letting them see it. Shining it back on them and celebrating them.

I believe everyone is amazing. We are all yearning to connect and be with other people. We are all suffering and trying to share in our common humanity. We are all walking each other home as the saying goes.

I believe that we make each other’s lives better when we show up and choose to be there for each other. When we reflect each other’s light back to each other. When I listen, truly listen and give the gift of my time and attention to someone else, then I am shining.

Then I am showing them how wonderful they are. I truly feel that I have something to learn from every person in my life and if I really listen to them, if I am really open to the gifts they are there to give me, I can receive them. I am grateful each time I choose to deeply connect. And I am even more grateful when I can see the good in each person. I am even more grateful when I can do something to show them their amazingness. 

Shining means creating the space to make this possible. Seeing and reflecting and showing and telling people about their light. 


Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.