The Weaver & The Hummingbird

Lately, I’ve been waking up with this incredible sense of clarity about life—how connected everything truly is.

No matter how random or chaotic life can feel in the moment, when I pause and reflect, by choosing or not (hello, concussion! not a curve ball I wanted this Fall), I’m in awe.

For years, I described myself as a “dot connector.” I even wrote it into my personal mission statement: “I am a bright light, a dot connector, a champion of people and ideas”. And while I loved how “dot connector” conveyed the essence of my work—the ‘ah-ha!’ moments of seeing ideas and people fit together—it always felt incomplete. Something about it missed the magic of what was really happening in my heart and mind.

A few weeks ago, in a conversation with my dear friend Dr. Kristen Montoya, a gifted Network Spinal practitioner, she gave me the language I didn’t know I was searching for. She said, “Emily, you’re not just connecting dots. You’re a weaver.”

And in that moment, something clicked.

What It Means to Be a Weaver

Weaving is about taking sparks of ideas, people, and experiences and interlacing them into something extraordinary. My dad used to call these “danglers”—those bits and pieces of inspiration or information that float around in your mind, waiting to find their place. For me, these “danglers” are vibrant, living sparks. They light up my mind, and suddenly I can see how they’re meant to fit together.

This isn’t just about problem-solving or brainstorming. It’s about creation. It’s about recognizing that life is filled with threads—conversations, experiences, relationships, dreams—and bringing them together into a cohesive, beautiful whole.

This is what truly “lights me up". If you’ve worked with me, or know me well, you know when my mind is in over-drive: sparks fly, ideas come together, and I get a tremendous surge of energy. This energy is real, it’s palpable and it’s contagious.

Every moment, every connection, every stitch, no matter how small, is part of the tapestry we’re all weaving. Some threads are bold and bright, others are subtle and soft, but all of them matter.

My source of inspiration

When I left ad agency life almost two years ago, I just knew in my heart it was time. (Which is WILD because I’m so structured and always have a plan. Yet, somehow I knew it was time to LEAP!) I wanted to do “heart work”, to help others, and to be authentically me. I was inspired by this quote:

“Hummingbirds move from tree to tree, from flower to flower, from field to field, trying this, trying that. Two things happen: They create incredibly rich, complex lives for themselves, and they also end up cross-pollinating the world.”

- Elizabeth Gilbert

And since that day I knew I wanted to be a hummingbird. To spread my wings, to follow my instincts, to go from tree to tree, from flower to flower. Ummm?! To weave. To be part of this beautiful tapestry of life.

And, even crazier is that once I claimed the hummingbird as my inspiration, I suddenly saw them everywhere. I already had hummingbird wallpaper in my bedroom and a beautiful gold figure of a hummingbird getting nectar from a flower on my nightstand. Literally, the sign had been staring me in the face for years. ✨

Weaving it all together

So for me, being a hummingbird, dot-connecting, weaving, it happens every day, sometimes in small ways, and other times in big ways. It’s when I help my kids create morning routines (hello, The Morning 5!), when I dream up new ways for Sunny to breakthrough, or when I share these thoughts on my blog. It’s not about selling a product or building a business. It’s about weaving together ideas, sharing inspiration, creating and contributing our own special gifts to something bigger than ourselves.

It’s not about perfection or control. It’s about trusting the process—trusting that every thread has a purpose, even if we can’t see how it fits in right now.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected, like life is just a series of random tasks and to-dos, I want to invite you to pause and look for the threads.

Who or what is lighting up your mind lately?
What sparks are asking to be woven into your life?

Whether it’s a simple checklist on the fridge, a heartfelt conversation with a friend, or a bold new idea you’re scared to pursue, trust that it’s part of something bigger. The tapestry is there, waiting for you to step back and see it.

Let’s celebrate the beauty of connection, the joy of creation, and the magic of seeing the bigger picture.

#AGlittering ConnectedLife #CreativityUnleashed #PurposefulLiving #WeaveYourStory