The Story Behind the Six Words
Today, I am sharing The RIPPLE Practice™ with you—six steps that have become my way back to center when life feels overwhelming.
This is the story behind how those particular words found me.
Choosing the language for this practice was its own meditation. I spent weeks sitting with different possibilities, testing how each word felt in my body, asking: Does this capture what actually happens when we move from stuck to flowing?
When Words Choose You
Should R be Realize—that moment of sudden clarity? Or Release—the exhale that comes with letting go? I tried them both, but Reflect felt most honest. It honors that necessary pause, the willingness to look inward before moving outward.
For I, the choice was between Intuition, Invitation and Insight. All felt true, but Identify won because sometimes we need to name what's actually blocking us before we can dance around it.
P for Play was the easiest choice. In a world that takes everything so seriously, we need permission to approach our struggles with lightness, with curiosity instead of force. You’ve often heard me say, “play like your three-year-old-self.” It’s a slam dunk, really.
The second P took longer. Present felt too abstract. Perfect made me laugh—that's exactly what this practice isn't about. Then there was Practice and Pause but Personalize emerged because it captures that moment when we stop making what we think we should and start making what feels true to us, even if it makes no sense to anyone else.
L sparked the deepest conversation with myself. Listen, Love or Let Go? They all felt essential. But Let Go carried the reminder that we create not to possess, but to offer—and that's where the magic lives.
E could have been Emerge or Empowerment. It could also have been Exchange, but that felt too transactional. But Embrace spoke to something gentler—the act of gathering what we’ve learned and carrying it forward, not as achievement but as integration. It really brought this practice full circle for me.
The Practice in Practice
What I’ve noticed since giving this process a name is this: having language changes everything. When I’m spinning in overwhelm, I can think “Oh, I need to reflect first” instead of just feeling stuck. When perfectionism creeps in, “let go” becomes a gentle reminder instead of a harsh command I give myself.
The RIPPLE Practice™ isn’t just about creativity or kindness—though it leads to both. It’s about having a reliable way to return to ourselves when everything else feels chaotic. A framework gentle enough for everyday moments, strong enough for the hard ones.
And maybe that’s why it took years to name. Some truths need to be lived before they can be labeled.
What About You?
I’m curious: Do you have your own version of this? A rhythm you follow when life feels overwhelming? Words that guide you back to center?
If you’ve downloaded the workbook, I’d love to know which step resonates most (or feels most challenging). And if you haven't had a chance yet, it's still here waiting for you.
What I really want to know is this: When you’re stuck, what’s the one small thing that helps you begin again?
Because that's where all ripples start—with one authentic gesture, offered freely.
