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How a Walk with My Dog—and the Truth I Told My Sons—Began My Healing

  • Writer: Karen Waleska
    Karen Waleska
  • May 12
  • 3 min read

Updated: 40 minutes ago

Most mothers don’t fall apart loudly.

We fall apart quietly — while still making breakfast, still answering questions, still carrying a household on a shaking heart.

 

And when life hits us with a job loss, a heartbreak, or the kind of burnout we can’t ignore anymore, the world expects us to “bounce back.”

 

But healing isn’t a performance.

It’s a process.

And the first step is understanding why you feel stuck — and what small, steady actions actually help you move forward.


The Moment Everything Shifted

Three days after I was let go, I found myself standing in my kitchen, staring at Mimi’s leash, wondering how I was supposed to keep going for my sons.

 

We had a Santa Barbara trip planned.

I packed anyway. I smiled anyway. I showed up anyway.

But my body knew the truth — I wasn’t okay.

 

So I walked Mimi every morning.

Twenty minutes to be angry.

Ten minutes to breathe.

 

What I didn’t realize then was that these tiny rituals were becoming my healing blueprint — one simple act at a time.

 

Key idea:

You don’t need a perfect plan.

You need one grounding rhythm to begin again.

 

A small dog stands at the base of a tree during a quiet morning walk, leash in hand and sunlight glowing—capturing the beginning of emotional recovery after job loss.
The moment that started it all—one quiet walk, one loyal witness, one small beginning.

What Motherhood Taught Me About Healing

Your children can sense your truth long before you speak it.

 

That weekend, under soft lights after dinner, I finally said the words out loud:

“I don’t have a job right now — but we’re okay. And I have an idea.”

 

My oldest said, “You can do it.”

My youngest hugged me and whispered, “I know you will.”

 

That moment reminded me:

Healing as a mother isn’t about pretending.

It’s about leading with honesty — even when the future is blurry.


The Real Reason You Feel Stuck

It’s not lack of motivation.

It’s emotional clutter.

 

Mothers in transition face three hidden blocks:

  1. Mental overload — too many thoughts, not enough space

  2. Chaotic healing — no structure to move forward

  3. Invisible resilience — you’re doing the work, but it doesn’t look like progress

 

You don’t need a reinvention.

You need a gentle system that helps you process your emotions and make small, steady decisions again.

How I used to define momentum: chaotic coping in business as casual.

The Framework That Helped Me Rebuild

 My healing changed when I began using a simple three-step clarity method:

 

1. Awareness - Name what you feel without judging it.

2. Intention - Choose one small action that matches the season you’re in.

3. Action - Take one step — not ten — and let that be enough for the day.

 

This is the same method inside Manifesting My Goals™

A calm journaling system for women rebuilding after burnout, heartbreak, or job loss.

Tablet screen shows "How to Use This Journal" beside "Manifesting My Goals™" text. Features instant download, editable, compatible.

If You’re in the In-Between

If you’re holding everything together on the outside while unraveling on the inside…

 

You’re not behind.

You’re not broken.

You’re simply in a transition that deserves gentleness — not pressure.

 

Your healing is happening, even if it’s slow, silent, or held in the small moments… like a morning walk before the world wakes up.


Try the First Step With Me

If you want a gentle structure to help you rebuild your momentum:

 

👉 Download the free preview of Manifesting My Goals™

Two guided pages to help you calm your thoughts, name your needs, and start your next chapter with intention.

 

It’s not a diary.

It’s the clarity system that helped me rebuild my confidence, my rhythm, and my life — one quiet page at a time.


💌 Let’s Stay Connected

Join The Clarity Letter — your monthly guide to creative resets, emotional growth, and new journal drops. Join Here

Follow us on Lemon8 @ClarityConCarino

 
 
 

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