Centerline
At Soul Force Strategies, we believe the most powerful life is one lived in alignment—with your values, your purpose, and your deeper self. Centerline is where strategic insight meets soulful reflection. Here, you'll find thoughtful articles, personal reflections, and practical tools to help you lead with clarity, live with intention, and grow from the inside out. Whether you’re navigating change, refining your identity, or reaching for your next level, Centerline is your space to recalibrate, realign, and rise.
Building on Shifting Ground: When the Mice Turn Out to Be Raccoons
After 20 moves, I've learned something essential: You cannot build lasting stability on anything external. Houses have mice. Or raccoons. Jobs end. Roles shift. Plans change. If your stability depends on things staying the same, you're building on sand. So what do you do when literally nothing external is stable? You build internal anchors. The kind that move with you.
The Stability Paradox: When Staying is Risk and Growth is Safety
For years, I had a perfectly reasonable excuse for not dreaming too big: "I can't because we'll have to move." "I can't because the kids need me." And some of that was true. But I was also using those real constraints as cover for fear. Staying felt safe. Dreaming felt dangerous. But here's the paradox I didn't see: staying small was the riskiest thing I could have done. Because while I was "safely" avoiding risk, resentment was building. Then came India—terrifying with four kids, but the most stable choice I could make for my soul.
Roots and Wings: Building a Portable Identity
Three weeks ago, I unpacked my life for the twentieth time. But I wasn't starting over—because I've learned to build an identity that travels. This isn't about choosing between roots and wings. It's about cultivating practices, values, and truths that anchor you anywhere, while keeping the courage to spread your wings in new territory. Here's how to build a portable identity that's both deeply grounded and completely free.
Rat Problems, Mice Problems, and Everything In Between
The past several weeks have been a whirlwind of unexpected chaos—an unplanned move, a freezing first night in our new rental thanks to unconnected gas, the discovery of what I thought were roof rats, a broken dishwasher just in time for Thanksgiving, and even a spectacular fall that left me with a purple goose egg on my forehead. But in the middle of all of it, a simple comment from my son shifted everything: “That’s a mice problem.”
What began as a joke became a powerful reminder that so much of what feels overwhelming is really just about perspective. Most of our challenges aren’t rats at all—they’re mice, manageable and temporary, especially when we choose to meet life with grace, humor, and hope.
When A House Becomes A Chapter
Standing in the empty rooms of our recently vacated home, I felt the weight of both the beautiful memories and the hard moments we lived there. With the help of my adult daughters—who traveled in to support us—we packed up this chapter and stepped into a new, older home already full of its own challenges. But when I pause, reflect, and choose gratitude, I’m reminded that everything is temporary, and better days are always ahead.
Lessons from 19 Moves: What Reinvention Has Taught Me About Identity
After nineteen moves — across states, countries, and continents — I’ve learned that reinvention isn’t the opposite of identity; it’s how identity is revealed. Each transition strips away what’s familiar and invites us to choose who we’ll become next. This is what nineteen moves have taught me about courage, belonging, and the quiet art of starting over.
Pakistan – The Power of Connection
Pakistan wasn’t about sightseeing. It was about reconnecting with Dave in the middle of deployment, savoring quiet moments, and realizing that connection—whether with a spouse, children, or friends—is what makes life meaningful.
Round-the-World Debrief, One Year Later: “Home”
After a 65-day journey around the world—spanning nine countries and 22 cities—I came home changed. Looking back a year later, I see that this trip wasn’t just about travel. It was about courage, connection, discovery, and gratitude. This post begins a 10-part series exploring the lessons I carried home from each country.
Rooted and Ready: Leading Yourself Through the Unknowns of Military Life
Military life is full of unknowns, but you don’t have to be tossed by every change. Rooting yourself in self-leadership helps you stay grounded, steady, and ready—no matter what orders come next.
