Laura Staley Ph.D.

Laura Staley Ph.D.

The founder of Cherish Your World, Laura Staley passionately supports people thriving by guiding them to a holistic
transformation of space, heart, and life. Laura knows that there’s a relationship between the conditions of our homes or workplaces
and the quality of our lives.
 

As a full-time parent of two small children, I often woke up in the morning wondering if someone would finally ask me, “How may I help you?” Intellectually, I knew I needed to be all in for my children. Developmentally, they could do some things for themselves, but in the very early years, not too many. Emotionally, I felt twinges of resentment for my unmet, aching needs left over from a difficult childhood.

I knew parenting aligned with my heart, contained a path to healing, to transformation. I passionately wanted my children to feel cherished, accepted, and unburdened. I wanted them to spend whole days in their PJs, to build forts with blankets and chairs, to play make believe, and discover the many joys of the natural world.

Self-care seemed like a foreign concept, a good idea in an alternate reality. I’d steeped in the hot messages of selfishness. I knew silent martyrdom, selflessness, and unhealthy people-pleasing. I’d gotten excellent training from volatile, impossible adult expectations, a dark version of Cinderella’s nightmarish life.
The idea of self-care felt shameful, indulgent, and yet, when avoided, I noticed I became steeped with resentment, which became a distraction, a disempowerment to my genuine core commitment of loving service to my family.

Once I connected with my sense of agency to care for myself from the inside out, I became more effective and genuinely joyous when caring for others. Carving out moments for myself when my children were young, I mustered courage that seemed like defiance. I claimed a table in a room as my spot for journaling, a chair in the master bedroom as my peace chair.

A few years later I felt fortunate to have a whole room. These spaces contributed to my sense of having a separate self. I felt glimmers of worthiness inside as shame and resentments slowly dissipated. I time blocked my daily schedule for writing, reading, and pondering. I began to rewire my life to include my essential self, to hold compassionate space for my younger selves, who had gotten very little respite from demands to perform, perfect, and please.

Once I experienced the benefits of hiring a quality babysitter for my children and taking a few moments of downtime, I became a happier, more centered mom. As my children got older, I signed up for a yoga class every Wednesday night. What a haven this became in my week. My family noticed the shift and got excited for me to attend yoga class. I also participated in a Meditate, Activate, integrate (MAI) class facilitated by a gifted, cherished friend. In MAI, I experienced various meditation practices. We joyously danced, crafted, and journaled. The MAI class became the foundation for my self-care practices I continue to this day.

Conscious, healthy parenting remains a most difficult job. Because some of us choose to rupture the abuse cycle, reparent ourselves at the same time we parent our children, resentments can still leak out as a signal for self-care. Healing outdated patterns takes committed fresh practices and courage. Self-care becomes a foundation for healthy interactions with the most important people in your life. Reframing self-care as
essential to your effectiveness, you notice you have even more energy and focus.

By taking care of you, you can radiate a centered place of love which touches everyone you encounter. You are worth it. More important than your words or deeds is your energy presence. May you engage self-care practices which fill your heart, body, and soul. May this important investment uplift your
contribution to others and our world.

 

 

The founder of Cherish Your World, Laura Staley passionately supports people thriving by guiding them to a holistic transformation of space, heart, and life. Laura knows that there’s a relationship between the conditions of our homes or workplaces and the quality of our lives.

Trained and certified with the Western School of Feng Shui and seasoned by two decades of working with a variety of clients, Laura uses her intuition and expertise to empower her clients to produce remarkable results in their lives. Her trifecta of serving people includes speaking, writing, and compassionate listening. She serves clients in central Ohio, western North Carolina, and on Zoom!

As a columnist with BizCatalyst360, an award-winning, multi-media digest, Laura writes personal essays focused on self-discovery, feng shui, emotional health, and transformations from the inside out. As a columnist for the OWL magazine, Write for Good, Laura writes meaningful, informative articles about spiritual growth, self-discovery, and emotional wellness.

Laura is the published author of four books:

Abundant Heart: Thoughts on Healing, Loving, and Living Free (11/11/2021),

Live Inspired (4/27/2020),

Let Go Courageously and Live with Love: Transform Your Life with Feng Shui (7/19/2016),

Cherish Your World Gift Book of 100 Tips to Enhance Your Home and Life (8/20/2017).

Her essay, “He Had me at Mary Oliver,” is published in the best-selling anthology, Crappy to Happy: True Stories of Grit, Grace, and Love (Oct. 2020) by Rev. Ariel Patricia
and Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos.

Her essay “My Son and Me” is published in the best-selling anthology, Mayhem to Miracles: True
Stories of Courage, Triumph, and Peace (October 2021) by Rev. Ariel Patricia & Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos.

Prior to creating her company, Laura worked as a fulltime parent and an assistant professor at Ohio Wesleyan University. She earned a Ph.D. in political science from The Ohio State University. Her joys in life include laughing with loved ones, dancing, reading, meditating, running, being in nature, and listening to music she loves. She resides in Black Mountain, NC.

 

Links to Laura’s websites and books: 
 
www.cherishyourworld.com
www.loveyourspaceloveyourlife.com

https://sacredstories.com/product/live-inspired/
https://sacredstories.com/product/abundant-heart/
https://www.amazon.com/Let-Courageously-Live-Love-Transform/dp/0997458402

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