Marisa O'Brien Transformational Coaching & Parent Breakthrough

We were at the pool when it started to rain today much earlier than expected 🌧️

Most immediately looked for shelter.

My son did the opposite.

He stood there with his arms stretched toward the sky, soaking it all in.

It struck me how naturally children experience joy.

They don’t wait until everything is perfect.

They don’t think, “I’ll enjoy myself once I finish my to-do list.”

They simply notice what’s right in front of them.

Somewhere along the way, many of us learn to postpone joy.

We tell ourselves we’ll enjoy life when work slows down…
when the house is clean…
when the kids are older…
when life feels less overwhelming.

Children remind us that joy isn’t found in extraordinary moments.
It’s created by being fully present in ordinary ones.

I’ve been embracing the idea that our kids aren’t here only for us to teach them.

But they’re here to remind us how to live and grow into our next best version of ourselves.

❤️ Choosing to notice the ordinary moments instead of waiting for extraordinary ones. ❤️

✨ Joy isn’t waiting for us at the finish line … It’s been scattered along our path the whole time.

What’s one little thing that has brought you joy lately?

A few weeks ago I stepped away from social media.

We kicked off summer with a family beach vacation, and I made a conscious decision to fully unplug.

I disconnected from my current status quo and connected into the present moment.

That time connecting with family and soaking up moments with the kids filled my heart so much❤️

Do you ever find yourself running from one thing to the next. One appointment, one task, one responsibility after another. Before we know it, a week has passed and it feels like one long never-ending day.

Me too…
So this summer, I’m working on being more intentional.

✨ Intentionally present
✨ Intentionally connected to myself and my kids
✨ Intentionally finding joy in the little moments

And now, I’ll be intentional here with you too.

I’ll share the joyful moments, the lessons, and yes, the struggles in between.

Because even when we’re doing our best to be present and grounded, life still throws curveballs that can pull us off center and away from how we want to show up.

One thing I continue to believe is that we’re all doing the best we can with the tools, awareness, and resources we have in the moment. When we stay curious instead of critical, growth tends to find us a little faster.

Here’s to slowing down, being present, and embracing the messy, beautiful journey together.

We’ve got this. 💛

What’s one thing bringing you joy this summer? ☀️

Self-love isn’t just bubble baths and self-care.

Self-love is:

💛 The way you speak to yourself when you’re struggling.

💛 The grace you offer yourself when things don’t go perfectly.

💛 The permission you give yourself to be human.

💛 The choice to stop treating yourself like a problem that needs fixing.

Sometimes the most powerful act of self-love is simply changing the conversation happening inside your own head.

The next time you catch yourself judging, criticizing, or beating yourself up, pause.

Take a breath.

And ask yourself:

“What would I say to someone I love right now?”

Then offer yourself the same kindness.

✨ Be the warm, squishy hug your inner voice has been missing.

You are love!

Capacity is not about how much you can do.

Not productivity.
Not how much we can force ourselves to carry.

Capacity is what your nervous system can hold.

Because there’s a difference between functioning in force and survival mode…
and truly having the internal safety to hold more and create flow and stability.

When our body doesn’t feel safe, everything can feel heavier.

Small stressors feel overwhelming.
Conversations feel triggering.
Rest feels unfamiliar.
We react faster.
Shut down quicker.
Become more emotionally exhausted carrying things that once felt manageable.

But as we begin creating more safety within ourselves, something shifts.

Our capacity expands.

Not because life suddenly becomes perfect…
but because our nervous system is no longer spending all of its energy trying to survive and push through.

Regulation increases our ability to:
hold emotions,
navigate stress,
respond intentionally,
stay present,
create boundaries,
become balanced,
and move through life with more steadiness.

When we create enough internal safety, life no longer feels like something we are constantly bracing against or pushing through.

A regulated nervous system doesn’t remove challenge.

It increases our ability to move through challenge without abandoning ourselves in the process 🥰


📸 by

I’ve been talking a lot lately about nervous system regulation, self-awareness, and emotional patterns.

One thing I hear often is:

“This is just how I am.”
Or…
“That’s just how they are.”

But humans are far more adaptable than we give ourselves credit for.

We are not fixed beings.

We are multifaceted humans with an incredible ability to learn, grow, heal, adapt, and change throughout our lives.

Science continues to show us that through neuroplasticity, the brain is capable of creating new neural pathways, patterns, behaviors, and responses based on repetition, awareness, environment, and experience.

Which means:
Just because something is familiar…
does not mean it is permanent.

And while we may not control every circumstance around us, we do have influence over how we show up within them.

Our reactions.
Our awareness.
Our healing.
Our accountability.
Our willingness to pause, reflect, and choose differently.

That is powerful.

Because growth often begins the moment we stop saying:
“This is just who I am.”

And start asking:
“Is this who I want to continue being?”

Or:
“What would it look like to respond differently than I do right now?”

Not from shame.
Not from perfectionism.
But from curiosity.

The beautiful thing about being human is that we are constantly evolving.

And sometimes the most important changes begin with small moments of awareness repeated over time. 🌿

Happy Mother’s Day 💕

This Mother’s Day, I’m thinking about the women who hold so much for everyone else… and how important it is that they feel held too. 🤍

The mothers carrying the mental load.
The emotional load.
The invisible load no one else fully sees.

The women who keep showing up even when they’re tired.

Who are balancing caregiving, work, relationships, healing, growth, and everyday life all at once.

So many mothers are carrying more than people realize.

And while motherhood can be beautiful, it can also feel overwhelming at times too.

This is your reminder that you matter too.

You deserve support.
You deserve rest.
You deserve care.
You deserve moments where you don’t have to hold everything alone.

Today I hope you feel appreciated not just for what you do for everyone else…
but for who you are. 🌿

For your heart.
For your presence.
For the love, warmth, and humanity you bring into the lives around you.

Your worth is not something you have to earn through productivity, caregiving, or how much you give to others.

You are already worthy.
Already valuable.
Already deeply loved exactly as you are.

Simply because you exist.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible mothers and mother figures out there. 🤍

xoxo,
Marisa

There’s been a lot going on lately and my body has been reminding me that slowing down is not weakness… it’s wisdom. 🌿

With a baby still waking up in the middle of the night 😜, it’s easy to slip into taking care of everyone else while quietly pushing our own needs aside.

But eventually the body whispers…
then nudges…
then demands our attention.

Lately I’ve been feeling under the weather, and instead of pushing through, I’m trying to listen more closely.

More rest.
More nourishment.
More honesty about what I need too.

So this is your reminder that self check-ins matter.

Not just mentally.
Physically. Emotionally. Nervous system wise.

Sometimes we don’t need to “do more.”
We need to reconnect with ourselves again.

For me, that means it’s time to restart my morning check-in practice. ☀️

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from yourself lately too, DM me the word “CHECK-IN” and I’ll send you the simple self check-in I use. 🤍



Photo by Isabella Delollio

Earth Day reminder 🌎

Nature does not rush.
It does not force.
It does not compare itself to the season beside it.

It roots.
It adapts.
It grows when conditions support growth.

Humans are not so different.

Sometimes the next level is not doing more.
It is regulating more!

🌱More rest.
🌱More presence.
🌱More space in your nervous system.
🌱More trust in timing.

A dysregulated system pushes.
A regulated system expands.

This Earth Day, maybe your growth looks less like hustle…
and more like honoring your own natural rhythm.

Take one deep breath outside.
Pick up one piece of litter.
Plant one seed.
Choose one kinder habit.

Because small grounded actions create real change, in us and around us.

What if the most powerful thing you grow this season is inner steadiness, while caring for the world that holds you? 🌱🌎

The way you talk to yourself matters more than you think.

Not just the big, obvious thoughts…
But the small, automatic ones.

The ones that quietly say:
“I should be doing better.”
“Why can’t I figure this out?”
“What’s wrong with me?”

Those thoughts aren’t harmless.
➡️They shape how you feel.
➡️How you show up.
➡️What you believe is possible for you.

And most of the time…
you don’t even realize they’re there.

But the moment you get curious…
everything starts to shift ✨

Pause and ask yourself:
Is my inner voice lifting me up…
or pulling me down?

And what would it sound like to speak to yourself the way you would a best friend?

✨ Because you do have power here.
More than you’ve been led to believe ✨

Keep your head up. Stay curious 💕

What do you want your inner voice to sound like!?!

innerwork