Publisher - May 2025

Photography by
Cassidy Dunn Photography

“Lighten up, Francis!”
— Sergeant Hulka, Stripes

Does the world seem extra heavy to you right now? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but nature begs to differ. She is giving us comfortable temps, mild breezes, beautiful blooms, and lots of sunshine that beckons our spirit to lighten up. Take some deep breaths, go outside, slow down, and allow ease to penetrate your bones. Start saying yes to things you love. At least once a day do things that bring you joy and fill your soul.

So many of us women are inundated with finding ourselves, losing ourselves, reinventing ourselves, or selling ourselves short, that often times we feel too busy, too tired and too overwhelmed to say yes to the real things that lift us up and make us feel alive.

The myth is if we keep pushing harder and digging deeper, we will finally emerge into full bloom. Not true. If you constantly keep pushing harder and digging deeper you will wear yourself out, wear your friends and family out, and go through life never believing anything is enough. But there comes a time when we stop and realize enough is enough, and what a relief this moment can be.

If you have something hanging over you—for instance, the pile up of mail that hasn’t been gone through in months—either get it done, or let it go. When you allow something to hang over your head, you don’t realize the burden you are carrying around with you. The minute you decide to take control—get it done or let it go—it loses all its power and suddenly you feel lighter!

It’s important to feel light. It fills us with positive energy, which makes us happy, peppy, and confident. It also allows space for life’s burdens to enter, without completely overwhelming or depressing us. I think that’s how we get ourselves into emotional trouble: We carry around every burden we have, and we all know there are probably more on the way. Eventually, there is one burden too many, the emotional load gets too heavy, and we break. Some things have to go…so let it be the burdens.

In 2016, when my home was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew, I immediately knew there was a silver lining. I never lamented, “Why me?” On the day I got back from evacuation, I tore seven quotes out of my favorite little quote book and taped them on the front door and garage windows. One quote in particular has stuck with me and is an important part of lightening up: “Be a warrior, not a worrier.” In other words, act now, and don’t dwell on everything that has gone wrong.

Our brains are excellent at jumping to conclusions and thinking the worst, it’s called worrying. Worrying has never once solved anything, and it’s a very heavy act. It weighs us down. It’s literally like carrying a 50-pound bag around with you everywhere you go, and it’s terrible for you. Worrying negatively affects our stress and cortisol levels, overall health and general happiness.

However, being a warrior to move beyond worry empowers us, lifts us, and gives us assuredness we can handle whatever has us twisted up. When you feel empowered, it naturally infuses your inner being with power. And power cranks up our positive energy—the most powerful energy of all. A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work. You can’t go wrong by giving up worry.

A few of the other quotes I placed on my home are:
“When nothing is sure, everything is possible!” —Margaret Drabble
“Everything will be alright in the end. If it’s not alright,
then it’s not the end.” —Paulo Coelho
“In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.” —Unknown
“Something Beautiful is on the Horizon.” —Unknown
“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis

And finally, this one: Look on the bright side. It’s bright! I love this; it’s so darn simple, yet brilliant. It’s been proven that our brains are not programmed to look on the bright side. We have to work at it and make a conscious effort to do so, but look at the reward—brightness! And what comes with brightness? Lightness, playfulness, and cheerfulness!

Our spirits get to breath and giggle when we feel light. Who doesn’t love to giggle? As a young girl, I would have girlfriends spend the night almost every Friday. My mom would yell at us until the wee hours of the morning because we would just lie in bed giggling. I know adulting is hard, but I want to giggle like a 12-year-old occasionally.

The old game “Mother May I” comes to mind. Remember, someone would play Mother, who would tell you what to do, and you would have to ask, “Mother, May I” before you did it. If you forgot to say it, you would have to go all the way back to the starting line. Whoever played Mother would tell us to do butterfly twirls, baby steps, or frog jumps, and if you asked, “Mother May I,” she would always say, “Yes, you may.”

First of all, what are you asking of yourself? Secondly, do you really need permission? Take a couple butterfly twirls, say yes to what you love, look on the bright side, stop worrying, and lighten up. And if you must ask, just know the answer is, “Yes, you may.”

Think Pink,
Elizabeth Millen