TRAVEL & ITALY  My July Journey: Part FiveJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 19, 2024This is the fifth part of a multipart series about the journey I took throughout July. If you’d like to read part four, please click here:...

TRAVEL & ITALYMy July Journey: Part FourJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 22, 2024This is the four part to a multipart series about the journey I took throughout July. If you’d like to read part two, please click here:...

TRAVEL & FAMILYMy July Journey: Part ThreeJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 15, 2024This is the third part in a multipart series about the journey I took throughout July. If you’d like to read part two, please click here:...

PEOPLE & TRAVEL  My July Journey: Part TwoJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 8, 2024This is the second part to a multipart series about the journey I took throughout July. If you’d like to read part one, please click here:...

TRAVEL & PERSPECTIVEMy July Journey: Part OneJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 1, 2024It’s been a while since my last blog post, I know. The last time I published one was June 27th. But a lot has happened since. And my hiatus has not only filled...

REVIEWS & INFORMATIONToo MuchJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 27, 2024I think online shopping has ruined me. I was at Ulta with my kids last weekend looking for a specific skincare product. After searching the store for ten minutes, unsuccessfully,...

TRANSFORMATION & ROSESSummer SolsticeJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 20, 2024It’s officially the longest day of the year, folks. Happy Summer Solstice! And what a beautiful day it is. If you’ve followed my blog during previous summer seasons,...

LIFE & FICTIONWhat is Consciousness?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 13, 2024A neuroscientist, an ethologist, a gardener, and a philosopher, walk into a bar. The bartender lets them know there are only two choices this evening: a Mind Eraser shot,...

LIFE & TIME Life in Time JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group June 6, 2024 Last week, I wrote about the beauty of life. There is something special to me about Spring. When the sun begins shining its essential vitamin D onto my skin, I’m forced into...

LIFE & BEAUTYLife is BeautifulJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 30, 2024beau·ty: a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. After reading the above definition to my fellow...

SPRING & YOGAPerennially CuriousJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 23, 2024I am a self-proclaimed yogi. I adore all the mediative, self-soothing, and strength-building aspects of yoga. And I try to practice at lease 5-6 times a week. Of course, there...

SUNFLOWERS & MINDSETSunflowers and My WorldviewJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 16, 2024If you’ve been reading my blog in the last few years, live anywhere near me, or have met me in person, chances are you know my love of sunflowers. Every year I...

AUTHENTIC & TRUEAuthenticityJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 2, 2024I was invited to take part in a LinkedIn Live event recently on the topic of Authenticity. And I must admit, it really made me think about who I am. After all, I am an onion. With...

PODCASTS & GROWTHPodcastsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupApril 18, 2024Are you an avid podcast listener? What are some of your favorite shows? There are times I wish I could be more into this trend, but I’ve never been a podcast person. I can listen to...

EXPERTS & FICTIONThe MasterJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupApril 4, 2024In the book, Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, he states many times that you need to commit “10,000 hours to become an expert in anything.” To date, I’ve had the wonderful experience...

EINSTEIN  & MISTAKESBrilliant yet DeficientJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupFebruary 15, 2022I have a complicated cognitive relationship with Albert Einstein. As a former New Jersey native, I was taught much about Albert and his contributions to...

HEROES & OPPRESSIONA True HeroJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 18, 2024This past Monday was a holiday I reflected on many ideas relating to justice and truth. It was, after all, Dr. Martin Luther King Day. I love reading speeches written by Dr....

REFLECTION & BALANCEBalancing DualityJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 4, 2024Our will is a function regulated by reflection; hence it is dependent on the quality of that reflection. - Carl Jung I’ve been silent. I’ve been finding my will. I’ve been...

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...