Melissa Schlies – Page 8 – Melissa Schlies

Hope, For When Life Feels Like It’s Falling Apart

In Northern Ireland there sits a cylindrical building on the side of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. It’s known as Mussenden Temple and once was the library of a great lord. With windows all around it, inside there are magnificent views of the sea from almost every angle. And when we decided to explore the North on our second trip to Ireland, Tony and I put it on our “must-see” list. Only, when we went to visit, it wasn’t the Temple that stuck out to us. That morning, it was the usual damp, foggy weather we’d grown accustomed to in [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-09-13T14:24:58+00:00September 14th, 2020|Categories: Change, Character, Conflict, Courage, Hope, Travel, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Why We Train (Repost)

Taking a break from our normal routine to reshare a few stories from trips we’ve taken—for all of us missing our usual vacations. There is something about climbing a mountain that makes you feel as if you can conquer the world. It could be the sense of accomplishment you get when you realize you’ve reached the peak, or perhaps it’s the view. Whatever it is, it’s a good feeling. The surprising part of this experience however, is that the mountain we climb doesn’t always have to be big for us to feel it. It doesn’t always require poles or [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-09-01T15:17:48+00:00September 10th, 2020|Categories: Body Image, discipline, Habit Making, Health, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Travel, Uncategorized|Comments Off

When Everything Felt Empty, He Whispered, “This is What I’m Like”

Taking a break from our normal routine to share a few stories from trips we’ve taken—for all of us missing our usual vacations. The first time we went to the Finger Lakes in New York, they were having a drought. Tony is a gifted landscape photographer, and planned to shoot the dramatic Taughannock Falls. Only when we got there, it was only a trickle. The waterfall looked like a leaky faucet. It had all but dried up. The sight of water dripping down the side of the rock face is deeply embedded in my memory. At the time, it felt [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-31T15:59:56+00:00September 7th, 2020|Categories: Faith, Fear, gratitude, Hope, Identity, Travel|Comments Off

On Exploring Tuscany & Five Life Changing Facts About Self Care

For the next few weeks, I am re-sharing a few stories from trips we’ve taken, for all those of us who are missing travel terribly. It was a Tuesday, and we were in Tuscany.* We had driven over an hour to the small medieval city of Montalcino known most for its Brunello wine. Only the last thing on my mind was wine tasting or the way the sun warmly reflected off its streets made of stone. I had to pee. We’d found parking in a lot below the wall of Montalcino which meant we had to climb the steep hill [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-31T15:16:19+00:00September 3rd, 2020|Categories: Balance, Habit Making, Health, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Mental Health, Self Care|Comments Off

How to Find Focus In the Middle of a Pandemic

Friends, we’ve reached the end of August. Though much of this year has been spent at home, social distancing, it’s hard to believe how quickly it’s passing. I don’t know about you, but I usually plan projects, trips, and events to help pass the time. Only this year is proving that time moves independently from all activity. Today, we’re closing out this month’s conversation about building routines, by talking about something we often don’t account for: How hard it is to build routines when you can’t focus. So much has happened this year that it’s been difficult for any [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-31T09:46:02+00:00August 31st, 2020|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

Why Sleep Matters More Than We Think & How To Get More Of It

A few years ago, I was listening to photographer, Chase Jarvis, interview Ariana Huffington about her book, The Sleep Revolution. She began by detailing why sleep became such an important and personal crusade for her. She said it all started when she, herself, had a physical and emotional breakdown after consistently not getting enough sleep. And she spoke these words, that I haven’t been able to get out of my head: “Right now, we take better care of our smart phones than we do of ourselves. Like I bet everyone…right now knows how much battery remains on their smart phones—if [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-26T19:13:41+00:00August 27th, 2020|Categories: Adulting, Balance, Depression, Habit Making, Health, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Mental Health, Routines, Self Care|Comments Off

How to Create Time When There Seems Like There is None

When I left my full-time job in youth ministry, suddenly, I didn’t have to be anywhere. I had so much free time. No one was expecting me to be showered, dressed, and ready to go by nine in the morning. Or by eleven in the morning for that matter. Needless to say, I discovered quite quickly, I needed a routine. Until I found my next career, I needed a place to be. Or at least, I needed a purpose to fulfill each day, beyond doing laundry or grocery shopping. For some part of each week, I wanted to do something [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-23T21:29:38+00:00August 24th, 2020|Categories: Adulting, Anxiety, Balance, Habit Making, Health, Routines|Comments Off

The Real Secret to Creating A Sense of Balance In Your Life

Baking bread is one of my favorite creative endeavors. Kneading dough is therapeutic. And the smell of bread baking in the oven is heavenly. Only, when I first began learning how to make bread, it wasn’t great. In fact, I wouldn’t use the words “therapeutic” or “heavenly” to describe my experience. Honestly, using the words “melt down,” would be more accurate. At least, if we’re talking about the day I tried to make Challah bread to bring to a friend’s house for Easter. Yes, I had ignored the cardinal rule—never try a new recipe on anyone other than your family—but [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-19T10:09:16+00:00August 20th, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Balance, Body Image, discipline, Failure, Habit Making, Health, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, perseverance, Practice, Routines|Comments Off

On Finding Motivation & Three Ways to Get Your Routines Back on Track

A few years ago, I followed an online influencer for a while who commonly told her followers: “You are in charge of your life.” Over and over, she talked about how we choose how we respond to our circumstances. That we have control over our futures. That life doesn’t have to “happen to us,” in fact, she would ask “what if life is happening for us?” For that season, she inspired and encouraged me to take some steps I needed to take in my life. Only, it wasn’t long before I realized that her words were only half the story. [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-16T16:33:10+00:00August 17th, 2020|Categories: Balance, Change, Habit Making, Health, Hope, Routines|Comments Off

Nine Signs Your Routine Is Off

Before I experience it anywhere else, I feel it in my chest. I wake up in the morning to an anxious tightening in my lungs that makes it hard to breathe. And it’s as if my body knows before my brain does that I am overwhelmed. I can’t see the forest for the trees. I know I have a lot to do. Only, I can’t figure out what to focus on or accomplish first. I may not even know what day it is. For me, these experiences and feelings are my first clues that my routine is off. That my [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-12T20:49:26+00:00August 13th, 2020|Categories: Adulting, Anxiety, Balance, Change, Habit Making, Health, Hope, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Making Decisions, Practice, Routines|Comments Off

About Melissa Schlies

Hope, For When Life Feels Like It’s Falling Apart

Why We Train (Repost)

When Everything Felt Empty, He Whispered, “This is What I’m Like”

On Exploring Tuscany & Five Life Changing Facts About Self Care

How to Find Focus In the Middle of a Pandemic

Why Sleep Matters More Than We Think & How To Get More Of It

How to Create Time When There Seems Like There is None

The Real Secret to Creating A Sense of Balance In Your Life

On Finding Motivation & Three Ways to Get Your Routines Back on Track

Nine Signs Your Routine Is Off

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