Get High On Your Own Oxygen: Become an Architect of Your Aliveness

This message is dedicated to my Lyft driver, Donna, from Saturday night, and to all the independent, loving women and men out there.

This past weekend, I attended a wedding. Before heading home in a Lyft, I swapped my formal attire for sweats and a flannel—just to feel a bit safer. And guess what? I got a woman driver—Donna! Instant score!

From the moment I got in the car, Donna and I connected. She’s a powerhouse, juggling three jobs, grounded in reality, with a deep understanding of energy and the spiritual world. We shared a genuine conversation, full of warmth and laughter, and I felt safe in her company.

But the highlight of the ride? About two miles from home, the iconic intro to “What’s Up” by Four Non Blondes started playing. I casually mentioned, “Oh Donna, I love this song.” She responded with, “Me too!” and cranked up the volume. For the next three minutes and forty-five seconds, we sang our hearts out. Two ‘90s gals, not worrying about hitting the right notes, just belting out every lyric with all we had.

The song ended just as we pulled up to my house. Donna shone the lights onto my porch as I waved goodbye, feeling a special connection.

Moral of the Story: We need more “What’s Up” moments in our lives. It’s about energy—the power to connect with another soul and simply belt out a tune, unafraid, not caring about how we sound or look.

When I wrote my latest book, Silent Integrity, I centered it around this idea of energy. I’ve seen people chase after relationships that don’t serve them, and I sprinkled in a bit of energy and wisdom for love. I’ve listened to those struggling to find peace, and I wrote about how to cultivate that internally. Many are unhappy with their jobs or avoid looking for new ones, and I infused the book with lessons on harnessing energy to create change. And for anyone dealing with difficult personalities at work—there’s plenty of advice on that too, nestled within each chakra lesson.

I write to remind today’s human beings that they are more energy than matter. Once they truly grasp this, they become unafraid, fearless, and in tune with themselves, ready to sing out loud—even if it’s off-key—because in the end, “Everything is nothing, and nothing is everything.”

And one of my favorite lines from Silent Integrity? “Get high on your own oxygen,” because there are over 216 ways to breathe deeply and get to know yourself a little better as you read.

And so I wake in the morning and I step outside

And I take a deep breath and I get real high

And I scream from the top of my lungs

“What’s going on?”