Tag: intentional living

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.

Feelings & Fire, Printable Packs

A Day in Your Dreams

Mindrah

Last week, we took the first step.

I shared a bit about how I’ve been crawling my way out of survival mode and starting to ask myself what kind of life I want to live — not someday, but now. Not all of it, not perfectly, but piece by piece.

That post came with a simple journal prompt. Just a quiet invitation to think:
“If I could change things… what would I want to feel?”

And now we’re ready for the next part.

Gentle Next Steps

This time, I wanted to do something a little different — something slower, softer, and maybe a bit dreamy. I made a guided visualisation called A Day in Your Dreams (see below). It’s not about imagining some big, impossible future. It’s just about picturing a day that feels calm and kind — one that feels like you.

You can listen to the video if you’d like to be gently walked through it, or you can explore the printable that goes with it. Some people think better with their eyes closed. Some people like pens and pages. Some of us need both.

Whatever works for you is the right way to start.

About the Printable

The free printable will be shared in this blog once it’s ready (I’m just finalising it now!). It offers space to reflect on one moment at a time — morning, midday, evening — and includes gentle prompts like:

  • What does your space look like?
  • How do you feel as you wake up?
  • What’s one small detail you’d love to bring into real life?

Each section has a little spark of encouragement from one of our Ash & Ember Rising mascots — like Zalyn the Motivation Mermaid, who reminds you that it’s okay to dream boldly and still take your time.

Download the printable

A Day in Your Dreams

What’s Coming Next

In the next blog, we’ll choose one of the moments from your visualised day — maybe your ideal morning routine, or a peaceful workspace, or a little thing that brought joy — and we’ll start to explore how to bring that into your real life.

We’ll go slowly.
We’ll start small.
We’ll do it together.

Because dreaming matters — but doing it gently? That’s where the magic starts.

Let’s Journal It!

Last week I also started to show you what it might look like to start journaling. Here is what today’s post invites you to do next — pause, imagine, and spend a moment inside the version of your life you’re hoping to build.

(coming soon)

Fire & Fuel, Printable Packs

Coming Back to the Beginning

Mindrah

Recently, I got completely swamped — full-time work, full-time study — and Ash & Ember Rising suffered.
I haven’t made a new printable pack in months.
The only thing I’ve managed to keep up with is this blog.

Now that my assignments are done and dusted, I wanted to return to my dream — to reconnect with the joy this project usually brings.
I say usually because the first thing I did was print out some of my own packs… and instead of feeling excited, especially at the sight of my beloved goats, I found myself asking:

Am I still sure about this?
About any of it?

When I first dreamed up Ash & Ember Rising, I wanted to create tools.
Not just pretty pages or productivity hacks — but something meaningful.
I had a dream and an idea, and together they became the foundation of this brand.

Before I ever made my first printable, there was a lot of behind-the-scenes reflection, trial, hesitation.
But when I finally sat down to create, I had to ask myself:

Where do I begin?

There were endless possibilities.
But I knew this: I didn’t just want to share what I was doing — I wanted to bring people with me.
Because for the first time in a long time, I was breathing. I was living. I was dreaming again.
And I could imagine a future where I was happy, where I was free, where I was me.

And I wanted that for others, too.

I wanted to give people something they could start with.
Something that could hold a dream.
Something simple, but powerful — like a blank page with just enough magic to say, maybe.

Since I couldn’t give them a pen through the internet, I gave them the next best thing:
A place to start.
A page among the clouds.
And goats, of course.

The printable that started it all — soft clouds, curious goats, and a little room to dream.

That first printable pack made my dream real. And I loved it.
But I also learned from it.
And now, I’ve officially outgrown the design — but never the hope behind it.

So instead of setting it on fire… I’m imagining it anew.

The Plan Moving Forward

My goal is to revisit and refine every pack I’ve created — making sure each one still aligns with my vision and purpose.

And I’m starting right where I began.

Each week, we’ll build on the last.
If you’re ready to dream, or revisit your intentions, or simply want a gentle structure to reflect — you’re invited to join me.

You can:

  • Download the printable pages (below)
  • Use a journal or notebook
  • Or grab any piece of paper — whatever feels right

This is the beginning of a journey, if you want it to be.

Download Paper here

If community and gentle accountability help you grow, I’d love to welcome you to the Burnt, Brave & Becoming Facebook group — a safe space for reflection, support, and messy progress with like-minded, like-goaled humans.

And if you’re ready to go even further, consider starting a fresh journal for this next chapter.
(See the video below for the first entry in our journaling series.)

This Week’s Gentle Prompt:

Take 5–10 minutes to simply begin.
Write down:

  • Dreams
  • Wishes
  • Intentions
  • Thoughts or questions about your future

This doesn’t need to be perfect.
It doesn’t even need to make sense.

Just get something out of your head — or your heart — and onto the page.

There are no wrong answers here.
You’re not committing to anything. You’re simply starting.

Come back to your page during the week.
Add whatever rises.
Next blog, we’ll build on what you’ve begun.

messy progress

Behind the Scenes: Paint, Printables, and Procrastination

Mindrah

Usually, I get to Monday and think, “Okay… what am I going to blog about today?”
But this time, I had the entire post written by Saturday.

Which should have made things easier.

Instead, I thought: What if I made a video?
And then: What if that video became part of a series?

And that’s how we’ve ended up on Thursday…
with no blog, no video, and a growing pile of notebooks whispering, “We were your idea, remember?”

This week’s video was supposed to be finished.
It was supposed to be up.
You were supposed to be able to press play by now and watch me reflect, create, and gently chaos my way through six journals.

But here we are. And it’s not done.

And I want to talk about that — not to apologise, but to be transparent. Because the whole point of Ash & Ember Rising is to make space for imperfection. For pacing. For soft starts and late entries and pages that don’t quite turn when you want them to.

What’s Done So Far

I’ve filmed most of the components for the first journaling video:

  • The printables are prepped
  • The mixed media version is painted and assembled
  • The intro is recorded
  • The reflections are written
  • The structure is solid

…but I ran out of energy before I could film the bullet journal and digital versions. And rather than forcing it out of guilt, I’m giving myself a little room to breathe.

What’s Still Coming

  • The bullet journal version is planned and sketched — it’s clean, calm, and almost ready to film.
  • The digital journal is designed in portrait format (finally!) and just needs me to hit record.
    (Which sounds simple until you’re running on tea and sheer willpower.)

Both pieces will be finished soon. And the full video will follow, gently and honestly.

Why I Paused Instead of Pushed Through

Because I don’t want to create content that’s built on burnout.
I don’t want to talk about intentionality while white-knuckling my way through a deadline.
And most of all — I don’t want to model the kind of perfectionism I’m actively trying to unlearn.

So here’s my reminder to myself (and maybe to you, too):

You don’t have to force it.
The work will wait.
The page will still be there when you’re ready.

🐐 Coming Soon…

The full video.
Six journals.
One small phoenix-powered step at a time.

Until then, thank you for being patient, present, and beautifully unfinished.

messy progress, Reflection

Balance in the Blaze

Mindrah

Last year, there was a sudden change in my role expectations at work, and I found myself staring down the possibility of endless hours stuck in a place where I was expected to be professional… but had nothing to do.
It wasn’t an easy change to accept.
I was in the middle of becoming something new — of changing — and suddenly, I was being anchored in place.

So what did I do?
I chose to grow anyway.
I applied to study a Master’s in Teacher Librarianship.
I committed to NaNoWriMo and decided to write a novel from scratch.

Then this year, I realised that if I overloaded my schedule just a little more — took on one extra unit each semester — I could finish my degree this year.
I could be done. I could be free. I could begin again.

And that’s how I ended up working full time, studying full time, parenting… and still somehow trying to meet creative goals.
I didn’t mean for it to happen — but I went from too much time on my hands to chaos incarnate.
Deadlines. Responsibilities. And an overwhelming need for time I didn’t have.

Sometimes I think people imagine “balance” as this calm, perfectly planned thing:
Work for 8 hours. Play for 8 hours. Sleep for 8 hours.
Easy, right?

But real life doesn’t work that way — especially when you’re responsible for people and tasks and dreams.
And the first things we sacrifice?
Our play. Our rest.
The pieces that keep us whole.

So how do you find balance that actually sustains you — especially when you’re busy?

You find it in moments.
Tiny ones.
Choice by choice.

This year, I’ve been choosing balance one moment at a time.
Moments to breathe.
Moments that bring joy, even if just for 10 minutes.

I…

  • Celebrated my birthday intentionally and creatively, in the way I wanted to
  • Finally started learning to paint with watercolours — and it has been pure joy
  • Kept blogging every single week, even when it was hard
  • Created for the fun of it through play and printables
  • And on occasion, did something completely silly and unexpected (hello, Blooper Mascot)

Balance isn’t 8 hours of leisure to offset your 8 hours of work.
Balance is:

  • That one quiet moment where you feel peace
  • A spark of joy you didn’t expect
  • Giving your body what it actually needs — whether that’s rest, silence, movement, or dessert
  • Choosing not to do everything right now
  • Letting go of perfection, and allowing “done” to be enough

Balance doesn’t mean doing everything.
Sometimes, it just means taking one small moment to do something kind for yourself —
on purpose.

Because there is joy to be had in goats and dragon-phoenixes and life, if you can find it.

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.

Feelings & Fire, Printable Packs, Reflection

Soft & Sacred: A Gentle Birthday Ritual

Mindrah

“It’s my birthday soon.”
For some, that thought might bring happiness and excitement.
For others — dread.
For me, it brings sadness and loss.

Celebrating my birthday used to be the one thing I fought for — for myself.
It was more than just a celebration of birth.
It was a sacred ritual.
A change of scenery. A chance to breathe.
A day to do something that brought me joy.

But like many things in life, the energy it took to fight — again and again —
and the tiny cracks formed by unmet hopes
eventually wore me down.
We stopped celebrating the way I wanted.
And my birthday became just another day.

And I survived.
For years.

But this year… I woke up.

And when the thought came —
“It’s my birthday soon.”

I decided:
I would celebrate it my way.
Not how I used to.
But in a way that honours who I am now.

So I asked myself — how?

For the first time in years, I don’t have to work on my birthday.
So I thought — why not make a whole day of it?

And as I began to plan, I thought of all the other people in the world
for whom birthdays are difficult.
People who maybe want to celebrate, but don’t know how.
For whom birthdays have become about surviving — or just cake.
But who want more.

I thought of those who want to honour their day
in a gentle, meaningful way.
Of those who want to remember.
To plan. To be intentional.

And so, I made a book.

It’s not a party planner.
It’s a soft space.
A ritual.
A gentle celebration of surviving, of being.
A tool for holding space.

It honours all that I’ve lived through to stand here.
It honours who I am today.
And it looks — with hope — toward who I might yet become.

It looks at the growth, the struggle, the pain and says:
“I see you.”

Maybe in a whisper.
Maybe in a shout.
Maybe alone, in the quiet of my heart.
Maybe among my people.

Either way —
everyone deserves to celebrate in a way that honours them.

That’s why I created space for quiet reflection.
For joyful creation.
For comfort and nurturing.
And a structure that lets me choose.
To design my day in a way that feels right.

And for the first time in years,
I feel excited to celebrate the day of my birth.

With love.
With intention.
In a way that finally,
holds space for me.

So what’s inside the pack?

It’s not a list of party games or decorations.
It’s a collection of printable pages designed to guide you through a full day of gentle self-celebration — or to be used slowly across a week, a month, or whenever you need a reminder that your life is worth honouring.

Some pages are quiet.
Some are playful.
Some are reflective.
Some might stir emotions.
And all of them are built to hold space for you — your feelings, your energy, your rhythms.

There are spaces to:

  • Reflect on the past year — the good, the hard, the quietly powerful moments
  • Honour who you are right now, and how you’ve changed
  • Design a celebration that fits your energy (blanket fort optional, but encouraged)
  • Create your own birthday soundtrack and comfort rituals
  • Write a letter to yourself
  • Choose joy in whatever form it takes — drawing, walking, cake, silence, sparkle
  • And even gently dream about the year ahead

There’s no right way to use this book.
You don’t have to fill every page.
You don’t have to finish it all in one day.
You don’t even have to feel excited to begin.

You just have to show up.
Softly. Gently. Honestly.

Because your birthday — and your life — are worth marking in a way that feels true to you.

And if you don’t know how to begin?
That’s okay too.
I made this so we could begin together.

You can find it on Etsy here.