Happy Birthday to Me!

Feeling blessed and emotional
Grateful… and some sadness

And allowing it all to be what it is….

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A quick poem….

My “prayer” for this year….

This year I desire
To give more to me

To be kinder
More loving
And way more happy

To treat myself with the love
I so freely give

And to know that my dreams
Aren’t too big to live.

I want to smile
From the depths of my soul

Go places, do things
Beyond my prominent role

To live big and bold
And not just exist
To reclaim the me
I abandoned and miss

To finally release the urge to compare
To know full acceptance within not out there

To let myself shine in the places I hide
To honor the me that’s cowering inside

To dethrone fear, thank Jay for that one
To complete the projects I’ve only begun

To honor my body, my gifts, and my health
To show myself daily I care for myself

To show more compassion on days I need grace
To get in front of the camera
Not just voice, show my face.

To do it for me not so friends can approve
Follow through on my projects,
make the next move.

I know that this year can’t be same as before
Because I’ve lived less and I’m ready for more

This is no declaration of promises… change
No bday resolutions as I update my age

Just an awareness that I’m not the same as before
Too much has transpired
Swapping less for much more

Through loss and remembering
New friendships and moments

The old me + new me
Such vital components

A shift is occurring not all in one night
Life lessons and moments are setting things right

Happy Birthday to me
It’s 1 AM, Love. Goodnight.

Marlene Dillon Empowerment Specialist
Copyright 2026
All rights reserved.

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When You’re P*ssed

You ever had one of those days where you’re done with humanity?

Goodness the nonsense going on right now is toooooo much. If this was a movie, I’d walk out. But this actually reality. Howwww???

Tap the play button to listen to today’s podcast. Tap & hold first if necessary, then tap play.
FYI I cuss so wait ’til the kids and elders aren’t around. Press play to listen to today’s podcast. Blessings!

Okay, I’m letting you know right now, the title is an understatement. When you press play, make sure you’re in the right environment. This is a version of me you haven’t experienced and I make no apologies.

We all have bad days and this one was mine. I still kept it empowering in the end. I think it’s worth listening to. And I’m just being human, sharing how I’ve been feeling for a while. And if nothing else I hope it’s validating for you if you’ve been equally pissed lately.

Take a deep breath and press play.

Thanks for being here.

Blessings!

Marlene Dillon Empowerment Specialist

Annnd F*ck It

Sometimes life gets to lifing and you don’t have space to fall out because you have responsibilities. It’s a luxury to pause to grieve, to pause to process a divorce, to pause and process life happening. Is the pause needed? Hell yeah. Do we always have the opportunity, and the space, and the financial security to do that? F*ck no.

Sometimes life gets to happening and all you can do is say, “Annnnnd f*ck it,” and keep it moving.

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FYI I cuss so wait ’til the kids and elders aren’t around. Press play to listen to today’s podcast. Blessings!

Granted, that’s a very odd thing to hear from somebody with a master’s in counseling. But along with my training in school, I was being trained by life. I know firsthand that life is not always easy. We don’t always have the luxury to sit down for weeks to regroup when life happens.

I’ve learned that sometimes you just got to vent when you can vent, cry when you can cry, see a therapist when you can see your therapist. And some moments you’ll be in the middle of doing your responsibilities, a painful thought will come to you, and you don’t have the room to break down. In those moments, sometimes the best thing you can do is take a deep breath and whisper to yourself, “Annnnd f*ck it.”

It’s a declaration similar to “it is what it is.” It’s a moment of realization that even though this sh*t hurts, I can’t change it. I’m not in a place of process that right now, because I have responsibilities. So in this moment, I’m gonna pivot my thoughts away from that until I can address it later.

Maybe after I get off work I can cry about it in the car. Maybe after the kids go to bed I can sit with my journal and make sense of what’s going on. But for right now, I can’t focus on that. So I’m just going to say, “Annnnd f*ck it,” and keep it moving.

On this episode, I am sharing my very real experience of navigating the space between being positive and dealing with the tough stuff in life. Press play. And don’t forget I cuss.

BTW… This is NOT a long term solution. I highly recommend you DON’T use this as your standard way of dealing with life. That sh*t will build up. So use the ideas above to release that thing a little bit at a time, talk to a friend, mentor, or see a good therapist (And if you have questions about therapy, or cannot afford one, check out my episode No Shame in Therapy).

Annnnd…. realize that thoughts and emotions don’t ask for permission. They show up when they want, and sometimes it’s not the best time. So we’ve gotta put them in the waiting room until we have the privacy to address them.

So if that’s where you are, please know I’m right there with you. Annnnd… f*ck it. 😂

Blessings!

Marlene Dillon Empowerment Specialist

I Have a YouTube Channel!

Did you know I have a YouTube channel?

I realized last night that I’ve quietly created 50+ videos and podcast episodes over time. I honestly hadn’t even noticed.

I think that’s part of why I haven’t posted much about my YouTube channel. I felt like there wasn’t much there. And honestly, with my focus and energy challenges, I was afraid to disappoint people by sharing inconsistently. I have a lot to share and offer AND last year I realized that the level of impairment I experience with ADHD and executive dysfunction is way more challenging than I acknowledged.

I was always hard on myself for not completing things and would be pushing myself every day but things still weren’t getting done. Last year, is when I finally realized that what I’d been told my whole life (that I was just lazy, irresponsible, not trying enough, and just don’t want it enough) were lies. I have an extreme impairment due to a processing disorder. That awareness and acceptance has helped me to love myself more unconditionally and to realize (I’m even realizing right now) that if this is how I was created, then although it is what it is, it also can’t stop me from reaching who I’m meant to reach.

Maybe the ones who need me to be consistent will fall off, but there must be others who will wait for me. 🥹 There must be others… my people… who will look forward to my next post. There will be ones who know I’m going to show up with information, affirmation, and confirmation that will help them at the time they need it, and they won’t need me to be other than myself. 😭

I can’t guarantee a post every Tuesday at 7pm. But I can guarantee you that I will show up authentically with something of value to share. 😭 My whole life I have felt so sad and frustrated with myself because I’ve been trying REALLY f*cking hard to use my gifts, and be consistent, and create the visions I have in my head. And some I’ve managed to do. And some things I managed to do for a season. And some have never seen the light of day.

I’ve watched kids grow up and go off to college before I got that next book out, that I knew they were waiting for. It guts me. I’ve watched weeks, turn to months, and years, and even decades between projects…. Projects that I woke up every day and tried to work on. If you don’t deal with challenges like this, you won’t be able to understand that it’s not a matter of willpower. It’s not a matter of not wanting it enough. It’s not a matter of laziness or unwillingness to work. It’s a neurochemical issue that some can manage with diet and exercise and a swift kick in the rear. And some of us have such an extreme impairment that those suggestions just feel shaming. It’s like telling someone with one short leg, “you could keep up, if you just walk faster.”

Anyway, I didn’t plan on venting. This was supposed to be a short post. AND two days ago I came to accept that my vulnerability and authenticity is my superpower….

I believe I’m here for a purpose. And I have these insights for a purpose. And I’m going to share them, albeit inconsistently. And I’m gonna trust that who they’re meant to reach will find them. I’m gonna trust that my people are out here, and maybe you are one of them.

If my posts, quotes, or honest sharings have ever helped you feel seen, supported, or a little less alone, I invite you to visit my YouTube and subscribe.

Subscribing is a simple way to support the work I’m already doing, and it helps my content reach more people who may need it.

There you’ll find video versions of my podcast episodes and shareable excerpts (reels).

If you feel aligned with my work, please visit, subscribe and check out what I have to offer.

Tap here to check out my channel or on YouTube search for @marlenedillonempowerment.

Thank you for being here, even if you’ve been here quietly. I appreciate you. Thank you for being a witness to my journey. And thank you for being my audience for what I feel so compelled to share.

Blessings,

Marlene Dillon Empowerment Specialist

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