What keeps you in alignment?

When I was in my mid-40s, I was struggling on many levels.

I was a stay-at-home mom with two kids, in a marriage that was surviving but not thriving. Somewhere along the way, I had lost my sense of self—who I was, what I wanted, what I enjoyed, and what value I had in the world beyond being a mother.

I had gained weight and stopped exercising. One of the hardest parts was not recognizing myself in the mirror. You know that moment when you catch your reflection in a window and think, who is that? That feeling became constant.

I avoided mirrors. Dressing rooms were the worst—I would turn away until I was fully dressed again. None of my clothes fit, and I found myself buying sizes I never imagined. I was also hungry all the time. I had acid reflux that I felt embarrassed about, something I didn’t share with anyone. To me, it felt like proof that I just couldn’t get it together—that somehow, I was failing.

Eventually, I got tired of feeling that way. Tired of the depression. Tired of not feeling like myself. So I made a change.

I adopted a simple mantra:

It’s not if I’m going to work out today—it’s when.

It sounds small, but it changed everything. It gave me a sense of structure and accountability, and slowly, everything began to shift.

Around the same time, I started reconnecting with things I loved as a kid. One of the biggest was hiking. My dad used to take us camping every summer in Yosemite, and I remembered how much I loved being outdoors—the challenge, the movement, the feeling of accomplishment at the top.

So I started walking. Sometimes on trails, sometimes just around my neighborhood. And over time, those walks turned into something bigger—hikes like Mt. Whitney in a day, rim-to-rim of the Grand Canyon, and revisiting those childhood trails in Yosemite.

I also discovered something new: ceramics.

It was something I had always wanted to try but never had. I took a class on a whim—and fell in love. What started as curiosity became a passion. Eventually, I was teaching out of my home studio and showing my work in gallery shows.

Now, in my early 50s, I have a much clearer understanding of what keeps me grounded—what brings me back to myself when I feel off.

It’s movement.
It’s being in nature.
It’s working with clay and expressing something creative.
It’s staying connected to my kids, even as they’ve grown and moved out into the world.

I still have moments where I feel out of alignment—but now I recognize it, and I know how to find my way back more quickly.

That, to me, is everything.

So I’ll ask you—what keeps you in alignment? And if you’re not sure yet, that’s okay too.