living in defiance.

February 4, 2026

a walking menace.

I feel sorry for the girl I was all those years ago. She was misguided, misunderstood—an embarrassment, really. No one taught her any better one way or the other how to be kind, or how to act decent. Everything I learned, I learned the hard way. I had to fall flat on my face and Continue reading

Perspectives.

acceptance, accountability, compassion, connection, discipline, growth, healing, journey, living in defiance, trauma
January 30, 2026

on mothering, and learning how to find myself.

It’s another cold day here on the Shoreline. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the summertime, but I welcome the billowing winds, the sparkling snowdrifts and the chill in the air over the raw, wet rainfall of a mild winter any day. At least when it is cold and dry out, I Continue reading

Perspectives.

becoming, growth, identity, journey, living in defiance, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, perserverance, vulnerability
January 20, 2026

trying not to take it for granted.

It’s so easy to be hard on ourselves in the present tense. Sometimes we lose sight of exactly how far we’ve come. I’ve been a mother for almost thirteen years, which I realize is something I often take for granted. Growing up, I watched my mom struggle as a teen mom, and heard stories of Continue reading

Perspectives.

adversity, gratitude, journey, life, living in defiance, love, mom life, motherhood, parenthood, perserverance, personal growth, perspectives, strength, vulnerability
January 14, 2026

why should we get to decide what is fair?

I used to think about it all the time: “Why me?” It didn’t make any sense to me why some of us are randomly born into bad situations while others grow up to lead thriving lives. It bothered me so much that I couldn’t figure it out. As a teen, I would grimace at the Continue reading

Perspectives.

acceptance, early life adversity, fairness, forgiveness, god, grace, growth, justice, life, living in defiance, love, mental-health, mindfulness, pain, personal growth, perspectives, reflections, resent, resentment, suffering, trauma
January 6, 2026

the courage to change.

As we enter 2026, it’s typical that millions of people will resolve to reach new goals, change their habits, and alter their lifestyle to kick off the new year. Starting over with a “clean slate” that immediately succeeds the chaos and disorganization that many experience around the holidays is very tempting, and feels like a Continue reading

Perspectives.

behavior change, change, habit formation, happiness, inner work, living in defiance, mindfulness, new years, new years resolution, personal growth, perspectives, self reflection
December 31, 2025

making time.

We are all going to die someday soon, so let’s just live right now. Continue reading

Perspectives.

blog, core values, family, fulfilmment, harmony, holidays, life, live in the moment, living in defiance, love, making time, mental-health, mindfulness, mom life, peace, personal growth, perspectives, rhythm, routine, seasons of life, writing
December 22, 2025

snow day.

I remember the last time it snowed this much. It was a bonafide snow day in 2017 – the type that kept everyone from going into work or school, and prompted all sorts of canceling of things across the state. I was in my 600-square foot rental that I could barely afford with my 4-year Continue reading

Perspectives.

defying the odds, drive, hope, living in defiance, parenthood, personal growth, single mom, single parent, snow, snow day, stories of my life, storytelling, winter, wintertime
November 29, 2025

Regaining our sense of self.

It is a gift to be certain about something in today’s world. Humans are more distracted and stressed out than ever before (Piao et. al, 2024) especially with the amount of inputs most of us are processing on a daily basis. Most of us navigate life in a reactive manner, relying on bite-sized pieces of Continue reading

Perspectives.

agency, anxiety, cognition, distractions, life, mental-health, mindfulness, personal growth, present moment, pyschology, self-help, self-improvement, stress
November 11, 2025

re: healing from trauma.

There is so much about overcoming trauma from our early years that we don’t talk about like how some memories are seated in our subconscious like uninvited guests who won’t leave while others are fuzzy on the details, causing us to question “Did that actually happen the way I remember?” And how our personalities are Continue reading

Free Verse.

acceptance, accountability, adversity, compassion, connection, forgiveness, healing, identity, journey, life, livingindefiance, mental-health, mindfulness, ownership, personal growth, Perspectives., relationships, trauma, trauma-healing
October 31, 2025

re: lessons on love, and everything else I’ve Learned.

Love is a much a choice as it is a feeling (it took me years to learn this one. I am grateful to have learned it, though.) Not everything in love is about feeling good. Sometimes, it’s about not feeling good at all. Because, when we love openly and authentically, we make choices based on Continue reading

Free Verse.

faith, growth, lessons, life, love, perspectives

About Kristi

Kristi is a sales executive, writer, mother, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Purple Belt from Connecticut. She is a first-generation college graduate with a B.S. in psychology, and has been independently studying human behavior, health and nutrition for over ten years. Kristi is passionate about educating others in the areas of emotional intelligence, resilience, and building mental toughness. Her subjects of interest include neuroscience, behavior change, and overcoming early life adversity. When she isn’t on the mats or lifting weights, she can be found spending time at the beach or in the kitchen with her daughter.