Denise Dare
Denise Dare is a self-proclaimed “Happiness” artist. But don’t be too quick to dismiss the depth and power of what that means. Denise is a wellness coach, mama, and earth steward and love activist who knows first hand the power of mindset, joy, and mindset on our health and wellbeing.
Having lived with chronic pain and urinary tract issues since infancy, Denise has mastered the art of walking her talk and using basic, acessible, but powerful tools to maximizing the joy and potential of each moment and every day we are given. EVEN in the face of chronic illness, stress or overwhelm.
In this Shift Series interview we touch on what holds us back from fully claiming our potential for inner calm, peace and joy – and how we can use simple core routines to open to our capacity for compassion and healing.
(We also touch on how emotions such as “anger” or frustration actually contribute to our health challenges and stress and what to do about it – turns out Denise is an expert “anger” buster too!)
I’m also so grateful for how Denise’s work in the world is rooted in the awareness that as our capacity for loving ourselves, and feeling joy within ourselves expands – so does our capacity to love one another and the planet.
I know we’ll be hearing more from Denise in the future – she has a lot to say and a lot of gold to share – this is just the beginning.
With love & gratitude,
Lindsay
Lindsay and Denise talk about peace and Joy.
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m Denise Dare and I’m so grateful to be here.
I am currently most happy just kickin’ it with my amazing family and friends, practicing the art of self love, writing, practicing yoga {since I was 18 years old!}, appreciating beauty, creating, {home} educating my daughters, adventuring in our world, gardening + growing food, nourishing my family, nurturing our Earth, giving wholeheartedly, {practicing!} loving unconditionally, and living joyfully each day.
I’m happily married to a “recuperating Jarhead” {in his own words} and appreciate the depths of connection, growth, and tenderness that we have learned with one another…partnership is the journey of a lifetime.
I love my freedom {and my rad honey’s support} to nurture our two vibrant daughters every day. Being present and playful with Juls & Bela is a privilege and a gift. Our girls continue to teach me and encourage me to be my best self every moment.
As a writer, teacher, and mentor, I am on a mission to inspire women to love themselves more, play more, feel more free, and cultivate more joy on their journeys in life + business.
Tell us about your path to creating your business and your vision
When I birthed my first daughter, I knew right away that I wanted to share my days with her. At the time, I was only able to stay home with her for her first 10 months before I returned to teaching high school English while my honey finished university.
I knew I would find a way to retire from public education and transition into creating a business while nurturing her at home.
When our second daughter was born and my husband had graduated, I knew it was time.
I retired from a decade of teaching and started home educating my own daughter while I nurtured our babe.
It was a challenging and beautiful time. And although I felt totally fulfilled those first couple of years, I soon realized that I still wanted to teach.
So, with the encouragement of a dear friend, I started sharing my writing. I posted weekly inspiration on my blog, which was then Dare to Shine TEO {Tutoring, Editing, and Organizing}.
After a few months, I knew what I really wanted to do was not so much teaching people about standards and traditional education, but about self love and happiness.
I wanted to expand my circle of influence and connect with other women who wanted {and needed!} inspiration to love themselves more, to feel joyful, and to prioritize their own desires.
With this in mind, I created denisedare.com. My mission now is to inspire more love + joy in this world.
Through writing, teaching, and mentoring, I support women as they build their confidence, get clear about how they want to feel, and move forward with courage to create the life they desire + deserve.
I continue to home educate my two vibrant daughters, now four and eight years old.
I love the balance between time to be mommy and time to be an entrepreneur, writer, and mentor to women who are ready to shine.
Though this journey has definitely been full of beautiful challenge, I am over the moon grateful that we are choosing this path.
I feel blessed + so appreciative to be right where I am today.
Tell us a little about yourself and your philosophy on wellness:
I believe that well~being is a way of life.
Wellness is not found in a pill or a prescription, though these can definitely support us when we need them.
Wellness is cultivated in our minds, our bodies, and our souls.
We choose wellness when we decide to think kind and loving thoughts.
We choose wellness when we create harmonious relationships with the people in our lives.
We choose wellness when we nurture our bodies with nourishing foods and plenty of fresh water.
We choose wellness when we give ourselves time for reflection, stillness, and meditation.
We choose wellness when we attend to our body’s need for movement and rest and care.
We choose wellness when we follow our joy and do more of what makes us happy.
We choose wellness as a lifestyle and a practice, an ongoing journey of learning and growing and being.
What was the catalyst in your life to fuel your commitment to wellness?
Like so many, it has been dis~ease in my body or mind that has motivated me to cultivate more wellness in my life.
Whether it was the ongoing urinary issues I’ve faced since infancy, the multiple whiplash injuries of my adolescence, suffering from acne on my cheeks, the challenge of dealing with emotional trauma, or wanting to feel strong and energized to nurture my daughters peacefully, lovingly, and patiently, each opportunity has propelled me to seek solutions and come to a greater understanding of how to heal my body and create more ease in my mind.
I see clearly that the more I care for my body each day, the easier it is to face the challenges of life.
Staying connected to my own well~being is a priority in my life because I know how much more love I have to give when I feel nurtured and nourished.
How do you stay healthy, resilient and vibrant?
I choose to make my well~being a priority.
I practice thinking loving thoughts about myself and my life.
I choose nourishing foods to revitalize my body {and I practice the 80/20 rule so I don’t drive myself crazy trying to be perfect!}.
I hydrate my body with water all day every day. {Yes, I am that woman with the stainless steel reusable water bottle with her EVERYWHERE. Literally. And, I’m teaching my girls to do the same thing.}
I give myself permission to rest when I need it. I sleep enough for my body each night. I lay down and put my legs up the wall when I’m feeling depleted. I ask for help when I feel overwhelmed.
I allow myself to follow my joy. I use my intuition to decide what feels like a hell yes in my life…and allow myself to say no to things that don’t feel inspired. And I invite fun, play, and pleasure into my life experience.
I surround myself with inspiration: words, books, music, beauty, experiences, friends, family. I consciously choose to be around people and things that uplift me.
I practice yoga and meditation. 18 years and counting. This practice is essential to my well~being. Every time I come to my mat, I am changed, refreshed, open…ready for more wonder and joy in my life.
I write. A lot. When life feels like too much, I know that coming back to my pages will help me let go of those thoughts swirling anxiously around my mind. And give me space to focus on what it is I do want to feel. When I write, I explore my desires and my dreams. I practice appreciating, and this always helps me feel better in my mind, body, and soul.
If there was only one thing a person could find the energy and resources to make a priority what would it be?
Practice the sacred art of self love.
Give yourself permission to nurture and love yourself as you desire and deserve.
{And to even become aware of what practices feel loving and nurturing to YOU.}
Start within to cultivate that joy and love.
And notice how this awareness and acceptance fuels you to show up more wholeheartedly and joyfully in your life.
What is your favorite inspirational quote for wellness / awesomeness / thrival?
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ~Mary Oliver
Visit Denise at: [http://denisedare.com].
Connect with Denise at: [http://facebook.com/denisedare43] + [http://twitter.com/denisedare43] + [http://pinterest.com/denisedare43]
Denise Dare is a soulful lifestyle and business mentor who believes that love is the way. Through her writing, teaching, and mentoring, Denise inspires us to move forward with clarity, courage, and confidence, so we feel free to shine our lights, to see through the eyes of pure love, and to create more space for ease and joy in our lives.
