Creating a Meaningful Life | Michelle Cromer

A Box of Joy: How the Smallest Surprises Reveal What We Value

Michelle Cromer November 10, 2025 Leave a Comment

My son August came down from Brooklyn for a visit. He was going through his old closet and asked me to mail back some things that wouldn’t fit in his suitcase. I had no idea what was in the bag he left until I dumped out the contents at a shipping company. To my delight, I discovered dudgeon and dragon dice, playing cards, baby arm props, bull whips, and costumes.

It was a box full of creativity and, to me, a box full of joy.

Joy walks alongside all of us. You don’t have to hunt for joy, manufacture it, or live a stress-free, perfect life. Joy arrives when you welcome it into the messiness of our crazy lives. She sneaks up when you least expect it. You cannot invite her, you can only be ready when she shows up, and hug her with all your mite when she does. Joy slithers through the cracks of the imperfect life. That’s how joy works.

Every moment in our lives offers each of us a choice. Look at your life, and it will show you what you value. Are you choosing stress, conflict, and unhappiness? Joy provides the perfect barometer for navigating life. All you need to do is determine and recognize what brings you joy. Do that.

Are you wearing the best colors for you? Each of us has a power color based on the five elements and the day we were born. Sign up for my email list and provide me with the day, month, and year of your birth, and I will send you your birth element and power color!
Want more tips on creating a meaningful life? Subscribe to my podcast, Creating a Meaningful Life, and follow for more inspiration!

The Advocate Archetype: When Love Becomes Justice | Creating a Meaningful Life

Michelle Cromer November 4, 2025 Leave a Comment

In this soulful episode of Creating a Meaningful Life, Michelle Cromer and Perla Maldonado explore The Advocate Archetype—the universal energy that compels us to speak up, protect what matters, and transform compassion into action.

Drawing on Carl Jung’s concept of archetypes, they reveal how the Advocate shows up not only in social movements and historical moments, but also in the quiet choices we make every day to stand for truth and justice.

From America’s revolutionary roots to the collective awakening happening now, this episode invites you to reflect on your own inner Advocate: the part of you that says, “This is not okay,” and chooses to act with courage, clarity, and love.

Because to live a meaningful life is to live an engaged one—and when love takes action, it becomes justice.

Like and subscribe now to start your journey toward a more meaningful life.

The Precious Stone: A Thanksgiving Reflection on Gratitude and Letting Go

Michelle Cromer November 3, 2025 Leave a Comment

A wise woman was traveling in the mountains. As she crossed a stream, she looked down and found a precious stone. She picked it up and tucked it away in her bag. The following day, the wise woman met another hungry traveler. When she opened her bag to share her food, the hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later, he returned to give the stone back to the wise woman.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious.”

“What could that possibly be?” asked the wise woman.

“Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone,” the hungry man replied.

***

I have heard many versions of this beautiful Zen story, and there are so many lessons to learn from this one simple tale. I interpret the river to be symbolic of the journey of life, and the precious stones to be the people in my life. We find many precious stones during this journey. They may not look precious. They may seem to be plain old pebbles. But if we look closely – if we pay attention and take the time to pick up the stones and shine them, and look after them – we can see that they are precious beyond all measure. But they do not belong to us. We just look after them for a while. They come and go as life takes all kinds of twists and turns. All we can do is enjoy the beauty when it is in our hands and in our lives, and let it go when the time comes to do so. These are moments of grace. Moments of gratitude. As we focus on them, we manifest more of the same.

In this month of thanksgiving, I want to give thanks for the precious stones that I have been honored to hold in my arms and in my life: my steadfast family, my incredible friends, my astonishing colleagues, and my amazing clients. Oftentimes, these precious stones stay with me for months or years, but always, the time spent seems fleeting. They are the greatest and most humble teachers, the most inspiring and heart-warming support.

My wish for you this season is that you hold the precious stones in your life close. You never know when the time will come when you must let them go.

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times; during those times, you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings. ~ Author Unknown

Mercury Retrograde: A Cosmic Reset for Reflection and Renewal

Michelle Cromer October 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

Mercury Retrograde. Just hearing those words is enough to make some people panic. Suddenly, the Wi-Fi cuts out, a flight is delayed, or that text you meant for one person ends up with someone else. But what is Mercury Retrograde really—and how can we work with it instead of against it?

A Quick History of Mercury

Mercury is the smallest planet and the closest to the sun, racing through its orbit in just 88 days. In Roman mythology, Mercury was the messenger of the gods, ruling over communication, travel, and commerce.

Several times a year, Mercury appears to move backward in the sky. It’s just an optical illusion, but to ancient astrologers it meant disruption in the very things Mercury governs—communication, travel, and technology. That’s why today, during Mercury Retrograde, we often see mix-ups, delays, and breakdowns in these areas.

What to Expect

When Mercury goes retrograde—about three to four times each year—expect some bumps:

Misunderstandings in texts, emails, or conversations
Computer crashes or phone glitches
Travel delays and last-minute changes
General confusion, like the universe’s wires are crossed

It’s easy to feel frustrated, but Mercury Retrograde doesn’t have to spell disaster.

How to Prepare

A little awareness goes a long way. Here are some simple ways to keep your chi steady:

Back up your computer and phone.
Double-check travel arrangements.
Take a moment to slow down and reread texts or emails before sending.
If possible, avoid signing major contracts until Mercury moves forward again.

The Gift of Retrograde

Here’s the part people often miss: Mercury Retrograde is also a gift. It’s an invitation to pause. To reflect, renew, and reset before leaping into the next season.

This is the perfect time to:

Revisit unfinished projects
Reconnect with old friends
Rewrite or refine your goals
Rest and recharge

Instead of resisting, lean in. Mercury Retrograde is less about chaos and more about clarity.

The next time Mercury Retrograde rolls around, don’t panic—prepare. Back up your data, breathe through the delays, and use the time to reflect and realign. Because sometimes, moving forward begins with a backward step.

Curious about the deeper history of Mercury and more soulful ways to navigate retrograde? Listen to our latest podcast episode of Creating a Meaningful Life.

Feng Shui Your Halloween: 5 Simple Tips to Keep Your Chi in Balance

Michelle Cromer October 20, 2025 Leave a Comment

Several of y’all have asked me whether the changes you make when you decorate for Halloween affect the Feng Shui or Chi adjustments that you have already made to your homes.

This is a time of year when everything is decked out in orange and black or covered with witches and ghosts. However, there is no need to be concerned about ruining the chi of a home if you follow a few simple decorating guidelines for balancing the five elements. The five elements in Feng Shui are used to describe the colors, shapes, and materials attributes around you. The five elements are fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.

Here are five simple Halloween decorating tips that will help you keep the five elements in balance and the chi flowing:

4. Ghosts: Halloween is one time when ghosts are considered positive feng shui

Black: Black is the water element color which represents the flow of energy. For example, I hang a big witch from a tree, and she is dressed in black. The wind moves her, and she looks as if she is flying so she really moves the chi around my front yard.
Ghosts: Halloween is one time when ghosts are considered positive feng shui because they add so much fun to the night. Mine are white, representing the metal element, and they sit proudly in my front yard like little soldiers greeting all my little trick-or-treaters.
Orange: It’s natural to use lots of orange color for Halloween decorations, but it’s also good feng shui. Orange is the fire element color in feng shui so use lots of orange decorations to promote conversation and communication. I like to put a huge orange pumpkin by my front door.
Lighting: Lighting is a major tool in feng shui and for Halloween, this could be as simple as hanging up lights or keeping your porch light on. Jack-o-lanterns with candles in them are a good source of lighting. You can always use lanterns or luminarias to light the way for all the trick-or-treaters. I hang bit orange witch hats by my front door lighting the way to me and the candy. I put the witches’ hats over three witches holding their wooden broomsticks representing the wood element.
Animal Symbols: Animal symbols like owls, bats, and ravens are good feng shui symbols for Halloween. Display these animals by your front door or place them in windows as a token of welcome. Ravens are mysterious and powerful symbols because their deep black color and macabre presence represent mystery and power. I put a black raven in a candy cane wreath on my front door which represents the earth element.

Wishing y’all a night of fright, the pale moonlight! I hope your Halloween is a scream!

Follow Me