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Following Sparks
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Following Sparks
Journals and Tools
the Spark Log
The Path
Favorite Tools
Create + Explore
Journals and Tools
the Spark Log
The Path
Favorite Tools
Create + Explore
Why I Chose Flodesk (After Trying Half a Dozen Other Email Platforms)
tools that spark joy Mary Brey 8/27/25 tools that spark joy Mary Brey 8/27/25

Why I Chose Flodesk (After Trying Half a Dozen Other Email Platforms)

After testing half a dozen email providers, I finally found the one that feels like me. Here’s why I switched to Flodesk and why it might spark joy for you too.

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Why You’re Allowed to Play Before You Have a Plan (and How That Play Can Lead Somewhere)
Spark Sandbox, Gentle Business Mary Brey 8/25/25 Spark Sandbox, Gentle Business Mary Brey 8/25/25

Why You’re Allowed to Play Before You Have a Plan (and How That Play Can Lead Somewhere)

Play isn’t pointless - it’s the doorway out of survival mode. The Sandbox is your safe space to explore curiosities, try new things, and follow sparks without pressure. These tiny experiments can help you reconnect with your voice - and sometimes even grow into something bigger.

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Tired of Overthinking and Overdoing? Try This Gentle Surrender Practice
Journals & Tools Mary Brey 8/19/25 Journals & Tools Mary Brey 8/19/25

Tired of Overthinking and Overdoing? Try This Gentle Surrender Practice

I used to beleive that surrender meant failure. until I realized it was the only way I’d ever feel safe again. Surrender & Flow is a 30-day journal that gently helped me stop gripping and start trusting again.


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When You’re Running on Empty, But Life Won’t Let You Stop…
Journals & Tools Mary Brey 8/17/25 Journals & Tools Mary Brey 8/17/25

When You’re Running on Empty, But Life Won’t Let You Stop…

After years of emotional abuse, was scared. Pausing felt dangerous — until I created a space that made it safe. Permission to Pause is a journal for any woman who’s been in survival mode too long, and is finally ready to come up for air.

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When “Inspiration” Feels Like an Attack: The Problem with Positivity Culture
Field Notes Mary Brey 8/6/25 Field Notes Mary Brey 8/6/25

When “Inspiration” Feels Like an Attack: The Problem with Positivity Culture

All those shiny quotes telling you to rise and grind, stay strong, and smile through the pain? They’re not always helpful — especially for women healing from trauma. Here’s why forced positivity can be toxic, and what real empowerment looks like instead.

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Best Free Yoga for Women Over 40: Build Strength, Release Emotion, and Heal Your Mind and Body
Rewiring & Regulation Mary Brey 8/4/25 Rewiring & Regulation Mary Brey 8/4/25

Best Free Yoga for Women Over 40: Build Strength, Release Emotion, and Heal Your Mind and Body

This isn’t so much about touching your toes, but about returning to yourself. Yoga is such a gift for women who are healing emotionally and need a boost pysically.

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You Don’t Have to Carry All of It: A Journal for Letting Go (Without the Guilt)
Journals & Tools Mary Brey 7/29/25 Journals & Tools Mary Brey 7/29/25

You Don’t Have to Carry All of It: A Journal for Letting Go (Without the Guilt)

I thought healing meant forgiving everything and holding nothing — but I was still carrying far too much. Let It Go became the space where I could finally stop pretending I was okay and gently start putting the weight down.

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Healing After Gaslighting: What Helped Me Trust Myself Again
Journals & Tools Mary Brey 7/24/25 Journals & Tools Mary Brey 7/24/25

Healing After Gaslighting: What Helped Me Trust Myself Again

Gaslighting makes you question your pain. But worse — it makes you question your magic.
The Leapbook was born from that realization. If you’ve ever felt something deep in your gut and immediately dismissed it, this is for you. Rebuilding trust in yourself starts with one spark, one page, one quiet yes at a time.

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I Was Burnt Out, Numb, and Tired of Being Told to Be Grateful — Here’s What Actually Helped
Journals & Tools Mary Brey 7/22/25 Journals & Tools Mary Brey 7/22/25

I Was Burnt Out, Numb, and Tired of Being Told to Be Grateful — Here’s What Actually Helped

When I was too depleted to FEEL gratitude, I stopped trying to force it and started noticing tiny moments of magic instead. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at gratitude journals or felt guilty for not “being positive,” this post is for you.

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When You Just Can’t: 9 Simple Tools to Interrupt the Spiral
Rewiring + Regulation, Rewiring & Regulation Mary Brey 7/22/25 Rewiring + Regulation, Rewiring & Regulation Mary Brey 7/22/25

When You Just Can’t: 9 Simple Tools to Interrupt the Spiral

Feeling spiraled, stuck, or like you’ve hit a full-body shutdown? These 9 tiny grounding tools aren’t about “fixing yourself.” They’re about giving your body a gentle signal that it’s safe to exhale — one small spark at a time.

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Polite Girls Don’t Burn Bridges (But We’re Not Polite Anymore)
Reclaiming Truth Mary Brey 7/14/25 Reclaiming Truth Mary Brey 7/14/25

Polite Girls Don’t Burn Bridges (But We’re Not Polite Anymore)

You were told to be kind, to keep the peace, to let things go — even when they shattered you.
We called it grace. We called it love.
But sometimes the most sacred thing you can do is burn the bridge they told you to protect.

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What If You’re Not Failing — You’re Just Not Willing to Be a Villain?
Reclaiming Truth Mary Brey 7/14/25 Reclaiming Truth Mary Brey 7/14/25

What If You’re Not Failing — You’re Just Not Willing to Be a Villain?

We’ve been sold a lie: that ultra-wealth means ultra-worth. But what if your hesitation to chase success isn’t fear — it’s self-protection? What if you're not failing at life… you're just not willing to become a villain? This post unpacks the invisible gaslighting that keeps heart-led women small — and what we can do instead.

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The Black Sheep Built a Bonfire
Reclaiming Truth Mary Brey 7/14/25 Reclaiming Truth Mary Brey 7/14/25

The Black Sheep Built a Bonfire

For every Black Sheep who’s ever felt invisible—this is your rally cry, your reclamation, your invitation to build the bonfire.

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You Don’t Need to Find Yourself—You Just Need to See Your Spark Again
The Path Mary Brey 6/27/25 The Path Mary Brey 6/27/25

You Don’t Need to Find Yourself—You Just Need to See Your Spark Again

If you feel lost or like you don’t recognize yourself anymore, this post is for you. Learn how healing can be about remembering your spark—not creating a new version of yourself.

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What If Healing Could Be Fun?
Journals & Tools Mary Brey 6/27/25 Journals & Tools Mary Brey 6/27/25

What If Healing Could Be Fun?

You don’t have to choose between deep healing and joy. This post invites women to explore fun as a form of recovery- with playful journals, colorful tools, and tiny sparks that help you fee like yourself again.

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Why Deep Breathing Isn’t Enough (and What Actually Helped)
Rewiring & Regulation Mary Brey 6/27/25 Rewiring & Regulation Mary Brey 6/27/25

Why Deep Breathing Isn’t Enough (and What Actually Helped)

If deep breathing makes you feel more anxious instead of calm, this post is for you. Learn why breath alone isn’t always the answer-and discover gentle tools that actually help with nervous system regulation and trauma recovery.

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Follow the Weird: How Desire Leads You Back to Yourself
Field Notes Mary Brey 6/27/25 Field Notes Mary Brey 6/27/25

Follow the Weird: How Desire Leads You Back to Yourself

Desire can feel scary after trauma. But what if that strange little tug is actually your soul waking up? This post explores how wanting more can be healing—and includes gentle tools to help you follow the spark without fear.

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It’s Not Just Burnout—You Might Be in a Soul Drought
The Path, Spark Embers Mary Brey 6/26/25 The Path, Spark Embers Mary Brey 6/26/25

It’s Not Just Burnout—You Might Be in a Soul Drought

If you’ve tried all the self-care tricks and still feel numb, heavy, or blank inside… you’re not broken. You might just be in a soul drought. This post introduces the first phase of the Spark Path and offers gentle tools for women stuck in survival-mode recovery.

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Rage + Healing + 6000 Degrees and Humidity
Spark Warrior Mary Brey 6/17/25 Spark Warrior Mary Brey 6/17/25

Rage + Healing + 6000 Degrees and Humidity

Stuck, angry, and done playing small — this was the day I stopped waiting to be saved and stepped into the fire of healing. My Spark Warrior moment.

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The Day I Realized I Was Disappearing
Spark Embers Mary Brey 6/17/25 Spark Embers Mary Brey 6/17/25

The Day I Realized I Was Disappearing

Sick, alone, and under a playground slide… I felt more peace than I had in decades. This was the first sign I was disappearing — and something had to change.

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Following Sparks is a cozy space for spark-starved women to reclaim their magic through journals, tools, and unapologetic self-trust.

Made with a spark and a stubborn refusal to stay stuck.