Church Committees, Cookie Cutters, and Why I’ll Never Fit In

(Thank God)

Folk Art. Notice something missing???Little Church In The Woods

I watched a video today—one of those roundtable chats with the seasoned, polished, well-published, been-blogging-since-the-dawn-of-time types.

And I’ll be honest with you:
They were nice.
Pleasant.
Articulate.
Safe.

And bland as lukewarm tea.

There was no grit.
No gut.
No fire.

It felt like I’d wandered into a church lady committee meeting where everyone is wearing matching scarves and passing around gluten-free banana bread while quietly judging each other’s casseroles.

And here I am—paint on my fingers, dreams in my throat, sass in my bones—thinking:
How the hell am I supposed to survive in this culture?

But then it hit me:

I’m not supposed to survive in it.
I’m supposed to disrupt it.

I’m not here to be nice. I’m here to be real.
I’m not here to follow the formula. I’m here to light a match.

I didn’t come to Substack to blend in.

I started writing about reclaiming dreams because of one woman—one follower—who shared a dream she couldn’t quite reach. Yet.
When someone reaches into your heart like that, you don’t forget. You build something to help her rise.
This little movement?
It began with her… but now it’s for every woman standing at the edge of her own “maybe.”
To speak to the women who are tired of reading things that don’t touch their soul.
To remind us all that freedom isn’t found in fitting in—it’s found in finally showing up as yourself.

So no, I won’t be invited to the Nice Girls Podcast Circle.
I won’t be asked to read politely from a script and nod along.

But you better believe this porch will stay open for the women who are waking up.
The women who want more than a curated life and an algorithm-approved voice.
The women who know they were never meant to be quiet.

You don’t have to fit in here.
You just have to be you—gritty, gorgeous, gloriously full of life.

Because the world doesn’t need more niceness.
It needs truth.
And baby, that’s what we serve on this porch.

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Ready to stop shrinking and start showing up?
If this post lit a fire in you, my Reclaiming Dreams Workbook is your next right step. It’s not fluff—it’s fuel.
For women ready to stop performing and start becoming.
Grab yours here → Re-Claiming Dreams

Here are a few beautiful reflections that have landed in my inbox—they mean the world to me.

1. “I am 55 and I gave up my dreams a long time ago. I'm trying to reclaim them now. Trying and hoping I will get there. My youngest son went to Uni and I am seizing the moment and reclaiming my dreams, my life, my soul. It's a process and I am hoping at the end of it I will fly again. Thank you Monica. I love your posts.”

2. “Monica you have absolutely made my day with this response. You’ve made me want to dance around the kitchen. I hope lots of people see this and follow you, I certainly will be!”

3. “You are truly amazing and uplifting. Thank you so much for all these wonderful posts. I am new to your newsletter. I am enjoying what I have read so far. Blessings , Love and Light Always xx”