Tag: gentle resilience

Feelings & Fire, messy progress, Reflection

When Surviving Feels Like Failing

Mindrah

Life.
Sometimes life just… sucks.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a million ideas swirling in your head. You want to do them all. You want them done yesterday. But then life gets in the way.

For me, it was a week of study visits, followed by a week of high-stress assignments and deadlines. It feels like forever since I touched the things I actually wanted to do. Instead of thriving, I’ve just been surviving.

And I hate surviving.

I created Ash & Ember Rising because I didn’t want to just get through life — I wanted to live it. Intentionally. Fully. Passionately. I want to do all the things. Ten-people’s worth of things, if I’m honest. And of course, that’s impossible… but still, I expect it of myself.

Which means sometimes it’s hard to match my wants, my wild expectations, with reality.

What happens when reality wins?

So what do you do when life doesn’t match the plan?
When deadlines eat your days, or stress fogs your brain, or you just can’t do the things you hoped you would?

You could walk away.
You could decide it isn’t worth it.
You could label it failure.

But here’s the truth:

Just because something didn’t happen the way you wanted or expected doesn’t make it worthless.
It doesn’t make you worthless.

It makes you human.

Still here. Still trying.

I didn’t finish everything I wanted. Some things didn’t happen at all. But I’m still here.

Still caring.
Still showing up.
Still trying, even when it’s messy.

And maybe,

sometimes,

that’s enough.

From surviving to rising

Ash & Ember Rising has always been about this: turning the sparks we have left, even when everything feels burnt out, into steps forward.

So if you’re here, tired, behind, feeling like you’ve lost the thread of your own story — know this:

You’re not failing.
You’re still becoming.
And you’re allowed to start again, as many times as it takes.

Because surviving is not the end of your story. It’s just the messy middle. And the ember is still glowing.

Children of the Tide, Fire & Fuel

Aquessa and the Quiet Power of HydrationHydration

Mindrah

Sometimes, the hardest part of self-care is the small stuff.

Drinking water. Getting up. Showing up for yourself in ways that feel too tiny to matter — but somehow take all the strength you have left.
The small stuff that, in the hectic chaos of your day — of your life — gets forgotten or delegated to a ‘later’ that never comes.

That’s where Aquessa comes in.

She’s our hydration mascot — calm, quiet, and always nearby with a gentle reminder:
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to take the next small sip.

Aquessa isn’t just about water and remembering to hydrate.
She’s there for the calm, quiet moments.
The moments you show up for yourself when no one else is watching.
The moments you should show up for yourself — and just need a gentle reminder that it’s okay.

It’s okay to take a moment for you.
It’s okay to give yourself what you need.

Whether it’s a sip of water, a quiet breath, or a cup of tea made in a moment of overwhelm — it all matters.
Those tiny actions are not just habits. They’re kindness. Care. Respect. Love.

Because those sips of water are so much more.
They are refreshing, revitalizing, renewing, and replenishing.
They are gratitude for a body that works hard for you.
They are small moments to think.
Small moments to reset.
Small moments to regroup.

They are a way of saying:
I matter.

So… How Much Water Do We Even Need?

Even with the best of intentions, it’s easy to get stuck on the question:
How much is enough?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but a gentle starting point is this:

Roughly 30–35ml of water per kilogram of body weight.
(For example, if you weigh 70kg, that’s around 2.1 to 2.5 litres per day.)

But that number is a guide, not a rule.
It’s a whisper of direction — not a test you need to pass.

Start Gently

If that amount feels far away from where you are now, start small.

✨ Add one more glass than yesterday.
✨ Take a sip every time you pause at your desk.
✨ Leave a bottle beside your bed or near your favourite chair.
✨ Use a pretty cup that makes you smile.

You don’t have to jump straight to your goal.
You just have to begin.

Even slow hydration is still hydration.
Even tiny sips still count.

Make It Easier (and More Enjoyable)

If water feels boring or hard to drink, Aquessa has a few soft suggestions:

🌿 Add fresh mint, cucumber, or lemon
🍓 Drop in berries or frozen fruit
🫖 Brew herbal tea and chill it for something soothing
🥤 Use a splash of juice or coconut water
🧊 Adjust the temperature — cold, warm, or room temp — whatever feels best

There’s no rule that says hydration has to be plain.
Make it something you enjoy, not something you endure.

Introducing the Hydration Challenge: Small Sips, Steady Growth

Aquessa has been quietly holding onto something special —
a three-page printable to help you build gentle hydration habits over time.

This free download includes:

  • Weekly hydration trackers with soft encouragement
  • Reflection questions to help you notice your patterns
  • A reminder that every sip is a step toward care, clarity, and calm

💧 Click the button below to download the Dewy Drops: Hydration Challenge pages

DewyDropsDownload

Whether you’re starting slow or simply need a little structure with heart — this is for you.

A Final Sip of Encouragement

Whether you’re sipping mindfully or just trying your best to remember…
Aquessa sees you.
And she’s proud.

You matter.
You are worth caring for.
And the next sip you take — it counts.

In stillness, she sips. In small moments, she reminds us: care can be quiet.

🧜‍♀️ Mermaid’s Tip:

Feeling thirsty, sluggish, or foggy? That might be your body asking for a little more water. You’ve got this. ✨

Optional Reflection:

🌊 Prompt 1:

“How did drinking more water affect your energy or mood this week? Did you notice any shifts—big or small?”

🐚 Prompt 2:

“What’s getting in the way of staying hydrated right now? How can you make it a little easier or gentler on yourself?”

💧 Prompt 3:

“Describe a moment where you remembered to drink water and felt proud, even if it was small. Why did it feel good?”

🧜‍♀️ Prompt 4:

“If your body could send you a thank-you note for the care you’ve given it lately, what would it say?”

Feelings & Fire

A Birthday, A Beginning

Mindrah

I did it.
I celebrated my birthday.
My way.
With intention the whole day through.

Was it perfect?
No.
But it was mine and I chose it.

And when things didn’t go to plan.
I stopped.
I took a breath.
And I asked myself.
How do I want to go forward from here.
I chose on purpose.

This year my birthday didn’t just happen.
And it didn’t pass in a blink of disappointment.

Birthdays can be hard.
For some of us, they come tangled — with grief, hope, reflection, and a strange aching sense that time is both too slow and too fast.

This year I wanted to do my birthday differently. Not with pressure. Not with guilt. But with softness. With understanding. With kindness.

There’s often a strange kind of weight to celebrating yourself. Especially when the world teaches you to earn your milestones, or when old griefs sit close to the surface.

I didn’t want to pretend everything was easy. But I didn’t want to hide from the day either.

I wanted to choose me. I wanted to celebrate my way, for me and not for anyone else.

So, instead of a party, I built myself a small safe space — a blanket fort, a soft playlist, a simple reflection page.
I gave myself permission to exist exactly as I was: messy, hopeful, tired, alive.

I let small joys rule my day — setting out experiences that made my heart lighter.

It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t magic. But it mattered.

I realized celebration doesn’t always have to look like a fancy dinner, a party or cake.

Sometimes it looks like breathing.

Sometimes it looks like making room for yourself even when it feels awkward.

If you’re carrying complicated feelings about your birthday — or about any day you’re supposed to “celebrate” —you’re not alone.

There’s no wrong way to honor yourself.

Even a small, quiet beginning is still a beginning.

You’re still worth celebrating — exactly as you are.

One small corner of my celebration — a moment chosen just for me.

If you’re looking for a way to celebrate yourself — quietly, kindly — you can find my Birthday Reflection Pack here.

Fire & Fuel, Reflection

Tired, Tender, and Trying Anyway

Mindrah

Hello fellow adventurers.

Today’s blog is a little tender. I want to talk to you about my Health, fitness and movement journey — it’s been a complicated road.

If you’ve read my first blog or about me page you’ll know that one day I finally opened my eyes and found myself at the bottoms of a pit.

Not literally.

I didn’t recognise the life I was living.
Nothing looked like what I had ever imagined.

So…
I took the first step to reclaiming me.

I started with my health and with my body.

Because after years of neglect, I was

Tired
Exhausted
Sore
Suffering
Over weight
Overwhelmed
Dying
(Dramatic)

And I knew, I couldn’t keep going like this.

And I knew, it would hurt to try. But it already hurt not to.

So I gave up on starting tomorrow.
And I gave up on being perfect.

And I tried.

Along the way I found so many things that didn’t work for me.

But I didn’t quit. I just showed up again the next day to try again. Or to try something else. And sometimes, scarily, I tried something new.

And, after a lot of trial and error, sometimes I found something that worked.

It was hard to give up on perfect but in the messy process, I learned, I flourished, I flounder and step by messy, painful step, I figured it out.

I knew that my weight loss battle would be 80% what I eat but knowing is not understand and it definitely is not applying.

So I got help.

This time not from a book. Because I’ve read, I read and read and read but (embarrassingly) I never understood.
I found someone I could talk to.
A mentor to teach and guide me.
And a community to celebrate and commiserate whenever the need arises.

Eventually I completely changed what I eat each day but I started slow. I started with the meal I struggled with the most. Breakfast. And then I worked to change the next thing.

I did it through trial and error. I tried new foods. I learnt just how fussy I am.
I struggled with just how hard it can be to find healthy you also enjoy eating.
But I didn’t give up. Even when it wasn’t perfect.

I knew that 20% of my weight loss battle would be exercise. While my main priority was focusing on food, I also wanted to be fit. I wanted to make it up the four flights of stairs at work without dying. I started with walks. Five minutes, around the block, everyday. Then ten minutes. Then twenty.

And then when I was ready I moved on to weights and running.

I made slow and steady my mantra.
I reminded myself I am not running a race.
I’m making a life.
A life I can be proud of. A life I will be happy to live.

And now I wonder.
Can words really hope to capture the struggle?
Some days I cried.
Some I raged.
Some I hate.
Sometimes all I could do was breathe.

And the set backs were real.

I started a learn to run program that sang to my soul.
Then I developed Plantar Fasciitis and despite my stubbornness could no longer endure the pain of running.
I lost kilos.
Then had people who should be my biggest supporters make disparaging comments.
The scale went down.
Then back up.
And my clothes all got too big for me.
But I’m too scared to buy new ones in case o jinx it.
And then I looked into the mirror…

My struggles are proof that this journey is never smooth sailing. It’s a downright bumpy track.
Sometimes those bumps will knock you on your arse.

Let me help you get back up.
Let’s try again together.

In creating Ash & Ember Rising I’ve created a place to share my journey.
A place where we can journey together.
A place to share our adventures.

These are the processes I’ve been using put into printable format.
I hope they can help you too.
Because they are still helping me.

In each page you will find tools to guide you but most importantly you’ll find

Encouragement over guilt
Gentleness
Hope
Fire
Fuel
Realness over expectations

Fire & Fuel
Blogs to share wisdom and knowledge and printables that help you understand and apply your learning.

Track your food, hydration, rest, and rewards – without shame. Whether you’re rage-walking through your emotions or just proud you drank a glass of water, this is your space. Fuel yourself like the magnificent, exhausted creature you are.

If your journey hasn’t been linear, or perfect, or loud — you’re not alone. This series is for anyone who’s still trying. And that includes me.

If you’re inspired by this messy journey and looking for gentle ways to explore and affirm your path, my Dare to Dream printables offer reflective prompts, mindful colouring, and quiet validation. Find them on the Ash & Ember Etsy store.

Printable Packs, Reflection

Ashes, Hope & Something In Between

Mindrah

Fuelled by fire, feelings and mild goat chaos.

Even In Ashes We Rest.

Hello there, are you lost? Or are you right where you need to be? Right place, right time? Unlikely I know, but stop and take a look around because maybe, just maybe you’ll find a moment of peace here or a small distraction from the crazy world we live in or chaos spreading goats.

Whatever it is that you find here, it will be…

Real.
Honest.
A little on fire.
Deeply feeling.
Occasionally ridiculous.
And always carrying goat-level sarcasm to deflect the incoming emotional storm.

Because in my darkest despair a dream was born. A spark of hope. A tiny flame to light the way. A purpose, if I dared.

Ash & Ember Rising wasn’t born in clarity.
It was born somewhere between burnout and stubborn hope.
Between “I can’t do this anymore” and “…but I still want to try.”

I don’t plan to tell you everything. Not all at once.
But what I will share here is real.
Not perfect. Not polished. But mine.

I might build layers.
I might hide a little behind flames, or goats, or sarcasm.

But I’m still here.
And I’m still me.

I’m embarking on an adventure or maybe a lot of adventures because why pick just one? Join me?

We’re going to start with our body, because it’s supposed to be a temple but sometimes they’re just tired. We’ll go on to explore our dreams and chase them to the end of time.

I’ll share with you the most secret desire of my heart and together we’ll learn that we are strong enough and brave enough to navigate the bumps in the road.

We’ll then learn just how keep our world going around, with smart budgeting, saving and investing in our futures.

And we’ll do it all by setting the world on fire and hugging goats and raging at the world and crying at the injustice of it all, while being gentle, kind and compassionate to ourselves, and if they’re lucky the people around us.

But we won’t stop there because when you’re a kick-ass immortal Phoenix willing to set the world on fire and rebuild from the ashes, as many times as it takes, you don’t need to choose, you can have it all.

So as a phoenix with a printer and a purpose, I’ll be sharing everything that I can to make our journeys easier. And while I love trees, if this helps even one person feel a little less broken, it was worth the paper.”

And don’t worry, epic paper art projects incoming.

Ash & Ember Rising is for humans (and goats) who are doing their best.
This is not a self-help pack. It’s a survival hug.
Get your free printable A Place to Start now.