Kristina Rienzi’s Blog

No worries is a phrase I picked up from the laid-back atmosphere while visiting Hawaii over the years. I loved how it kept things light and breezy and released the pressure of any conversation. I’ve adopted it as one of my natural default sayings because it feels authentic to who I am and what I wish for others.

Yet worrying is a natural human reaction and NO WORRIES isn’t realistic.

It’s okay to worry. I do, more often than I care to admit. I bet you do, too. Everyone does. We worry about the future, our health, our loved ones. In this pandemic-consumed time in our lives, we’ve worried about so many things we never considered before, like paper goods. While we’ve evolved from hoarding toilet paper to stalking vaccine center websites, our days still include worry of one kind or another.

Healthy worry is normal. Being consumed by fear and anxiety and not living your life, as a result, is a concern. I’ve been there, at least at the beginning of pandemic life. Fear and anxiety consumed me and many others, too. We’ve learned to live in this new normal, yet it still doesn’t feel normal. We’re desperate to go back to our life pre-pandemic.

We worry we never will.

But, we will. It may look different than it did before COVID, but the core of our lives will return. The parts of life we missed the most: living outside of our homes, being with friends and family, will come back, albeit under a more cautious set of rules. What matters most, our social connections will still be there. We will navigate this new world together and make it the best it can be.

Of course, we will still have worries about pandemic life and so many other things. Given what we’ve been through this past year, maybe we will find the courage to let some of those worries go.

When I say “no worries,” my intention is for you to let them go, one at a time. LIVE the way you were always meant to, from a place of peace and love. I’ll be here to support you every step of the way!

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in an uplifting journal-decorating project benefitting pandemic health care workers, our modern-day heroes.

As I contemplated what designs to create on the covers of my journals, I thought about helping the recipients. I wanted them to be inspired to keep going and to be reminded their work was meaningful and impacted communities in crisis in a positive way.

Butterflies and hearts were basic shapes for me to include, representing their transformational effect on the world. But the words were also important to me. Words carry weight. Their journals would be filled with cathartic writings to help them deal with all they were going through as front-line workers of the virus. Risking their health to care for others wasn’t only their job; it was their calling, and I wanted to ensure they knew how valuable they were.

As you can see, I chose Love (LUV for fun) and You Inspire because they do.

And so do YOU.

As you go through your life, every little thing you do, every word you speak, every interaction you have impacts others. It may be intentional or unintentional, but the outcome is the same. And I guarantee, without even realizing it, your words and actions INSPIRE others. Whether it’s a photo you post online, a text message, or a simple smile, you are inspiring someone every single day of your life.

Never underestimate the power you have to transform someone, even moment to moment, in a positive way—precisely the way they need. Because everyone is going through something, we know nothing about. A little love and kindness could change the course of their life, and you might never see the impact you had.

YOU INSPIRE. Choose how you show up with intention and purpose. Know you are a valuable human. You matter more than you’ll ever know.

I hope knowing you inspire others inspires you to keep inspiring! That’s a lot of inspiration, and the world needs it ALL. The world needs YOU!

Every new year brings on a world of possibilities. A refresher in our lives asking us to pivot, make those changes we let go of the prior year. We make resolutions. Our dreams get more significant. Our to-do lists, longer. Our goals, more.

We pile on the expectations thinking we have all year, so they’re doable. Yet we don’t take into account the most essential part of all: LIFE. Life happens. Yes, it gets in the way, but it also IS the way.

I’ve always prided myself on being a driven person. I’m goal-oriented but also results-oriented. I want to see the fruits of my labor. I love being an author because when my job is complete, I can hold a BOOK in my hands, a physical product of my work. It’s beyond rewarding.

What isn’t rewarding is never completing a goal, which is also one of my specialties. It happens because I always have TOO MANY goals. Worse, I don’t have the restraint to stop making them. I’m addicted to wanting to accomplish things. With little to no free time (now more than ever with a little one), many of my new goals fall to the wayside for more significant priorities and never get accomplished. That’s why setting too many goals is a habit I intend to break in 2021.

My ONE goal for 2021 is simple: LESS. Less stuff. Less surplus. Less stress. Not only does it effectively break my bad-goal-setting-habit, but it puts me on the path to a minimalistic life.

Simple. Spacious. Serene.

Last year was a doozy, and we’re still reeling. Even if you’re not a resolution-making or goal-driven person, I’m sure there are things you want to do this year. My hope is that whatever you aspire to accomplish in 2021 adds value to your life and brings you joy. I also hope you don’t put too much pressure on yourself. And you forgive yourself if you let it go in exchange for living your life.

Because that’s what it’s all about…living our lives. Goals are great, but they aren’t everything. If you do just ONE thing this year that sparks happiness for you in some way, you have done plenty.

Here’s to 2021, may it be everything you want it to be. More importantly, everything you need it to be.