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Girl’s Night Out

A New Kind of Resolution

Last year I made a resolution that for the first time ever I actually kept: I quit resolutions.

Yep, that’s right. No New Year rule I was bound to break weeks later and wrestle with guilt about. Nada. Done. Finito.

But here’s what I did do instead: I picked a word. One word that would encompass the next three-hundred-and-sixty-five days of my life. I simply closed my eyes, and let whatever word wanted to be with me come into my consciousness. And you know what landed?

Connection.

How funny (and yet not, if you know the way the world works).

Connection.

There’s arguably been a large amount of disconnect this year. Flights have been canceled; friends have gone unseen. I once spent my career speaking on stages and now I’m banished behind a screen. I desperately miss hugging people and high-fiving. I miss looking at someone’s full face as they pass by in the store and …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Girl's Night Out Guest Blogs HeartBeats Inspiration Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Loving Others Loving Yourself Purpose Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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More Than a Mom

The first time I remember feeling content in my life was the first year of my daughter’s life. Up until that point, I was notorious for always wanting more. Nothing was ever enough, even my wins fell overwhelmingly short, and I would constantly bounce around looking for the next best thing.

Then, that tiny human slowed and steadied me.

I remember around my fourth month as a stay at home mom, my therapist asked me if I had finished my book—a project I was working on prior to giving birth. I was flabbergasted. How could I?! I was a mother now. I had a mouth to feed and nursery rhymes to sing. There was no time for the betterment of myself. When you take on the role of a mother it means you sacrifice, or so I assumed.

Turns out, therapists get paid a lot because they have incredible foresight.

It wouldn’t be long …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Girl's Night Out Guest Blogs HeartBeats Inspiration Inspirational Leaders Inspirational Women Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Love in Family Loving Yourself Motherhood Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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It’s Never Too Late to Create a Sister

For many years I held the status of being an only child and the personality traits which accompany that still exist within me. I like organization and independence and can turn on my extroversion just long enough before I retreat to my bed and binge watch bad reality TV.

But I always envied the deep relationships I saw women form, especially when it came to sisterhood. There was something so comforting in knowing another human being not only had your back but understood you in your entirety.

I didn’t have enough gusto to join a sorority during my college years (again, recovering only child), but what I did do was stumble upon a co-worker—while slinging baby back ribs at a BBQ restaurant—who seemed familiar and safe and became a good friend.

Fast forward fifteen years later and we are sisters.

I use the term sisters because “friends” feels inadequate at this point. Over the …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Girl's Night Out Guest Blogs HeartBeats Inspiration Inspirational Women Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Love in Friendship Loving Others Leave a comment chat
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You Have What You Need

When I was in nursing school, I was introduced to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Basically, the gist is this: everything we “need” for human survival can fit into a pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid, the largest part, are your most basic needs: food, clothing, water, shelter. And as you move up, there are smaller needs (ie. friendship, companionship, acceptance). Still equally as important as the bottom tiers, but less vital for survival, hence smaller. After all, if you’re starving to death a spa day may seem a little secondary, right?

It donned on me this week, as I was sick and solely concentrating on my body‘s survival, that we live in a society that has the privilege of not worrying a lot about the bottom rung. Thankfully, most of us know where our next meal is coming from.

But the downfall to accessibility and ease is that we get a lot …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Community Girl's Night Out Guest Blogs Inspiration Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Loving Yourself Priorities Purpose Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Find the Friend Who Will Row Beside You

two girls wearing life vests holding kayak paddles

Big groups of girlfriends have always been tricky for me. I’m a former only child and some of the residual effects of that linger. I’ve always preferred my friendships one-on-one so that I can dive deep with the few rather than stay surface with the many.

But finding the one or two women who understand you to your core is a challenge. It takes effort and intention to sustain a sisterhood. And it also takes someone who is willing to say yes to every part of your messy, beautiful life.

A few years ago, both of my children were diagnosed with autism and something interesting happened: my inner circle closed even tighter. The thing is, it doesn’t take a special mom to raise special needs kids, but it does take incredibly special people to stick it out with you.

So some of my friendships faded away. Some didn’t know what to say, so …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Community Girl's Night Out Guest Blogs HeartBeats Inspiration Inspirational Leaders Inspirational Women Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Love in Friendship Loving Others The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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If One Woman Wins, We All Do

When I graduated from nursing school, my best friends showed up with their support and this sign.

I remember there was no better feeling than seeing a group of women I loved standing up for me.

Girls in their twenties get a bad rap. Dare I say this was the time in my life I felt the most supported by my same gender.

Because somewhere along the line women are introduced to the wrong side of competition called scarcity. Meaning that if one of us succeeds, another doesn’t. I see this a lot in the writing world. If one author gets a hit, the others start scrambling, analyzing their numbers, and pushing out inauthentic content to keep up.

But honestly, it’s everywhere. We compare bodies, businesses, even our own mothering.

This idea of scarcity is sad, and also completely unfounded. We are not on survivor island. There’s not a limited amount of words and awards …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Girl's Night Out Guest Blogs Inspiration Inspirational Leaders Inspirational Women Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Love in Friendship Loving Others Leave a comment chat
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