profile

Ember & Bloom Coaching

What if the story in your mind isn’t the whole story?

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Greetings From

Ember & Bloom

Hi friend,

Have you ever repeated something about yourself so often that it stopped sounding like a thought—and started sounding like the truth?

Maybe it is something about what you can handle, how well you are keeping up, or who you have become since your husband died.

But what if the thought your mind keeps offering you is not the whole story?

What if there is more to see?

Some thoughts feel so familiar that we rarely stop to question them. We accept them, build evidence around them, and allow them to shape what we believe is possible.

This week, I am sharing a simple question I use to interrupt that certainty.

It does not ask you to ignore your grief or pretend everything is fine. It simply invites you to turn toward a possibility you may not have considered.

And sometimes, that small turn can reveal something that has been true all along.

I wrote a new blog about the practice I call “the 180”—and how it can help us reconsider the stories we tell ourselves during widowhood.

​The 180 in Widowhood: What If the Opposite Were True?​

​✦ Just for You ✦

Something to Try

September is here, and changes are happening in the season and throughout nature.

Take some time this week to step outside. Sit on the porch, walk around the block, visit a park, or simply pause beneath the open sky.

Notice what is changing around you—the light, the air, the colors, or the sounds.

Nature can be a wonderful reset. You do not need to accomplish anything while you are there. Just give yourself a few moments to breathe, notice, and be.

I’ll meet you here again next Monday.

Until then, take one small breath and know that it’s enough.

Hugs 💜💚
—Gladys

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Ember & Bloom Coaching

Gladys Jean Ullstam

I help widowed people to hold the ember of love and find new blooms. I believe in the power of creativity, journaling, and community to bring hope. Read my posts and visit my site for more information. Not widowed? Please share this information with any widowed people you know. Thanks.

Read more from Ember & Bloom Coaching

Greetings From Ember & Bloom Hi friend, Have you ever found yourself doodling while talking on the phone? Maybe you filled the corner of a page with circles, lines, or little patterns without even thinking about it. Most of us have done something like that. But have you ever wondered why? I've been thinking about that question lately, especially when it comes to grief. Because something I started doing simply for fun eventually became an important part of how I learned to live after losing...

1 day ago • 2 min read

Greetings From Ember & Bloom Hi friend, The first year after Gary died, our toaster stopped working. I needed a new one. Simple enough, right? I spent well over fifty hours looking for a replacement. I knew how strange that sounded. I also knew I couldn’t seem to choose. The longer I looked, the more the decision seemed to matter. Have you had a choice like that? One that looked small to everyone else but left you second-guessing yourself? I wrote about what happened with the toaster, and...

9 days ago • 1 min read

Greetings From Ember & Bloom Hi friend, When someone asks how the family is doing, do you find yourself telling them about everyone else first? You may know how the kids are coping. You may know who needs a phone call, what paperwork is waiting, and which plans need to be made. But when the question finally turns to you, the answer can be harder to find. That has been on my mind this week. When you have spent so much time looking after others, it can feel strange to ask what you need. It can...

16 days ago • 1 min read