Category: This Life

The “Heart-Work” and the “Hard-Work”: Finding My Alignment

by Mothersense, posted in This Life


There is a specific kind of magic that happens when “heart-work” and “hard-work” finally begin to align. For the longest time, it felt like I was operating in a valley—navigating the shadows of uncertainty, managing personal hurdles, and wondering when the pieces would start to fit together. But lately, the view has changed. I’m no longer looking at the climb; I’m looking at the moon.
Building from the Ground Up
Building something brand new requires a unique brand of “brain power.” It’s about more than just having an idea; it’s about the grit required to utilize modern tools and technology to bring a vision to life. Whether it’s developing a recipe app to streamline the heart of the home or a recycling app to help protect our planet, these projects represent the fusion of logic and passion.
My creative world has expanded into every corner of storytelling:
The Novel: Deep, immersive world-building.
The Children’s Book: Seeing the world through a lens of wonder.
Short Stories: Capturing those fleeting moments of human connection.
The Master Catalog: Baring my soul through songwriting, turning raw emotion into lyrics and melodies that I hope will eventually find their way into the world.
The Purpose Behind the Hustle
While the creative projects feed my soul, there is a grounded, protective side to this journey. Working in insurance has become a vital part of my mission. It isn’t just about policies; it’s about the people we do all of this for. It is the safety net that protects our families and our dreams, ensuring that the hard work we put in today is preserved for tomorrow.
Tools for the Ascent
Coming out of that valley required more than just luck. It took intentionality. I’ve leaned heavily into the practices that keep my mental health steady and my focus sharp:
Gratitude Journals: Finding the “wins” even on the heavy days.
Manifestation: Being unapologetic about desiring a better life and a bigger future.
Daily Goals: Smashing those small milestones that lead to massive shifts.
Nowhere to Go But Up
Just a few months ago, things felt heavy. Today, the momentum is real. My health is back in my corner, my mind is clear, and the “alignment” everyone talks about is finally starting to feel like a reality.
When you decide to shoot for the moon, you realize that the hard lessons weren’t there to stop you—they were there to prepare you for the altitude. Here’s to the heart-work, the hard-work, and everything that happens when you finally decide to go up.

The Second Half of the Season: Finding Our Bloom

by Mothersense, posted in This Life


There is a specific kind of quiet that happens right before spring really takes hold. In the songwriting world, we talk a lot about “the hook”—that moment where everything clicks and the story finds its rhythm. Life has those moments, too, but they often come after a season of being dormant.


As we move into late April, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to enter the “second half” of a journey. Whether it’s a creative project, a career shift, or just a new chapter in a family’s story, the transition isn’t always loud and flashy. Sometimes, it’s just a steady, quiet reclaiming of who you are meant to be.


Resilience in the Roots
In this part of the country, the earth is tough. It takes a certain kind of strength for a seed to push through that heavy soil. I think we’re a lot like that. We carry the weight of our past seasons—the winters that felt a little too long or the storms that shook our fences—but we still find a way to reach for the light.


Defining Your Narrative
One of the most powerful things we can do is decide how our story is told. For me, that’s happening through music and words, finding the melody in the transitions. But you don’t have to be a songwriter to rewrite your rhythm.
Listen to the change: What is the “new song” in your life right now?


Honor the growth: Even if you aren’t exactly where you planned to be, look at how far the roots have gone down.
Accept the timing: Some things bloom early; some take their time. Both are beautiful.
Looking Ahead


As the days get longer and the “Mother-Sense” kicks in, I’m leaning into the gratitude of being right here, right now. The heaviness of winter is lifting, and there is a lot of music yet to be written. And I am preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. ❤️


How are you finding your rhythm this month? Is there a part of your story that is finally starting to bloom?

Do you have things you need to protect if the storms do come??

Let’s chat!

Email me!

The Social Media Sinkhole: How to Post Without Getting Stuck

by Mothersense, posted in This Life


If you’ve ever picked up your phone to share a quick business update at 9:00 PM and suddenly realized it’s 10:15 PM and you’re watching endless reels of things you didn’t even know existed… you aren’t alone.
As a small business owner, social media is a vital tool. It’s how I connect with my community, share my songwriting journey, and help families navigate their insurance needs. But there is a very thin line between using the tool and being used by it. I call it the “Social Media Trap,” and it’s especially easy to fall into when you can’t sleep and find yourself doomscrolling into the early morning hours.
We only have so many productive hours in a day. Every thirty minutes lost to the “scroll” is thirty minutes taken away from our families, our creative projects, or the rest we desperately need.
1. The “Post and Ghost” Strategy
This is my top rule for staying productive. Before you even open an app, have your content ready—photo selected, caption written. Open the app, hit “Post,” and immediately close it. Do not look at the feed. Do not “just check one notification.” Get in, do the work, and get out.
2. Put the Phone to Work for You
Since I’m a fan of using the right tech for the job, I’ve started leaning on my phone’s internal settings to act as a “bouncer.” Most smartphones now have Digital Wellbeing or App Timer settings.
I’ve set a strict 30-minute daily limit for the apps that tend to suck me in. Once that time is up, the app grays out and locks me out for the day. It’s a great way to let the phone be the “bad guy” so I can stay focused on my actual goals.
3. The “No Phones in the Refuge” Rule
I’ve written before about the difference between a house and a HOME—a home is a refuge from the storm. That refuge shouldn’t be invaded by the noise of the entire world at 2:00 AM. If you struggle with doomscrolling at night, try leaving the phone in another room. Keep a physical notebook or an old student spiral by the bed instead. If an idea hits, write it down by hand.
4. Be Intentional, Not Accidental
Ask yourself: Is this scroll helping me grow, or is it just filling a gap? We are creative entrepreneurs. We have apps to build, songs to write, and legacies to protect. Our time is the most valuable asset we own.
Let’s Reclaim Our Time
If you’ve been feeling frustrated by the hours lost to the “pool” of social media, let’s make a pact to be more intentional this week. Use that reclaimed hour to write a verse, study for a new goal, or just get some actual, restorative rest.
How do you set boundaries with your screen time? Let’s talk about it (and then, let’s get back to the real work!).

I’m Not the Mom I Thought I’d Be — And That’s Okay

by Mothersense, posted in Mental Health Recovery, Reclamation, This Life



When I first became a mom, I had ideas.

Not just little ones, but full pictures in my head of how life would look.

What kind of mom I would be.
What kind of home I would create.
Who my kids would grow up to become.

I did not think of it as expectations at the time.
It felt more like hope.

I wanted a doctor.
Two nurses.
A veterinarian.

I wanted stability for them.
Security.
A life that felt a little more certain than the one I had known.

And I worked hard toward that in my own way.
Raising them.
Showing up.
Trying to guide them toward what I thought would give them the best future.

But life does not follow the plans we make in our heads.

And kids are not meant to become our plans.

They are meant to become themselves.

Somewhere along the way, I had to face a quiet truth.

My kids are not who I once imagined they would be.

They are not following the paths I pictured.
They are not fitting into the neat little futures I had hoped for.

And for a moment, that felt like loss.

Not because there is anything wrong with them.
But because I had to let go of the version of their lives that existed in my mind.

That is a hard thing to admit.

As parents, we do not like to say that part out loud.

But here is what I know now.

My kids are good people.

They are strong in ways that do not show up on paper.
They are learning, growing, struggling, and figuring life out in real time.

And they still call me.

When things get hard.
When they need advice.
When they just need someone to listen.

That means something.

Maybe everything.

Because at the end of the day, that was always the goal, even if I did not realize it at the time.

Not perfection.
Not a specific career path.
Not a life that looks impressive from the outside.

But connection.

Trust.

A relationship that lasts beyond childhood.

I am not the mom I thought I would be either.

I have changed.
Life has changed me.

There are things I would do differently if I could go back.
There are things I have had to learn the hard way.

And there are moments where I have questioned myself more than I ever expected to.

But I am still here.

Still showing up.
Still loving them the best way I know how.
Still learning alongside them instead of trying to control the outcome.

And maybe that is what motherhood really is.

Not raising perfect kids.
Not following a perfect plan.

But walking beside imperfect humans as they figure out who they are.

And learning to let them.

So no, my life does not look like I thought it would.

My kids are not who I once imagined.

And I am not the mom I expected to be.

But we are real.

We are connected.

We are still choosing each other, over and over again.

And that is more than enough.

The GoFundMe Is Not a Life Insurance Policy

by Mothersense, posted in financial-planning


I shared it without thinking twice. A GFM for my former father-in- law, and then, a friend of a friend. A family I didn’t know personally but recognized in the way you recognize anyone who looks like people you love. The photo was from a better day — a birthday, maybe, or a holiday. Everyone smiling. No one knowing what was coming.
I hit share. I donated what I could. I scrolled on.
And then I sat with it.
Because here’s the thing nobody says out loud when those posts go around:
A GoFundMe is not a plan. It’s what happens when there wasn’t one.
I’ve been in this industry long enough to know what the aftermath looks like. Not the GoFundMe stage — the stage after that. When the campaign closes. When the casseroles stop coming. When the world moves on and that family is still sitting inside a life that financially collapsed overnight.
The mortgage didn’t pause for grief.
The utility companies didn’t send condolences.
The kids still needed things.
And the person who held it all together was gone.
That’s the part that doesn’t make it into the fundraiser description. The slow, grinding weight of trying to rebuild a life when the foundation was pulled out from under you — with no parachute, no cushion, nothing but the kindness of strangers and a Donate button.
I’m not here to scare you. I’m here because I’ve had the hard conversations — the ones that happen after it’s too late to do anything about it — and I would rather have an uncomfortable conversation with you now than a heartbreaking one later.
This is what I do. Not because it’s a job, but because it matters in a way that is genuinely hard to explain until you’ve watched a family try to survive without it.
There is a solution for where you are right now — whatever your budget, whatever your stage of life:
Mortgage Protection — so your family keeps the roof over their heads, no matter what happens to you.
Final Expense Coverage — so the people grieving you aren’t also drowning in bills they didn’t see coming.
Living Benefits — so a diagnosis doesn’t also become a financial crisis while you’re still here fighting.
You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to start.
If you’re in Texas, I’d love to sit down with you and find something that actually fits your life and your budget — no pressure, no jargon, just an honest conversation.
If you’re outside of Texas, I have trusted colleagues across the country and I will personally make sure you’re connected to someone who will take care of you.
Your family deserves more than a Donate button.
Let’s build something that holds.
Drop a comment or send me a message. Let’s talk

Julie.kilcrease.insurance@gmail.com