<![CDATA[THE COURAGE CIRCLE with Sandy Stream]]>

<![CDATA[THE COURAGE CIRCLE with Sandy Stream]]>https://sandystream.substack.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hubm!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F13c9c7bc-012d-49f8-b485-392d6e6de07f_1280x1280.pngTHE COURAGE CIRCLE with Sandy Streamhttps://sandystream.substack.comSubstackWed, 04 Nov 2026 06:57:45 GMT<![CDATA[Profit!!]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/profithttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/profitSun, 01 Nov 2026 11:32:34 GMTThis is my take on profit.

Profit is not money.

Profit is positive movement.

You can profit from a physio session, a warm conversation, and also financially.

I think the idea is to constantly move in a way that profits you as Life.

Truly profits you, since something might give a temporary fix, but not truly profit you. Something might feel relieving temporarily but not profit you.

If we have parents who trusted that we can sense what is good or not good for us, this can help us learn how to make profitable choices.

Many of us did not receive this guidance, but we can still learn to move with profit in mind, and without ANY GUILT FOR DOING SO.

For this is the easiest and most natural way to move with Life.

Wishing you all a profitable week!

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for tea which I have been enjoying as the cold weather approaches.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

I can’t wait to share my new project with this group soon!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Is Life Beauty Full?]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/is-life-beauty-fullhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/is-life-beauty-fullSun, 25 Oct 2026 11:39:33 GMTWith so much going on in the world, it is hard to see Life as beauty full.

To even attempt to do so, I think one would really need to see the whole picture.

That means being able to see everything thing that currently exists, including every leaf and its colors and movement, every war and conflict, every act of kindness, every star, and every single movement of every animal.

All of it.

And one would need to look at this with an open mind, without assuming that things that might appear as “bad” are actually so in the biggest picture.

Then, we would need to also see everything that ever existed in the past, including every leaf and its colors and movement, every war and conflict, every act of kindness, every start and every single movement of every animal.

All of it.

And, again, we would need to see this with an openness that some things that might appear to have been “bad” may not actually be so.

And, finally, I would say, we would also need to see all the possibilities of Life from this moment, since this is also included in Life.

These already exist in some way.

And now, to see the connection with all of these.

Can our eyes see all of this?

I do believe we can access this, at least do so from time to time.

And I would suggest that one way to do this is to do the exercise I just mentioned above on yourself (since you are Life).

1. Practice seeing everything that currently is about you, without labelling anything as bad.

2. Practice seeing everything you went through, that was, without labelling it as bad.

3. Now, understand that there are tremendous possibilities for your Life.

4. And try to see how everything is connected.

And finally, add a huge dose of trust for the gaps!!

I think when we zoom out and try to see our own Life we can access the ability to see and be in awe of all of Life.

I experience moments where I sense this.

If we had parents who knew how to guide us to seeing the beauty of Life, because they see it themselves, in themselves, and in their children, that likely helps.

If we had parents who could not see this beauty in Life, in themselves, in their children, this is ok. It does not mean we cannot see this, or that it is not true.

Today, you can test this theory.

Choose you.
Choose Life.

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for everything.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

I can’t wait to share my new project with this group soon!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[What is Connection?]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/what-is-connectionhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/what-is-connectionSun, 18 Oct 2026 11:03:54 GMTI’m so interested in this topic!

Connection with ourselves, connection with Life, and connection with others.

With healthy parenting and in a healthy environment, I think a child can be gently guided to connect with themselves. This, I imagine, would lead to a natural connection with Life, and true connection with others.

Sadly, I think we often learn to “attach” to parents instead, out of fear of rejection and it can take a lifetime to unravel this. And while we are figuring out how to unravel this as adults, we likely became parents who did not have the know-how and thus repeated these patterns with our kids.

But that’s fine.

Parents can keep growing and their expansion will spill over to their adult children.

I always try to be here, in current reality, and do what makes sense now.

For me this means to be in constant connection with myself, (and encourage my children to do the same simply by not rejecting them, and validating them as best as I know how), connecting with Life (all of it) and also exploring what connecting with others truly is.

I am currently exploring the last one: the connection with others.

So far, I know what connecting with others is not.

Relating with anyone who is consciously or unconsciously trying to break or weaken your connection with yourself in order to comfort themselves, give themselves some sense of purpose or worth, satisfy their need to control, regulate themselves, protect their image, or other such behavior, This is not connecting with others.
Being “close” is not connecting. In fact, I think it is often a sign of the opposite. It is often enmeshment. Without boundaries, I do not believe it is possible to connect in the deeper sense of the word. Connection, for me, necessitates relating as authentic separate beings. And therefore, connection necessarily requires plenty of space.
Connection is not sacrificing or abandoning yourself. It simply cannot be. To truly connect with others, I think we must first have a level of connection with self, and a connection (and love) of Life, and be willing to protect these connections fiercely! And with this in place, I believe there is a special type of connecting with others that can happen from this level of being.

This is what I am currently exploring.

I’d love to hear what others feel connection is and is not. Feel free to message me your thoughts or share here.

Thank you, as always, for being here with me.
Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for my health which I treasure.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

I can’t wait to share my new project with this group soon!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Is saying “Thank You for Understanding” controlling?]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/is-saying-thank-you-for-understandinghttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/is-saying-thank-you-for-understandingSun, 11 Oct 2026 10:14:31 GMTThis week I experienced two situation where I was told “Thank you for understanding,” both of which I did not appreciate.

So I thought I would look into why I got annoyed.

In the first situation, I had requested payment for extra work. In the other, I had requested to remove something from a platform.

Both requests were denied and in both instances, I was told, even before I expressed myself about the decision, “Thank you for understanding”.

Looking back, I suspect that by saying this at the timing and tone it was said, was to push me to “be understanding” or to “be nice” (all the while refusing my reasonable requests and having shown no understanding of my requests).

I did not choose to “act nice”.

Nor did I choose “not be nice”.

Instead…

1. I logically understood their choices and how they make them.

2. I maintained my internal opinion about the situation and validated all my feelings about it; how I felt about the decision, the people involved, and how I felt about being told :thank you for understanding”. All of it.

3. I accepted and remind myself that people can choose and this is not in my control.

4. I made new choices including deciding never to do extra work without clear written agreement again, and I chose to seek alternatives to the platform.

5. I maintained a neutral tone with both parties but did not act like we “understand each other”, because I don’t think we did.

6. After all this, I let things go and moved on with my day.

Looking back, I guess my overall sense of this situation was that saying ”Thank you for understanding” at the time and tone it was said, was an attempt to control my feelings about the situation, and that does not work on me.

I will feel what I feel.

I will choose what I choose.

It has now become clearer to me that all communication even such a simple one such as “Thank you for understanding”, can be controlling or not.

It truly depends on context and tone; it is never about the sentence or words.

Tone matters.

This is why I think I will start recording some audio soon. I also don’t think AI cannot imitate or capture tone, so this might become my new way for expressing for my next project.

Still contemplating, but I definitely sense tone as as key

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for the colors of the leaves in fall.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

I can’t wait to share my new project with this group soon!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Fear of Commitment]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/fear-of-commitmenthttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/fear-of-commitmentSun, 04 Oct 2026 10:06:54 GMTThis week I chatted with a friend about commitment.

I shared with her how committed I feel…

Committed to my Life!

This isn’t the usual way we are taught to commit. It is usually to others.

Why would we ever leave ourselves out of the equation?

I think there is a lot of fear of commitment towards ourselves.

We think we will be rejected.

We feel guilty.

Selfish.

And wonder if anyone will be around if we do this.

Somehow, I have arrived at a point where none of that affects me anymore.

Perhaps because I have already faced and dealt with the serious fall out of choosing my Life. And the pain of those losses and realizations has now passed.

I have not changed my mind.

I am still going to choose to live my life. I feel it’s the least I can do for having received Life.

This can play out in a myriad of ways. Maybe rest, choices of projects. Choice of people and work. Physical work in my home. Supporting my kids and friends or strangers. Maybe going for walks or standing up for myself. Its not the action that matters, but the source of the action.

My source is commitment.

To myself. To Life itself.

The fact that someone may not understand this commitment is not relevant.

The fact others did not commit to me in my past is irrelevant.

What matters is what I choose.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for the colors of the leaves in fall.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

I can’t wait to share my new project with this group soon!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Attention “grabbing”]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/attention-grabbinghttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/attention-grabbingSun, 27 Sep 2026 10:34:42 GMTThe other day I was working in a cafe, very focused on my next project and a man approached me. It’s not the first time he approached, although I don’t think he recalls since the first time was long ago.

”Are you writing a book?” he asked.

He does not recall, I assume, but several months ago, he asked me the same question and after my brief answer (which he did not listen to), he started to go on and on about his adventures travelling and writing.

After a few minutes of this on the first encounter, I stopped the conversation and told him I needed to work. He was displeased.

Fortunately, I am no longer controlled by other people being pleased or displeased.

So this time, when he approached, I looked at him and answered:

“I’m busy”. Period.

No apologies. No explanation. No smile.

He looked displeased, walked away and I went back to what I was doing.

This got me thinking about the presumption that people often make to access our attention.

Many people do not check if you are interested/consent before trying to grab it.

Attention is your most prized possession.

Where our attention goes, energy flows, as the saying goes.

This grabbing, forcing and manipulating our attention is rampant and I have become much more aware of it.

After spending a lifetime unconsciously paying attention and feeding so many things, people and egos, I am now very PROTECTIVE of my attention.

I no longer give attention to what someone else thinks I must pay attention to. Instead, I am trying to make a conscious choices on where to direct my attention.

I feel this is the most powerful skill we can develop.

Try it.

Next time someone tries to “grab” your attention, make a choice.

Enjoy your week,

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for coffee which I must admit really “supports” me! LOL

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

I can’t wait to share my new project with this group soon!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Am I Antisocial?]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/am-i-antisocialhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/am-i-antisocialSun, 20 Sep 2026 10:41:45 GMTI have been on a journey of organize my life, including inquiring into what kind of social life works for me.

This means I am putting aside all ideas of what kind of social life others think I should have.

And trying to simply figure out what works for me.

It took me a long time to even feel allowed to ask this question:

“What kind of social life works for me ?

To some, I probably even seem antisocial.

To me, many people who are constantly surrounded by others and “socializing” are actually “antisocial”.

I suppose this depends on how one defines the word “social,” doesn’t it.

If you include healthy listening or respecting boundaries as part of the definition, then many situations that might seem social, are probably not social at all.

This might help explain why so many people feel lonely despite all the “social” interactions they have.

For me, what was most important was distancing myself from situations which I felt were “antisocial”.

This made space for me to look into this question. And now, I am focusing on quality over quantity. And I also know that I need and enjoy a lot of personal time.

So I will continue to explore all these questions with the freedom to choose my way.

Thanks for being here for these explorations!

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for coffee which I must admit really “supports” me! LOL

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

I can’t wait to share my new project with this group soon!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Protecting Yourself ....cont’d]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/protecting-yourself-contdhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/protecting-yourself-contdSun, 13 Sep 2026 10:23:32 GMTI got a lot of feedback from last week’s post on protecting yourself and I thought to explore this a bit more together.

To do this, I felt the best way would be to simply ask a few questions. Consider writing the answers in a journal, or better yet, draw the answers since the hand is often more revealing.

1. Were you protected as a child. If so by who? Who did not protect you?

2. In what ways were you protected and in what ways were you not?

3. In what ways did adults in your life protect themselves?

4. In what ways were you made to feel guilty when you tried to protect yourself?

5. What did you learn from all this?

6. What do you need to UNLEARN in order to feel well, safe and strong, and respect yourself?

I can finally say, at the age of 55, that I reached a point where I feel no guilt, no need to explain, no need to justify and no need for anyone to understand how and why I protect and take care of myself.

I just feel like I’m being a responsible adult honoring and taking good care of the gift of Life that I was given.

Wishing you the courage to do the same for yourself.

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for all the trees in my neighborhood.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

Want to Collaborate?
Visit thecouragecircle.com or alturahi.com
And let’s connect!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Protecting Yourself]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/protecting-yourselfhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/protecting-yourselfSun, 06 Sep 2026 10:34:40 GMTI have written about this before but feel compelled to expand on this today.

This year I have become very protective of myself.

Like never before.

It feels like the equivalent to the mother bear feeling I have towards my children, but it applies to me.

I don’t think I was taught to protect myself and so this was something I had to learn, There were many things I also had to unlearn on my path. And it took me time to understand what protecting myself means.

This is not about becoming distrusting and paranoid.

And it certainly does not mean I am not open.

This is different.

I will try to describe this as best as I can but words cannot do this justice since it is a feeling I carry 24/7 which plays out in so many ways. So giving examples feels limiting. But here it goes anyways…

1. My neighbor’s workers disrespected my physical space again today and I sent a very clear message and also put physical barriers to protect my home space given this pattern.

2. The people I now have in my life are capable of listening, respecting, empathizing, taking accountability and are not obsessed with controlling others or life. Limiting who has access to me in this way protects my wellbeing and life in general.

3. I am trying to build my muscles. This is to protect my independence and build my capacities. And to protect myself physically in general by being capable of moving, getting up or going where I need to go to care for myself and enjoy life.

4. I have zero tolerance for demeaning behavior towards me. This protects my freedom to be myself.

5. No people pleasing on my end. This allows me to protect my health since for me, people pleasing is a recipe for me getting an autoimmune disease.

6. I ask for help and support when I need.

7. When I find my nervous system overstimulated, I stop and find a way to rebalance myself.

There are so many other ways I have learned to protect myself. I was not taught to do this. I am however, trying to model this to my children so they know they are worth protecting!

People talk about learning not to be “small”.

For me, these are but a few things that allow me to feel internally spacious in general in this life.

It gives me space to breathe.

And so I will keep protecting my space, my breath and my life.

For me this is part of respecting the life I was given.

I hope this message sparks a question in your mind about how much you protect yourself, your life, your peace and your sanity.

And if, while exploring this topic, you find yourself feeling angry and hurt about how many times you did not feel protected in your life, this is expected.

We need to feel to heal.

The pain will pass, the hurt can be processed. And hopefully was remains is a clear resolve to take care of yourself going forward.

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for the abundance of food in my fridge.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

10 Sep 2026 : FREE! : Self-Leadership for wellness entrepreneurs.
DM me for zoom link!

Want to Collaborate?
Visit thecouragecircle.com or alturahi.com
And let’s connect!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Can you do it?]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/can-you-do-ithttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/can-you-do-itSun, 30 Aug 2026 10:07:38 GMTThere is an old stained couch that was given to me that I wanted to put out to the curb,

It is very heavy for sure.

Can I do it?

Can I drag it out of my house by myself? Push and pull it down 5 steps and then drag it with all my might to the curb?

Yes! I can and I did.

There is great satisfaction in doing things that are hard.

I am now very weary of people that “help” all the time since they can make your muscles weaker, give you unconscious messages that you are incapable, and deprive you of very satisfying experiences just so they can feel strong, heroic, good about themselves and so on. And you are often expected to thank them for this.

This is not about being hyper-independent or not being able to ask for help.

I know how to ask for help.

This is about exercising my capacities and feeling the joy that comes from being capable!

There is nothing wrong with cooperating, getting help and support and so on. But there is also a lot right about approaching difficult things and the reward of being able to do it!

There is a good chance I will ask for help next time I have to move a couch or something really heavy, but I still enjoyed this experience!

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for the beautiful Montreal air.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

10 Sep 2026 : FREE! : Self-Leadership for wellness entrepreneurs.
DM me for zoom link!

Want to Collaborate?
Visit thecouragecircle.com or alturahi.com
And let’s connect!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Do they want you to fail?]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/do-they-want-you-to-failhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/do-they-want-you-to-failSun, 23 Aug 2026 10:40:42 GMTOne of the things that that I have been becoming clearer on is cheerleaders versus saboteurs in my life.

I asked myself: “Who in my circle actually wants me to THRIVE AND SUCCEED (as defined by me and only me) ? “

Sadly, I have discovered that many people who may appear supportive, or apparently want the best for you, actually do not.

Of course, we can never know someone else’s true intentions, but what they may truly want, consciously or not, is:

To rescue you so they feel better, or like a hero, while labelling you as some version of pathetic or incapable.
To unconsciously want you to suffer or fail so they can be “right.”
To unconsciously want you to pay the price for what you did to them because they resent you.
Want you to be or act a certain way so they feel ok in this world.

As so, be very conscious of who you allow to be in your circle. Make sure you your own “support group” is not sabotaging you!

Better to be alone (with Life’s energy) than in that kind of company, in my view.

I follow my senses on this and choose accordingly. Since I do not feel the need to justify my choices anymore, I can make choices that people disagree with a deep trust in myself and Life itself.

I now feel truly supported by the people in my world.

And now, in all fairness, I admit that I have had all kinds of unconscious thoughts of feelings similar to those mentioned above towards others, sometimes for long periods. But I feel, as I got to know myself better, was honest with myself and expanded my level of accountability, these are not in my general way of being anymore.

And with this new level of accountability and my capacity to act courageously to respect my own boundaries, this has ironically led me to truly want everyone to thrive, even those I do not want to interact with.

So ironically, removing people from my circle, taking accountability and generally being honest with myself leaves me feeling more in peace towards others.

With clear boundaries in place, I can now take a deep breath, and wish even the persons that were the most hurtful to me …

I wish you to find a healthier way …

And then let go…

… with an exhale.

Thanks for being here with me,
Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for my bed which provides me with a comfortable place to rest every night.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

10 Sep 2026 : FREE! : Self-Leadership for wellness entrepreneurs.
DM me for zoom link!

Want to Collaborate?
Visit thecouragecircle.com or alturahi.com
And let’s connect!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Your Ideal Social Life]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/your-ideal-social-lifehttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/your-ideal-social-lifeSun, 16 Aug 2026 09:08:22 GMTWhat if we are not only conditioned to be a certain way but also conditioned to believe that there is one ideal way to be social?

If we believe this, then we are always comparing our current social life with the one we are supposed to have.

What is we put that aside for a moment and simply ask “What kind of social life would I like to have?”

Do I like a lot of solitude?

Do I enjoy big gatherings or one-on-one intimate conversations?

Which family members do I actually want to interact with and at what dose?

The answers might be different than if you are trying to make your life look like what it is “supposed to be”.

The answer might also be very different if you have been used to falling for guilt trips!

It is a courageous act to choose your social life and not everyone will agree or easily respect or trust your choices.

Will you choose it anyway ? and use your energy towards living it?.

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for my body. All of it. Even the parts that are injured or not working optimally right now.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

10 Sep 2026 : FREE! : Self-Leadership for wellness entrepreneurs.
DM me for zoom link!

Want to Collaborate?
Visit thecouragecircle.com or alturahi.com
And let’s connect!

My Bookstore

]]><![CDATA[Is "Less" Truly More?]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/is-less-truly-morehttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/is-less-truly-moreSun, 09 Aug 2026 10:53:14 GMTI have been so engaged in several projects these days which I hope to share with all of you all shortly!

Among these is my interest in Investing, and what the word truly means.

So far, it seems quite connected to the experience of being Two Feet In.

IN-Vesting.

And I am becoming much more aware of how I INVEST: my money, my time, and my personal energy.

This means learning to be more mindful and choosing where to direct my money, time, energy.

Where attention goes, energy flows.

I will now share three experiences related to this and how I find that they connected to each other:

1. Home Depot Experience

I went to Home Depot 2 days ago to look into some things for my home projects. I was a bit thistly and hungry on arrival. I normally would not think twice about buying a snack or drink for $3.

But something happened given my new awareness.

I actually chose not to buy anything and it was NOT DEPRIVATION. I just felt… “Nah, that $3 can go towards something that serves me better”.

It truly felt like “not getting that drink” was an INVESTMENT!

This was new to me and it has nothing to do with the amount ($3) or being careful about money. It was simply a realization of where things are flowing.

And LESS in one place often means MORE of something else.

It’s a choice.

I might choose differently next time and buy the drink. That’s not the point,

The point is understanding choice.

2. My Declutter Experience

I have been decluttering seriously recently. It’s been a process for 2 years and the decluttering has been an intentional choice to let go of the past and move forward.

I don’t want to live my life in the past. Period.

It feels dead, stale and stuck to me. And getting rid of physical things in the home that don’t feel good is an important part of this process for me.

And so, again, after getting rid of so much stuff, one might think I have LESS.

But actually…

I have MORE!

More space!

Space to breathe.

Space to move.

Space to buy new items that I actually like or feel nice to me.

3. My Social Experience

I have “lost” or/distanced myself from many people the past few years for reasons I have shared in posts on substack.

It may appear as though I now have less “family” and “friends”.

But the truth is that I have MORE!

More peace.

More clarity.

More health.

More true friends.

More self-respect.

More energy. Much more!

More strength.

More motivation.

More space to be myself and explore my way of living.

It takes courage to let go.

It’s damn painful.

But on the other side I have found so much MORE!

I truly feel like I have room to breathe now.

And I can’t think of anything more previous than my breath.

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for space.

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

10 Sep 2026 : FREE! : Self-Leadership for wellness entrepreneurs.
DM me for zoom link!

Want to Collaborate?
Visit thecouragecircle.com or alturahi.com
And let’s connect!

FREE online Compassion Circle

Join our small Courage Circle anytime for an hour of kindness, curiosity and support. Next Circle: Wednesday August 19, 2026 at 5 pm EST.
zoom link

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]]><![CDATA[Trepidation]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/trepidationhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/trepidationSun, 02 Aug 2026 11:37:03 GMTI went to see my friend who is a physiotherapist this week for guidance on my knee.

I’ve been nursing it for some time, while also exploring how injuries can reveal or be connected to life events or situations.

For example, when the knee buckles, we may be carrying too much weight on our shoulders, or we may be caving in to things instead of holding our ground or speaking up, and so on.

During my session, my physio noticed that in certain positions, I am on my toes instead of using a greater surface area of my feet. This can lead to disconnection with other muscles and therefore too much pressure on the knee.

This got me thinking about “tiptoeing.”

Where did I learn to do that in my life?

Oh, I can think of thousands of ways…

Where did my body learn and experience Trepidation?

To hesitate before taking a step?

I can think of so many instances…

But at this point of my life, I don’t always feel the need to fully decipher everything from the past. Having a general idea is sometimes enough for me.

Not everything from my past needs to be fully figured out, fixed, or undone.

Simply being aware of my foot placement, and choosing not to tip toe will address this, no doubt.

Sometimes, simply creating NEW experiences is enough to move us in the right direction instead of obsessing about the past.

I have done this in other aspects of my life as well.

As I intentionally move towards emotional stability, I also know that I must continue to build my physical strength and awareness in order to ensure that my body feels stable on the ground!

For me, these are intertwined.

Thank you for being here and reading my reflections. I love having this dedicated space and truly appreciate your presence.

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for my phsio friend! Thanks Greg!

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

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]]><![CDATA[My New Power Tool]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/my-new-power-toolhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/my-new-power-toolSun, 26 Jul 2026 11:17:04 GMTThis week I was busy and determined to get my home in better order. I’ve actually been doing this for 2 years but had extra energy lately.

Decluttering, cleaning, and fixing so many things that needed attention.

I painted walls, got rid of furniture, kitchenware and towels, and generally got many things in better order.

I would not call myself a constant DIY person, but I am generally a doer. I can work very hard when I’m decided, and can certainly use basic tool, drills, etc.

But then came the issue of the baseboards that needed to be put around the walls. I removed the old ones a while back.

I measured the space and bought the long wooden pieces and brought them home.

But can I do this myself or do I have to hire someone?

Aside for the issue of cost, there was a part of me that felt like taking this on.

I watched a few videos and went to Home Depot to ask what tool I should get to cut them. The kind employee suggested a serious power tool to cut angles. He also looked quite surprised that I would undertake this.

I bought it!

It helped me to know that my handy friend knows how to use this tool and has even done a full bathroom herself!! It also helped me know one of the people in our weekly circle has spoken about doing full wood floors in her house on her own!!

So I got home with my power tool, tried to set it up and was very scared to cut the wood with such a powerful saw.

I managed to cut a few pieces keeping my body super far and wearing goggles. My nervous system was not very happy, to say the least

But here’s the cool part. It’s what happened the next day.

One day 2, I was now using this thing like I’ve had it for years!!

And so it seems to be in life.

Doing things the first time is often super hard!

And that’s why I don’t try to do too much the first day or time of doing anything. It’s just “acclimatizing day”. I know that the next day, after some sleep. the whole thing becomes so much more familiar!

That goes for visiting a new place, trying a new sport, or a new tool.

So here’s my invitation for you:

Try something new today but only do it for a little while to acclimatize!

If you are scared to go for a coffee alone, go for 15 minutes.
If you are scared to use a new tool, just set it up the first day.
If you want to try to bike, just try it for 10 min the first day.

The next day will feel so much easier!

My baseboards are not top professional level, but I’m more than ok with that. I feel great that I did this!

Have a wonderful week!

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling gratitude for the Home Depot guy that got passed his initial shock and encouraged me to go ahead with my project!
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LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

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]]><![CDATA[Having expectations and choosing your Life.]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/having-expectations-and-choosinghttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/having-expectations-and-choosingSun, 19 Jul 2026 10:09:08 GMTDo you have expectations from a person you interact with or from Life?

Over the years, this word “expectations” has confused me so much!

In some ways, learning to let go of expectations has really served me.

I learned to stop expecting people to change after suffering for years.

I learned to stop expecting anyone to save me.

I learned to stop expecting someone to understand me who could not or was was not willing to do so.

And I stopped expecting Life to go exactly the way I want it to.

But here is the risk of this …

Not expecting anyone to change or behave a certain way can also lead us to ALLOW AND EXCUSE certain behaviors, all under the guise of “acceptance”,
“No expectations,” “no control”, and “compassion”.

In this regard I have changed,

In other words, I not longer “expect” the person to change, but I do “expect” to be treated a certain way. That is not controlling. That is not lack of compassion. That is not lack of acceptance.

It’s called standards and respecting myself.

So how does one reconcile not having expectations but also having standards?

Just choose your Life!

And then make the changes necessary to respect these standards.

It might mean removing yourself, setting boundaries or other action.

I do walk around Life “expecting” these standards to be respected and will act accordingly when they are not.

And what about having expectations from Life?

This is another tricky one!

We are taught to stop controlling Life, surrender, and let go.

To release expectations.

But this can also lead to “expecting” nothing from Life!

I do not feel this way about my Life.

I do expect Life/Nature/Universe to support me in a myriad of ways, and it always does.

I do expect to have internal signals on what is my path, and I always do.

I do expect to receive.

I do expect that it’s possible for me to be fully me, and to live with Life’s positive movement.

This is not “expectation”.

This is connection.

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling deep gratitude for family member who demonstrated kindness, listening and non-judgment.
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LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

10 Sep 2026 : FREE! : Self-Leadership for wellness entrepreneurs.
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]]><![CDATA[The Refusal to Repair]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/the-refusal-to-repairhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/the-refusal-to-repairSun, 12 Jul 2026 09:58:14 GMTHave you ever had a relationship where you were hurt or you hurt someone?

In my mind it is inevitable that there would be hurt, misunderstanding and conflict in any relationships.

So how can we deal with this?

The most important aspect, in my view, is whether there is the capacity, the maturity, and the willingness to repair.

To repair, there has to be a capacity to listen and validate which, as far as I’ve seen, is quite rare.

To repair, one needs to be willing to be vulnerable and honest. Most people are not, in my experience.

To repair, there has to be the capacity to take accountability, which requires having to move past shame, perfectionism, avoidance and so on. Also very rare in my experience.

And finally, I think it takes a willingness to do the uncomfortable and painful effort to repair because the person or relationship matters to you.

Wherever I have had major difficulties in relationships and felt very hurt by behaviors, including (and mostly) by family members, I realize that the ability and willingness to repair was not there.

In such cases, in order to maintain relations, I would end up second guessing myself for years, keep trying to explaining myself better, “forgive” things (which was actually self-abandonment), and gaslighting myself.

The hurt remains for long periods of time because nothing gets resolved, and the hurtful behaviors repeat since nothing got addressed.

My body knew, and has always known, what’s going on.

As a result, and in order to protect my health, peace and sanity, I’ve had to painfully distance myself from many people who refuse, or are incapable of participating in repair. Accepting this is painful, but it’s true.

Now here’s the twist, the people who have remained in my life I seem to rarely have any misunderstandings with… and when they do occur, they are quite easily addressed.

This makes me wonder, are those qualities I described earlier about the capacity to repair actually the qualities that lead to basic respect in the first place?

Perhaps the issue was not about the capacity and willingness to repair.

Maybe there was simply a lack of basic respect in the foundation.

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling deep gratitude for the air of Montreal which I breathe every day.
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LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

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]]><![CDATA[Living Courageously]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/living-courageouslyhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/living-courageouslySun, 05 Jul 2026 10:52:43 GMTI’ve noticed that I now have a hard time being around anyone who is not interested in building their courage muscles.

I don’t think this is being judgmental.

I just know the impact of this way of living.

I’ve been on both sides of many dynamics and I feel have experienced enough to know that Courage is key.

It takes courage to question the status quo, and to learn and grow.

It takes courage to take accountability and to have difficult conversations.

It takes courage to hear feedback about your actions, and own them.

It takes courage to set boundaries, and sometimes even to the point of losing people in order to protect your wellbeing.

It takes courage to feel, and to ask for help.

It takes courage to stand up for yourself and also to surrender.

It takes courage to trust yourself.

It takes courage to get back up over and over again

.
Without the willingness to live courageously, we will always feel powerless, feel like a victim of life itself, instead of living with Life.

I’ve been there.

I’m not interested.

There’s no going back for me.

Lots of love to all,

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling deep gratitude for the air of Montreal which I breathe very day.
______________

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

13 July 2026 : FREE! : Self-Leadership for wellness entrepreneurs.
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Join our small Courage Circle anytime for an hour of kindness, curiosity and support. Next Circle: Wednesday July 15, 2026 at 5 pm EST.
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]]><![CDATA[The Painful Truth]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/the-painful-truthhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/the-painful-truthSun, 28 Jun 2026 10:46:59 GMTI listened to a friend share a story of being sexually abused as a child by her grandmother’s partner for many years.

The most shocking part of the story, for me, was when she told me her grandmother did not believe her when she finally spoke up at age 8.

But then I realized that another part of me was not really surprised by this at all.

I feel like I’ve heard this story many times before in many forms.

There is abuse, and those that are “invested” in some reality or in a certain system, refuse to address it or believe it to be true. This can include refusing to see their own behavior.

And they end up defending and protecting the person who abused.

There are many theories on why this happens.

All I know for sure, from my experience, is that the more I personally go towards the truth, the more painful it usually is. So naturally, moving towards truth is moving towards pain, which most people avoid.

But the more I move towards truth, the more I am capable of dealing with pain.

The pain passes or at least it is accepted. And now we are living in truth.

And this is the only place I like to be.

Often, for me, this feels like I am 50% in accepted sadness and 50% fully alive and joyful.

Both are here. Both in me.

They are not contradictory.

They make perfect sense together.

Lots of love to all,

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling deep gratitude for the food on my plate every day and the air I breathe.
_________________

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

13 July 2026 : FREE! : Self-Leadership for wellness entrepreneurs.
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]]><![CDATA[Are you a "safe" person?]]>https://sandystream.substack.com/p/are-you-a-safe-personhttps://sandystream.substack.com/p/are-you-a-safe-personSun, 21 Jun 2026 11:58:51 GMTOver the past few years I have been learning about creating safe space.

I’ve been improving my own capacity to provide space to others where they can share honestly and vulnerably, and be themselves without risking rejection, abuse, control and so on.

And I have been gravitating towards those who can provide this for me. It has been completely life changing.

But this week I came across an article that mentioned how people sometimes lose their cool, or yell at someone because they are the “safe” person. They are the person who will not leave or reject them if they do this. And so it will be directed at this “safe” person versus someone else.

For example, if someone feels that they cannot get upset with their boss since they would risk losing their job, they might direct their anger at a spouse in the home.

Although the article specified that it’s not an excuse, I still don’t think it went far enough to elaborate on this.

Here are my thoughts on this topic.

First, I personally think it is normal for children to “lash out” at parents or others at times with the “safe” person. Children do not always know why they are upset and are not able to put things together. If we are present and have the capacity as parents (and I certainly did not always do it well), we would pause and try to see with the child what is truly going on and go from there. The adult can also put some limits on some behaviors of the child. This parent is “safe” in that they can hold space for different feelings and not judge or reject the child.

But when it comes to adult relationships, it is not the same for me.

If someone deems their spouse, for example, as the “safe person”, I think this has a serious risk of entering the world of abuse.

Basically what happens is that the person lashing out knows they will not experience consequences from the “safe” person. There are no boundaries.

There is nothing safe about this!

To make things worse, I think this language of calling the receiver a “safe person” might even cause to feel “honoured” or find some pride that the other adult finds them “safe”.

They might think they are providing “unconditional love”.

This is not love.

Do not be that “safe person” for adults to take out their frustrations on!

There is nothing safe in this situation for the “safe” person!

Of course, in adult relationships we can all make mistake and lose our cool sometimes. But if we do not own it, or it becomes a pattern, this is not the same thing.

I’ve been a punching bag in the past.

I am no longer a “safe” person for that.

Lots of love to all,

Sandy 🌹

Gratitude Section

Today, I am feeling deep gratitude for the food on my plate every day and the air I breathe.
_________________

LET’S CREATE A SELF-LEADERSHIP CULTURE !

27 June 2026: Self-Leadership in the Midst of Chaos / with Trudi Jane

13 July 2026 : FREE! : Self-Leadership for wellness entrepreneurs.
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Join our small Courage Circle anytime for an hour of kindness, curiosity and support. Next Circle: Wednesday July 1, 2026 at 5 pm EST.
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