only you

Come back from vacation

One of my favorite things to do on vacation is to swim with the stingrays. We literally do it every summer and it never gets old. In the “wild” they flock to this particular sand bar of their own free will, because they know the visiting tourists are bringing breakfast (squid). They want breakfast. But we’ve learned from the guides over the years, that they like to be cuddled too. It takes practice to learn how to scoop them up and hold them just under the water so they can still breathe, while rocking gently with the waves, and rubbing their soft white underside.

If you do it right, they will stay there with you, and it’s absolutely magical.

Each year, I try to wrangle one for myself and each year I fail. I’ll get it partially right, but then I’ll come up too fast or hold on in the wrong spot. …

While Scott took the boys to get a haircut this weekend, I had some alone time to shower and get ready. I quickly pulled up a podcast I’ve been wanting to hear and turned up the volume, loud. It was a woman I’ve only recently been introduced to. It was so full of wisdom that I pulled out my Expo marker and began to write notes all over my mirror. (Everyone does that, right?) Before I knew it, my giant mirror was covered in red cursive handwriting going in every which direction. When my family returned, they responded with a little shock and a lot of side-eye, like I’d finally like gone and turned into the completely crazed scientist they fear I am. Kidding. . . sort of.

Here’s the deal.

I left that red scribble all over my mirror, partly because I need to go take the notes down somewhere more practical, …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspirational Women Loving Yourself The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

I’m writing you today from the loo. Not kidding. I’m sitting on a towel, on the toilet lid, with my feet propped up on the bathtub, in a tiny motel bathroom.

Stay with me and you’ll learn why that detail matters.

We’ve been coming to this island every summer since I married my husband (over 13 years). So my kids have had the extreme privilege of growing up with big chunks of their summers spent at this beach. It’s been fantastic. And even though we stay two weeks, they always wish we could stay longer. So this year, I figured. . .why not?! I told them we couldn’t stay in the same fancy place, but we could stay and check out the rest of the island.

And so we did.

The rest of our family left the island on Saturday. The boys and I rented a Kia Picanto (that will forever be known as …

by Crystal Gornto Purpose The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

I saw this little baby bird hanging out under the stands at the stadium last week while visiting the school. I felt so drawn to it that I couldn’t help but snap this pic. Maybe it was because it was just so cute and helpless looking.

Or maybe it was because we’ve been long awaiting the release of the Angry Birds movie.

Our cousins were in town this weekend, so we had a date to see it. I expected to laugh and enjoy the movie, but I didn’t expect an insightful story to share with you. I guess I should have known better. (Spoiler alert! Don’t read further if you want to be surprised by the plot of the movie.)

Meet Matilda.

Matilda is the very zen and peaceful instructor of the anger management school that the hot-tempered Red is sentenced to attend. She baffles all the “angry” birds with her uncanny ability to stay calm during …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Words Loving Yourself Purpose Leave a comment chat

Not too long ago I got an email from a lovely girl in Canada regarding our online course. She was asking simple question, so I popped an answer back to her pretty quickly. She immediately replied with gushing excitement saying she felt like she’d just been emailed by a “celebrity”. After I laughed so hard I spewed water on the keyboard, I thought, Who? Me? I’m clearly not a celebrity. If she only knew that I’m sitting here in my jammies with my unwashed hair and pimple picked face!

I’ve thought about that exchange quite a bit since then.

Isn’t it interesting how our perceptions of ourselves shape the world we live in?

I don’t even know her, but her original email was articulate and kind. There were no barriers in my mind at all. We’re just two women working to create the best in our lives having a little chat. But she …

by Crystal Gornto Inspiration Inspirational Words Love In Action Loving Yourself Purpose 1 comment chat

“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. What is needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of acts, adding, adding to, adding more, continuing. We know that it does not take “everyone on Earth” to bring justice and peace, but only a small, determined group who will not give up during the first, second, or hundredth gale.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estes

I woke up to snow covered ice this morning. It’s breathtakingly beautiful outside. Simply stunning. The kids are home from school (again) with “Cyber School” homework to boot. Which of course, is not a coincidence, that this was my planned quote to write about today. It shifts the context for me a little and that’s exactly what was meant to be.

I love this quote for so many reasons. It addresses 4 main topics I’m passionate …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Women Inspirational Words Love In Action Purpose 2 comments chat

Come back from vacation

Only you

Exploring the unknown

Why you should live like an Angry Bird

Someone is waiting

4 Steps to Change the World