The Next Stage of Your Journey
The Next Stage of Your Journey

At the start of a new year, we all tend to both reflect on the prior year and look forward to the coming year. My guess is you’ve grown in many wonderful ways since the beginning of 2022, and that’s worthy of celebrating! But perhaps you also feel stagnant or stuck in some ways, and those would be good things to work on in 2023. And we hope this month’s theme of setting intentions and this week’s topic of mapping your journey will help you continue your process of self-growth and dreaming BIG. 

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Setting IntentionsKristi HornerMapping Your Journey, Personal Timeline, Core Values, Personal Mission Statement
December Newsletter: Your outlook on life starts by looking within!
December Newsletter: Your outlook on life starts by looking within!

"It's about your outlook towards life. You can regret or rejoice." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

We often think of our OUTLOOK on life as looking outward or looking at our prospects for the future. What if instead we started by looking WITHIN ourselves? With mindfulness, YOU can cultivate the outlook YOU desire. 

Throughout December we looked at the theme of outlook through the lens of 1) having a hope-centered mindset; 2) opportunity and possibility; and 3) celebrating your successes. 

Your outlook is connected to your resilience. You CAN grow your hope and develop a more positive outlook - you can CHOOSE the mindset you're going to use. Having a growth mindset reminds us that anything is possible ... and that's worth celebrating!

Your outlook is likely ever changing or evolving. If you've always wondered - are you an optimist, pessimist, realist or opportunist, here's a link to a fun (quick) quiz that might give you some insight into your outlook! 

Check out the entire December newsletter focused on our theme of Outlook here.

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OutlookKristi HornerHope, Opportunity, Possibility, Celebrate Success
Celebrating Our Material and Non-Material Successes
Celebrating Our Material and Non-Material Successes

This week’s topic involves a subject that is different for everyone. We all have our own ideas of what success looks like -- whether it’s material possessions, professional accolades, or financial security – or non-material things such as accomplishing daily tasks while struggling emotionally, courageously trying new things in spite of anxiety, resisting temptation while battling addiction, or mastering a new skill. Whatever success is for you, we’re celebrating that success.

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OutlookKristi HornerCelebrate Success
“You Can Get There from Here”
“You Can Get There from Here”

Hope helps us create a vision for the future and motivates us to take action on things we can control. In other words, as stated by Rick Snyder, the developer of Hope Theory, “Hope means … you can get there from here.” 

You can be a hope model, too, for others and for YOU.

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OutlookKristi HornerHope
November Newsletter: Collaboration ... We are Better TOGETHER
November Newsletter: Collaboration ... We are Better TOGETHER

"Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard and valued - when they can give and receive without judgment." ~ Brené Brown

As caregivers, we often feel isolated and alone in our caregiving.

The journey as a mental illness caregiver is especially lonely, as we feel it isn’t OUR story to tell - it’s our loved one’s story of living with mental illness (or other serious illness).

As caregivers, we often feel judged or shamed for our actions (or lack of actions) - and this makes it hard to connect with those we feel "don't understand" or in relationships where we don't feel safe sharing – or being vulnerable – as our most authentic true selves.

Courage to Caregivers brings together caregivers and has created a community of CARE. A place where you’ll never feel alone in your caregiving again. Where you are accepted for who you are (and that's SO much MORE than "just" your caregiving responsibilities).

We are here to support you - as a caregiver - as YOU - in your personal growth journey towards greater health and well-being. 💙 When you take care of yourself (too), you provide better care to those you love.

Check out the November newsletter here focus on our theme of Collaboration here.

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Collaboration, NewslettersKristi HornerCollaboration, Gratitude, Forgiveness, Compare and Despair, Managing Perceptions
Micro-Moments of Gratitude
Micro-Moments of Gratitude

“Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.” – Alice Morse Earle

‘Tis the season for thanks and giving, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to be with family and friends and focus on our blessings. But being thankful and expressing our gratitude isn’t meant to be “seasonal.” Having an attitude of gratitude is beneficial all year ‘round.

Practicing gratitude has been proven to reduce stress, protect you from depression, help you sleep better, boost your immune system, and improve your relationships. And the Science of Thankfulness shows that by cultivating gratitude as a practice, we can rewire our brains for resilience and optimism.

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CollaborationKristi HornerForgiveness, Gratitude
Learning to Share and Not Compare
Learning to Share and Not Compare

It's that time of year ... again. The hustle and bustle of the Holidays. We cram a lot into the last few weeks of every year, don't we?

Building resilience is no fun. It's hard and complicated. It has growing pains and is oftentimes filled with mistakes and wrong turns. Life is not always sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns - I know that, yet, I don't have to like it. We don't get to feel joy, happiness, contentment, pride, and peace without also feeling sadness, guilt, shame, embarrassment, and disappointment. We're human - and come with the full spectrum of emotions. These are normal reactions to (mostly) normal situations.

I haven't written a long newsy Christmas letter for many, many years. Maybe this will be the year I find the courage to start again? Maybe someone out there needs to know that in their story of pain and heartache ... they're not alone. Or another caregiver out there needs to know that caregiving is hard, and long, and you can get weary ... and, they are enough.

Today I will remind myself that I am enough. YOU are enough, too.

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CollaborationKristi HornerCompare and Despair
Support Is a Two-Way Street
Support Is a Two-Way Street

We actually have two themes this month. First, it’s National Family Caregivers Month, which celebrates, supports, and raises awareness about family caregivers across the country. So this month, we’ll be hosting our third annual Caring for Caregivers Virtual Summit, Getting UNStuck: Moving From Languishing to Flourishing, on November 16 and 17. Both days will feature sessions by professional facilitators on topics ranging from connectedness and empowerment to resiliency and gratitude.

Also this month, our regular Support Group curriculum will be covering topics related to the theme of collaboration, and this week, the topic is your support network.

When we allow others to help us, we give them the opportunity to show their kindness and compassion. When we do the same for others as part of a support network, we return the favor. In other words, having a strong support network is a win-win for YOU and for EVERYONE!

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CollaborationKristi HornerSupport Team
October Newsletter: What's in YOUR Courage Tool Kit?
October Newsletter: What's in YOUR Courage Tool Kit?

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes the courage is the quiet at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow.'" ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

You may have wondered why we chose COURAGE to be a part of our nonprofit's name. For me, courage is something that is essential in a caregiver’s tool box, and it often feels ‘depleted.’ Courage to Caregivers aims to support caregivers by empowering them to channel their ‘inner’ courage - whether it’s a little or a lot. And, yes, it doesn’t always roar!

Brené Brown says it best in her book The Gifts of Imperfection: "The root of the word courage is cor – the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage had a very different definition than it does today. Courage originally meant ‘To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.’

“Over time, this definition has changed, and today, courage is more synonymous with being heroic. Heroics is important and we certainly need heroes, but I think we’ve lost touch with the idea that speaking honestly and openly about who we are, about what we’re feeling, and about our experiences (good and bad) is the definition of courage.

“Heroics is often about putting our life on the line. Ordinary courage is about putting our vulnerability on the line. In today’s world that’s pretty extraordinary.”

We show ordinary courage in those micro-moments we demonstrate every day as caregivers. It may feel like micro-courage - yet, showing up every day and being vulnerable – that’s ordinary courage. It can be HARD - it definitely takes EXTRAordinary bravery and strength.

Check out the October newsletter here focus on our theme of Courage here.

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Courage, NewslettersKristi HornerCourage, Progress Over Perfection, Strength Amidst Adversity, Learn From Mistakes
Be Proud of Your Progress
Be Proud of Your Progress

“The goal is not to be perfect by the end. The goal is to be better today.” – Simon Sinek

I love that quote because it speaks to what we’re all about at Courage to Caregivers. We’re not about perfectionism. We don’t strive to be perfect. What we do strive for is progress … baby steps toward personal improvement … embracing a growth mindset as we deal with all of the challenges we face in our daily lives … recognizing all that we accomplish along our life’s journey … and being “better today.”

That’s why I always say, “I’m a perfectly imperfect perpetual work in progress.” And this week’s topic, progress over perfection, is just another way of saying that our progress is what matters, not perfection.

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CourageKristi HornerProgress Over Perfection
Three New Strategies for Dealing with Mistakes
Three New Strategies for Dealing with Mistakes

Admitting a mistake can be empowering. By accepting our mistakes and taking responsibility for them, we gain strength and confidence in our ability to learn and improve. So, instead of trying to shift blame or ignoring the consequences the next time you make a mistake – and there will be a next time – accept responsibility for it, and treat it as an opportunity for YOU to make things better.

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CourageKristi HornerLearn From Mistakes
September Newsletter: Attitude is one of your SUPERpowers
September Newsletter: Attitude is one of your SUPERpowers

In my research around our theme for September of attitude - I found a LOT of different attitudes about ATTITUDE. I was looking for an expert, and it turns out a lot of people have a lot of opinions about attitude and the role it plays in our lives. Where I can see they ALL agree: our attitude is OURS - we OWN it.

My #1 SHEro Brené Brown helped me by keeping it simple ... "An attitude is a way of THINKING." She compares it to having a practice: "a practice is a way of doing, trying, failing and trying again."

This really helped me to focus in on attitude and my THOUGHTS. Attitudes are evaluations of “things” (attitude objects) - a person, a product or social group.

Turns out we each hold thousands of attitudes - some of these are inherited and some are learned. AND ... no matter what the attitude is, WE hold the control.

Check out the September newsletter focused on our theme of Attitude here!

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Attitude, NewslettersKristi HornerPersistence, reali, copi, Attitude
How Do You Cope?
How Do You Cope?

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ve probably heard us mention what we call the “Seven C’s” of caregiving – “I didn’t CAUSE it; I can’t CURE it; I can’t CONTROL it; I can’t CHANGE it; yet, I can have COURAGE and COMPASSION; and I can COPE!”

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AttitudeKristi HornerCoping mechanisms, Stress
Realistic Optimism Is Strategic Optimism
Realistic Optimism Is Strategic Optimism

“Optimism is not a denial of the current state. It’s a belief that the future is bright,

but it accepts current darkness.” – Simon Sinek

As we focus on attitudes this month, we need to be aware that the way we view problems and achieve growth is strongly impacted by the way we look at the world. This week’s theme – realistic optimism – is one way we can look at the challenges of the present and the potential of the future to help us solve our personal problems, learn from our mistakes, and build on our opportunities for growth. In other words, it allows us to be resilient.

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AttitudeKristi HornerRealistic Optimism, Optimism
A New Take on the Tortoise and the Hare
A New Take on the Tortoise and the Hare

As I reflected on this week’s topic of persistence, it reminded me of Aesop’s fable about the tortoise and the hare. The standard moral of the story is that the race is not always won by the swiftest. The tortoise’s persistence was so strong that he was able to win the race despite the overwhelming odds against him. And the hare was so overconfident that he allowed himself to be sidetracked by taking a nap, eventually waking up to find that he was too far behind to catch up.

The tortoise proved his point, that slow and steady can win the race, and that he can get along just fine, thank you, with his own set of skills. Yet maybe the hare was a winner here, too. Maybe the failure of losing this race taught the hare a much more valuable lesson about the virtues of being persistent and the dangers of being too proud and confident.

And … maybe the hare just needed to take some time out for a little self-care. Maybe he was tired from all that running around and needed to take a nap. Maybe he felt so good after getting some much-needed rest that he realized losing one little race was not that big of a deal.

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AttitudeKristi HornerPersistence
August Newsletter: Treat Your Body As a Temple - Nourish Your Mind-Body-Soul
August Newsletter: Treat Your Body As a Temple - Nourish Your Mind-Body-Soul

We have spent most of this year talking about ways to nourish your soul, but it’s equally important to NOURISH YOUR BODY. Throughout August, we shared ways to NOURISH your body, develop a positive body IMAGE, MOVE your body, and REST your body with good sleep hygiene.

August is also National Wellness Month. At Courage to Caregivers, we're focused on supporting caregivers to make their health and well-being a priority ALL year LONG!

When we make deliberate choices to improve our physical and mental health, we are showing that we have worth and value. This exercise in validating the importance of our very existence is essential in building self-esteem ... it's also self-RESPECT.

Your body is a temple and deserves to be shown the highest form of respect and reverence. The result is increased life expectancy, fewer health issues, improved mental health, and more energy and enthusiasm.

Your body is also the essential component of your existence. You have two choices. Either treat it as dispensable and unimportant, resulting in disease and illness. Or treat it with respect by making an effort to fill it with healthy foods and liquids, to keep it strong through regular and consistent movement, and to recharge it with rest/sleep.

When you do something good for your body, it also is a gift to your brain and emotions. When your physical, emotional, and cognitive health are good, these are gifts to the people you love.

Check out the August newsletter focused on our theme of Your Body is a Temple here!

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Your Body is a Temple, NewslettersKristi HornerNourish Yourself, Move Your Body, Nut, Sleep, Sleep Hygiene, Body Image
Want a Good Night’s Sleep? Don’t Overthink It.
Want a Good Night’s Sleep? Don’t Overthink It.

It’s one of the most common problems there is … not getting enough sleep. Maybe we’re trying to pack too many waking hours into our busy days at the expense of sleep, or maybe too much stress is keeping us from turning our brains “off” at night. Whatever the reason, lack of sleep not only can keep us from operating at peak performance, but it can also have a negative impact on our physical and mental health.

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Your Body is a TempleKristi HornerSleep Hygiene, Sleep