Bri Clark

Fair Ways to Support Your Adult Children

When my brother and I were growing up we had a single mother who we knew did not have any extra money. In fact, we both started contributing to the household with money before we were 18. I’m not mad or even offended. It taught me value and work ethic that has served me well all my life.

I did as most people do, I didn’t ask my kids for anything beyond house chores or paying for their own obligations like if they wanted a new iPhone or wanted a game subscription.

As my children have all become over 18, I’ve “helped” out each of them differently at times over the years. It’s so hard to be “fair” when they have needed help.

Here is some of the guidelines we have in place for them that we try to use.

They need to ask for help. If they ask, then we aren’t creating the possibility for resentment later and it shows they have looked at their situation and assessed their needs.
It must be a need and not a want. (This often can be the issue what they want they think is a need.)
We have a fluctuating income because we are self-employed. The amount we can help with is based on our current liquid resources. We will not go into debt, and we aren’t going to risk our own obligations.
If we do give them money for bills, we want to see receipts or we will pay the bill directly.

If you have adult children whom you’ve helped what are your suggestions or share some of your stories of lesson learned. I’d love to hear

When We Sit Quietly We Can Hear the Song of Possibility

Moving quietly and not sharing all your doing can be a cathartic experience. The first time I ever did this I wrote my first book. A novel called Glazier. Once published by a small publishing house out of Georgia called Astrea Press. It has since closed and I have my book rights back. It was going to be the stepping stone to my multimillion dollar writing career. That did not happen but it was an amazing experience. The opportunity I learned from that experience was that I can make moves quietly, only sharing my creations with a chosen supportive few confidants. This can be extremely rewarding emotionally as well as energetically. And goes completely against our post immediately on social media play by play updates of your daily life. Think of it like pulling the arrow back on a bow. When you finally let go and launch your project all that momentum propels you and it forward.

With the social media world, we live in and many people using their lives as part of their art and business waiting to post something can have a fomo (fear of missing out) reverse effect. What I mean is you’re scared someone will miss seeing what you’ve done. And you fear that you’ll miss an opportunity to be seen.

But the beauty of social media is we control our narrative and when and if we share. So take the time to be present in the moment when you are doing something. The beauty that I found of having a present mindset is that you connect more fully with those around you and can have the value of the experience. Now I’m not saying don’t take the time to take photos and videos. Especially if you are planning on using it on social media later. But do just enough to get what you need then put away your camera. Being present means having your eyes and attention forward and not on the other side of a lens or screen.

When was the last time you were present? How was it?

Abundant Living vs Minimalist Mentality: How to do both?

“There is enough, and all my needs are met and will be met.” Is literally the greatest lesson I’ve had to learn in this life. It’s an ongoing active muscle I have to constantly exercise. It always shows up in my life in some form or another. From a tithing promise in organized religion to my greatest fear in therapy to a life lesson from a psychic reading from my guides, this theme keeps coming up.

To be honest I’m not surprised since I am a child of poverty. Growing up with a single teen mother who had her own generational trauma to overcome, it is a reasonable response to develop. But then I also had a mom who made shit happen. All our needs were met, maybe not as expected but we’re met. And it taught me how to be fucking creative at problem solving. Like coffee filters can be toilet paper and paper towels in a pinch. Then if you take into account the sum total of all the environmental trauma I’ve experienced it’s a wander I’m still alive and semi sane. One house fire, three tornadoes, two floods, two hurricanes, two ice storms and two financial collapses there seems to be a common lesson here.

It also seemed to be a principle I wasn’t perhaps learning. Which might be why I kept undergoing similar experiences with different details but the same feelings.

What was the lesson?

“There is enough, and all my needs are met and will be met.”

If that’s the lesson that I need to learn.

If that’s something more than what if I applied this idea like the law of gravity. In religion they say faith fuels blessings.

What if I believed in this like a principle? In spirituality they say that manifesting starts with stating as if it’s already happened and believing it to be.

What if I declared it daily? How would my life change? How would it influence my choices?

Well I’d start having more experiences. I’d start using the resources I had like credit cards and rewards points to do the shit I want to do. I’d have more courage to take risks in my business. I’d be more giving and charitable to those in need. Because it’s just money and I can always make more. Trying to rewire my brain from over forty years of programing is a hard but doable concept. I want to be very clear this is an active lesson I am trying to learn. I am not an expert. I’m just in the thick of it. And I have some hacks that I have found that are working.

1. I say affirmations to myself in the mirror. “ Money and resources flow freely and easily to me and my husband Chris.”

2. I dream big.

3. I don’t make choices based on past Bri. Like you don’t want to make the same mistake you did in 2008. These are fear based thinking practices and aint’ nobody got time for that.”

4. No decisions based on fear. If I’m afraid I just sit still and do or say nothing until I can process it.

5. Take time to think before I do anything.

6. Daily gratitude.

7. I consume uplifting and educational content from social media to music to movies.

8. No news.

9. No drama.

10. I will pay for experiences but not the acquisition of stuff to keep up with the jones.

11. I live a minimalist lifestyle and I’ve defined what that means for me.

What tips do you have for no longer living in financial fear?

The Early Bird Catches the Joy

Clutter, shopping, binge watching television shows, and social media along with countless other habits have become the go to distraction of most people in modern society. What happens when you take those away? The consequence is, boredom and feelings. That’s right when you take away the dopamine high provided by a great deal, or the stylish fit, or that season finale every episode is a build up to, you are left open and bare.

A realization I had and left me feeling melancholy. Until I made a change.

What was the cure for my mental angst?

Getting up before the dawn. That’s the life I lead now I get up when my body is ready no matter what time. So far, it’s been a great experience but some days it’s like well shit now what do I do. Here’s the answer.

When people find out that I get up at 3am they think I’m some kind of extremist and then they find out I’m an aspiring minimalist. They’re like oh she’s one of those self-improvement assholes. But I’m not really. I didn’t wake up one day and have all these habits. It started with one need. Sleep.

I learned about circadian rhythms watching one of my favorite shows Big Bang Theory. Then I found out that the bed we sleep on, a Sleep Number, has this app that helps give you biofeedback. Within that app after sleeping on the bed for months, I found what my optimal wake up and bedtime were. Then I saw a TikTok that said getting up at the same time each day and going to bed as well were optimal for your health and wellbeing. At this point I felt like the universe was all but screaming at me.

So I made the decision to wake up and go to bed at the same time each day and listen to my body. At first the story I was telling myself is this is stupid, people will think your stupid, what will you do with the time. In all these internal stories I was the narrator and author of in my own head. Once I started doing it I’ll admit it took me weeks before it became a habit. And honestly, I would drink three cups of coffee and scroll, then I started watering my plants, reading, replying to email. Eventually my husband started getting up with me and we learned the value of easing into your day.

Easing into a day is our favorite thing when we camp and vacation. The luxury of not having to rush and have things done by a certain time make our days so much more enjoyable. Since we developed the habit of early to rise early to bed other habits have followed. We work out 4-5xs a week. We have breakfast and dinner together. I usually pack his lunch and my own for the day. We have opportunities to be around each other and exist and just have conversations that come up organically. There are tons of great benefits to this choice. We wake up and look forward to each day. The sense of dread over the day starting has been eliminated. We can spend hours before we have to be anywhere being around each other and tandem scrolling, drinking coffee, sitting on the porch or reading. I water my plants, meditate, say affirmations, make our bed, and am usually ready to leave by 8AM. Sooner if the days’ plans require. We both no longer have any need for sleep aide. We’ve both been fighting insomnia for almost ten years. On average we get about 7-8 hours of sleep a night. I’m beyond happy with the way I live my daily life at this point. Which unfortunately is something that most people can’t say. And to think it all started with getting up before the dawn would bring me the greatest sense of joy?

What say you? Are you going to find your circadian rhythm?

What is Emotional Baseline?

As I sit in our motorhome and watch my husband, Chris, of twenty-four years wash the breakfast dishes I find myself content. It is a foreign concept to allow myself this pleasure. Being the daughter of trauma that I am I’ve literally had to work on myself to allow this opportunity. Don’t get me wrong I’m not talking about the money I’ve earned to be in a motorhome or the freedom being self-employed allows us to take off and camp. It’s not that kind of work.

It’s the internal reprogramming of a life of bullshit indoctrinated into me by ancestors, media, organized religion, and society. For most of my life I’ve believed that to have joy or pleasure was not afforded to me because I was _____. (poor, a bastard, white trash, unproductive, uneducated, had a GED, no degree,) The word combinations were endless. If I’d catch myself happy then I’d say, “Woah you haven’t earned that joy.”

What the fuck kind of internal dialogue did I have to say things like that to myself as early as ten?

Now in my early 40’s I’m just breaking through all the deprogramming and learning the truth. You can have joy without contentment, but you can’t have contentment without joy.

Contentment is like the baseline operating mode that you should be most of the time. It’s an emotional rhythm people find and can maintain due to all the little daily choices they make based on their internal value systems.

Joy is when something exceptional happens to spike the baseline of your emotional standard. It’s kind of like the high note of a song. You can’t sing a whole song in a G. You must take a breath eventually and go back down to a tone you can maintain. That’s emotional baseline.

Most people, like me, seem to be in a constant emotional baseline of fright or flight. There is no time for peace or rest because_____. Insert whatever reason. That’s not to say there aren’t good reasons. But if people living in poverty who work every day just to meet their basic needs make time for rest, joy, and celebration. Why shouldn’t you?

Momguilt is like a disease without a vaccine so I’ve decided to make my own

Guilt is the cockroach of a woman’s emotions. Never fully dying or eradicated. I am a woman, so I speak from that point of view. It doesn’t matter what season I’m in, how successful I am, or how much I struggle. I feel guilt like the sticky film left on my skin after working in the humidity of a southern summer afternoon.

There’s a song lyric I hear all the time and it says, “I got a therapist, I’m so mature.” Well I do that. I go to therapy. But not because I’m mature but because I’m desperate and exhausted. Guess what guilt doesn’t go away in therapy either. It’s there. Like the vermin it is.

I’m killing it at work. I feel empowered and successful. Guilt. I’m reminded of all the things I’ve let slide in my personal relationships.

I’m killing it at home. Date nights weekly. I’m texting with my kids. Their needs are met. I’ve meal planned. Guilt. I haven’t done the estimate from Timmy or Sue.

Let’s say I do balance it one week with work and family and I have a moment of peace in the overactive mind I love and hate then guess what. Guilt. I haven’t written a book or a blog in years. I used to have dreams of being a successful author. Hell, I used to be an author. What am I now?

I could go on and on. And if you’ve ever been here thank you for sticking around so I don’t feel alone in my delusional melancholy.

How do I fix it?

I don’t think it’s a fixable issue. I think it’s more of a managed one. Kind of like a mental autoimmune disorder. Here’s where I’m at. When guilt kicks up, I have a personal mantra I tell myself over and over until the vice like grip on my chest eases.

Then I say it four more times as an added measure to try and calm my subconscious mind. If you want to borrow it here it is…

“I am enough. Have done enough. And every breath I take and step I make is enough.”

Then I have a notes app on my phone where I have 10 things, I am grateful for listed and I read them to myself or out loud. You can borrow it too or make your own.

1. I woke up.

2. I have a nice bed to sleep in.

3. I have one more day on this earth.

4. I have running water.

5. I have electricity.

6. I have a mother that loves me.

7. I have a roof over my head.

8. I have safety while I sleep.

9. I have clothes.

10. I have made it through everything successfully and I will this too.

I believe there is value in all that I do and while I may seem that I have it all together I do not. But one thing I do have is a perseverance that is stronger than any challenge I have ever faced. And that is something that I cling to. What are your coping strategies for when the guilt hits you?

Learning to listen to my own needs: Releasing Mom/Wife Guilt

Last night I went to bed when I first started to feel sleepy. One of the privileges of being a person with grown children is the opportunity I must make time for my own health and wellness. One of those is learning to listen to my own bodies needs and wants. As a parent and wife, I’ve spent most of my life suppressing what I needed and wanted. I was taught by mentors, media, religion and society that to serve was not only necessary but was natural for a wife and mother. We are the nurturers.

I’m here to say it’s rubbish.

Living these kinds of principles have hurt my wellbeing and my relationships in ways I’m just now unraveling. Which brings me to going to bed early. Right when I felt tired. Was rewiring my brain to go against this programing.

Here’s the scene. I’ve been going since 3AM. I have more than accomplished so many of my tasks. I’ve had dinner with my husband. We’ve watched 2 30 min episodes of a favorite show. I make it a point to minimize screen time, so I don’t snack as is a bad habit I have when watching TV.

I put the dogs to bed and refilled my water. Then I begin to head upstairs. The hubs go, “Are you going to bed?” I say yeah. He makes a sarcastic sound. And I immediately feel my body flush with guilt followed quickly by a bone deep tiredness from the mental load I have carried through the day.

I take a deep breath and ask. “Did you need something?” He says no and good night. I go upstairs and start a nightly reset. PJs, brush my teeth, shut the blinds and curtains, turn on the lamp on his side of the bed, stretch, take meds, scroll for a little while, then read until I’m tired. Then I go to sleep.

While I did get woke up once I had a pretty restful night. I got up at 3AM today with enthusiasm and excitement for the day.

I think a lot of that has to do with learning to listen to my body and mind but also doing what I feel is needed. Maybe if I’d learned to do this sooner, I could have taught my kids and who knows I could have been more in tune with what their needs were as a mom and delivered that service even better. But with age comes grace with me and others.

What’s your nightly shut down routine?

Becoming a Writer… Again

Once upon a time I was a writer. I was a published author, and I was an award-winning blogger. Once upon a time I had a psychic reading, and she told me my guides kept showing her a stack of books with dust on them and blank pages. So, this is my effort to be a writer again. I’m picking up the challenge of writing every day for 30 days. Writers write. So, I’ll start with that.

I’m on the hunt for the perfect morning opening shift tasks as well as closing shift tasks. I used to be a server and each section you were assigned at different times of day had different restaurant responsibilities. The goals being helping the future staff that would be there at a different time.

That’s my motivation to always be helping the collective (my family) and to relieve the burdens of future Bri by being willing to do what’s needed in the present.

Currently my morning looks like this…

3AM-4:30AM

Wake up, get dressed, meds, take care of dogs, scroll, drink coffee

4:30AM-6:00AM

Gym, Raise Frequency, Read, Stretch

6AM-7:30AM

Shower, make bed, Open curtains, dressed, mediate, affirmations, breakfast, take care of dogs, water plants, Write, Unload dishwasher

As of now my closing shift consists of …

6PM-7PM

Take care of dogs, load dishwasher, pjs on, meds taken, get in bed, scroll until I fall asleep

I feel satisfied with my opening habits. Its these closing tasks that I think could be better.

What do you do to start and end each day to support you own health, happiness, and household?

Pretty Sure My Kids Hate Me

Most days I wake up thinking most of my children don’t love me. What’s worse is it’s my fault. I was the one who taught them how to operate and function in relationships. This purgatory is one of my own makings. What’s worse is 2 of the 4 kids I didn’t get the chance to bare. They are my adopted stepsons whom I raised from 6 and 3. As I raised them I always imagined that they would appreciate me one day. One day we’d be friends and be close when they had mates. One day when they had kids. One day when they moved out.

They are all adults and one day hasn’t happened. But again, it’s my own mess I made. The only child I have that sees me is my youngest. She is in her 20s and has been a witness to her parents aging and health problems. I had a couple near death experiences she was witness to. Perhaps this has made her realize the humanity that I carry.

I’ve read many books and blogs on the subject. A common denominator is the boy mom burden. It would seem the wife’s family takes priority in many things. From holidays even Mother’s days to weekend visits. It’s something I’ve seen in my own life.

But that isn’t the wife’s fault. She is cultivating her own relationships and already mentally carries a lot. She shouldn’t be blamed from the lack is connection between her husband and his family.

So here I am at the impasse that is my burden. Destined to continue in the purgatory of my own making. Loving a daughter and two sons who only see me as an entitled resource. Until the day I pass and then maybe they will realize how important I really was. But then there is no joy even then. Because I’ll be gone but still watching and there is no joy in seeing your kids suffer. Which is why I find myself in this purgatory.

Do you have any suggestions? Because so far talking to them hasn’t helped? If you are a mom with a good relationship with your kids any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Minimalist by Intention: Not by Design

In 2024 I became a minimalist. When I say that I get a lot of reactions. Some people get embarrassed, some are intrigued, others are defensive, especially when I’m standing in their homes that they want me to renovate. (If you didn’t’ know I’m a residential home builder and renovator at Bri the Builder.) When I first mentioned it to my children, they rolled their eyes and locked their bedroom doors.

One year later I’ve accomplished so much.

The reality of my version of minimalism is about living life with intention. Down to the possessions I own. They have to serve a purpose, make me happy, or be useful. Since I became a minimalist, I have paid off $100,000 in debt. I started another business and doubled the gross income of the business I have now. I started a book and a blog. I lost 50lbs and reduced, sold, or donated over 75% of my possessions.

That is what I mean when I say I’m a minimalist. I do things with great intention and value. But people still sometimes don’t get it. So I thought I would use a visual example and a story. Because who isn’t visual and who doesn’t love a good story.

This was my living room after the Christmas decor was put away at the end of 2024. I was so excited to clean, organize and put away my decor that I did it on Christmas day. Only I still wasn’t happy with my living room. Which is where I spend majority of our time at home. It’s because of the couch that goes down the center of the room. We bought it two years before and the dogs and intermittent visitors sit on it. It was meant to create seating for our two college age daughters to sit with us. Only they are busy and when they are home they are in their rooms. So the couch wasn’t useful it was in the way.

Here is where minimalism by intentional living comes into play. I sold the couch. And moved it out of the way. Now the dogs are sitting on their little beds and in their kennels. I have a wide open space. There is plenty of room for activities. (But if the need for more seating comes up, I have a recliner in our parlor we can move that’s only a third of what was there before. That’s the thing about living minimal. It’s a verb not an adjective.

The flip side is Minimalism by design would be getting rid of that dog kennel on the floor by my bigger furniture kennel. I tried to remove it. My dog, Benjie, ran through the bars. He went and sat in the spot where his kennel used to sit. I want something cleaner and more pleasing. I’m not trying to make my dogs miserable because I have a design aesthetic in mind. That’s where I’m not a minimalist by design but by purpose.

What do you prefer with the couch or without?

Thanks of reading. Your views are something I’m grateful to view.