LOVE & LOGICHeart and MindJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupNovember 16, 2023Life is grand. Love is great. Oxytocin Pumping through.   Walk the dog. Hug the kids. Life is golden. How are you?   Simple. Kind. Present. Joy. Consistency. A...

OPPRESSION & PEACEOppressionJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupNovember 9, 2023Pain. Fear. Shame. Trauma.   The violence continues. Oppressors oppress. Pain escalates. Fear encompasses. Shame erodes. Trauma.   Micro oppression. Macro oppression....

POETRY & COURAGEWithinJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupOctober 26, 2023Breathe in to find the courage, Breathing out to cleanse my soul, No matter what else happens, Alive is this body’s goal.   It flows in through the left side And back out...

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE & PROTECTIONYour MommaJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupOctober 19, 2023I’ll always love you no matter what I’ve repeated since your birth. I’m grateful daily to be your mom For I know all of your worth. For years, I was just a human...

BELONGING & POETRYWhere Do I Belong?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupOctober 12, 2022Here.   I belong in places I never wanted to belong I don’t belong in places I always thought I should It’s okay I’m okay I belong in places where I am heard I...

LIBERTY, JUSTICE & TRUTHAzadi. Daad. Rasti.JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 28, 2023I was recently captivated by a story on Instagram written by Brandon Stanton about Iranian politician Parviz Zafari. I must admit to being rather ignorant on...

JUNG & MOVEMENTSIdeas to MovementsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 21, 2023While I can’t admit to doing it regularly, I will admit to being intrigued by books written in the distant past. While it seems we have advanced much as a society,...

ALGORITHMS & TRUSTTrust MeJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 14, 2023This past weekend, the kiddos and I headed to our favorite place: the library! Lately, I’ve been extremely interested in graphic novels. So I decided to check out Liana Finck’s...

SUPEREGO & CONSCIENCEPendulationJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 7, 2023I recently wrote a post about Freud’s concept of the superego and how it kept showing up in my life. Since I wrote that post, the question has lingered in my mind: What...

WRITING & SCHOOL DAYSSelf-FaithJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 31, 2023This week, I had the opportunity to meet my children’s teachers for the 2023-2024 school year. I’m grateful my son has the same teacher for first grade my daughter had. She...

SUPEREGO & CONSCIENCESuperegoJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 24, 2022Sometimes, I sit down to write my weekly blog post and have no idea what to write about. Other times, I know what I’ll write about before I even sit down because the universe...

BIRTHDAYS & SEASONSTime FliesJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 17, 2023Time is elusive. Time is relative. But time can also be measured. For instance, seasons come and go. Every year, in my neck of the woods, I know I’ll experience Summer, Fall,...

WAITING & ADRENALINELife is an Amusement ParkJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 10, 2023I’ve said it many times before: life is like a roller coaster. And while I do still think this metaphor is true, I’d like to expand it. I think life is more...

MOONS & LIFETwo Supermoons ​JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 3, 2023“Under the light of the full moonshe dances about wildly,hoping an otherworldly beingwill come whisk her awaytake her on a grand adventure.- she's so done with reality” Amanda...

LOVE & GARDENSWonderful WatermelonJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJuly 27, 2023One of my favorite things about the summertime is my garden! I love planting seeds with the kids in the early Spring. I love planting the seedlings that develop in my...

READING & MEMOIRSSomebody’s DaughterJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJuly 6, 2023It’s me, you’re friendly, neighborhood bibliophile. In case you were wondering what I’m currently reading, I figured I’d let you know. While perusing through my Libby...

MAYA ANGELOU & LIFE LESSONSIn Maya's WordsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 29, 2023I’ve recently devoured Maya Angelou’s book, Mom & Me & Mom. I say devoured because it took me one day. Reading Maya’s words made me realize all over again...

RAINBOWS & SUMMER SOLSTICELongest Day of the YearJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 22, 2023I was having a bit of writer’s block. I didn’t know what I should write about this week. My usual searching for quotes and finding inspiration wasn’t working....

SEASONS & SUMMERSummertime!JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 15, 2023By the time my next blog post goes live, it will officially be summer. The kids are off from school. The weather is getting hotter. My garden is in bloom. And the weekends will...

MOTHERHOOD & SURVIVALSurvivalJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 1, 2023I have several phrases I regularly tell my children at bedtime. A few of those are: “I’ll always love you no matter what.”, “I’m grateful to be your Mom.”, and “I always wanted...

IMPOSSIBILITY & AUTHORINGAccomplishmentsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 25, 2023It’s been a pretty big week for me. After three years of writing, investigating, rewriting, editing, and organizing, I finally printed out the first manuscript of my...

OSCAR & FREEDOMFreedom and The Moon​JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 18, 2023Earlier this week, I was at my cousin’s house for some dinner and quality time. While using her bathroom, I read a quote she had hanging on the wall. I haven’t stopped...

SPRING & SUNThe Noble SunJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 11, 2023While this winter wasn’t particularly snowy, there were many frigidly cold days, those bone-chilling days when going outside was something I’d avoid. I hung my energy-efficient,...

ASTROLOGY & DUALITYBalanceJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 4, 2022In astrology, most commonly we refer to our sun signs. Our sun signs are determined by the position of the sun when we were born. I made my grand entrance into the world on a Monday...

WRITING & SELFThe Right Way to WriteJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupApril 27, 2023My first blog post was published on this very website in March of 2017. When I reread that post, I noticed a few things. First, the woman who wrote that post was a...

CONTROL & PERCEPTIONDeath, Taxes, and the EclipseJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupApril 20, 2023Have you filed your taxes yet? If not, I hope you filed for an extension because earlier this week was Tax Day! And I couldn’t help thinking of Benjamin...

GARDENING & GROUNDINGGroundingJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupApril 13, 2022The weather this week has been a gorgeous reminder that summer is fully on its way. My windows have been open. My skin has been soaking up some much-needed vitamin D. And I’ve...

I came across an article in P&C Specialist entitled, "Rot at the Top: InsurTechs’ Woes May Have Something to do With Tech Culture". My first thought was, "That title seems a bit harsh.” My second thought was, "Oh, that should go over well with the IT departments...

EVIL & MYTHOLOGYProcessing with MythologyJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupApril 6, 2023Werewolves, Frankenstein’s monster, and vampires are fictional creatures created by some of the best storytellers in human history. While Frankenstein and vampires...

CHILDREN & GARDENSTomorrow's GardenJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMarch 30, 2023Last weekend, as we’ve done the past four years, my children and I planted seeds for our summer garden. We planted beans, sunflowers, snap peas, peppers, watermelon, corn,...

FREUD & BROADWAYForget RegretJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMarch 16, 2022One of my favorite Broadway shows of all time is Rent. Before I ever saw the show on Broadway, I had the two-disc, 1996 Original Broadway Cast CD. Aside from the beautiful cover...

WOMEN & THEATERThe PowerJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMarch 9, 2022In the mid-nineties, a young JoAnna starred in her first play. Her elementary school put on a production of The Wizard of Oz. She earned the role of Glinda the Good Witch. This...

PROSPECTS & PERSPECTIVERescheduledJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMarch 2, 2023Picture this: You’ve finally gotten in touch with a prospect you’ve been reaching out to for months. The prospect decides to schedule a call with you to learn more about...

BOOKS & MY WHYWhat's Your Why?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupFebruary 23, 2023I’ve been reading Dr. Dan Siegel’s new book, IntraConnected: MWe. I must admit to being a huge fan of Dr. Siegel. Some people are fans of sports, movie stars, or Instagram...

WINTER & CYCLESA Warm WinterJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupFebruary 16, 2023Yesterday, I had to do one of those routine household tasks. I had to take the garbage outside to the large bin. When I got to the front door – large bag of trash in hand – I...

GROUNDHOGS & THE MINDGroundhog DayJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupFebruary 9, 2023Last week, my children came home from school discussing Pennsylvania’s own Punxsutawney Phil. They informed me the groundhog had seen his shadow as he emerged from his...

READING & LEARNINGFinireJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupFebruary 2, 2023My blog post last week was about my current literary adventure. This week’s post will confirm I’ve completed the final book in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels. And wow. What a...

NOVELS & ANCESTORSHi There!JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 26, 2023It’s me. Your friendly neighborhood bibliophile. It’s January 25th and I’ve already finished four novels this year. When I get into the mode for reading fiction, I’m insatiable....

MEDITATION & WISDOMClear WaterJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 19, 2023In 2019, while reading Bessel van der Kolk’s, The Body Keeps the Score, I was introduced to the idea of  meditation to help regulate emotions. Specifically, Bessel says, “If...

LIFE & PHASESJoyJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 12, 2023The definition of joy is “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” Joy is a feeling. And feelings will come and go. Joy isn’t a state of being that we can carry around with us...

PROMISES & PROGRESSWhat Will it Be in 2023?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 5, 2023In 2019, I began the practice of making myself a promise each year, as opposed to a resolution. You can read about my past promises in my blog post from last...

THOUGHTFUL & PRACTICALPeace and JoyJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupDecember 22, 2022This time of year is brimming with thoughtful greetings. Friends and family will wish you joy and peace as the year comes to an end. Generosity can be found at every...

MIRACLES & WONDERHoliday SpiritJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupDecember 15, 2022There is something wonderful about this time of year that brings people together. Of course, our culture has also deemed it a somewhat anxiety-inducing and debt-expanding...

HISTORY & WRITINGHistory is WrittenJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupDecember 8, 2022 “History is written by the victors.” Winston Churchill I’m not sure the quote above is as true today as it was when Winston spoke it. With today’s self-publishing,...

PROMISES & PROGRESSThankful for Discernment JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupDecember 1, 2022In January, as I’ve done for the past three years, I made myself a promise. My promise for 2022 was to be more discerning with my time. Historically speaking,...

BEING ALONE & BELONGINGThe Corner BenchJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupNovember 17, 2022This weekend, I took a trip to visit my aunt and uncle in New Hampshire. It was about a four-hour drive one-way, eight-hours roundtrip. Before I began the journey,...