Colleen Johnston Counseling

11/09/2025

In his book, "Can't Hurt Me," David Goggins challenges us to do what we're afraid of. I took his challenge personally. I knew right away...I need to face my avoidance of swimming. The kind of swimming where you breathe rhythmically and powerfully. The kind of swimming that could lead to doing triathlons! Yesterday I faced that fear. I got uncomfortable. I panicked a little when I was asked to put my face in, as I swam. But I kept trying. And guess what? I started to relax! I'm excited to keep learning and improving. I also learned that Natalie Grabow, the 80 year old woman who just broke the record for oldest female finisher of a full triathlon, taught herself to swim at age 59, and did her first triathlon at 60. Lightbulbs went off in my head! 💡What inspires you? What are you afraid of or uncomfortable trying? And what's stopping you?

10/29/2025

A little humor of the season! If you're in Hall on Halloween night, watch out for the witch handing out candy at my office! She may look frightening, but she's nice! 🧙‍♀️🍬🍫🦋

10/26/2025

My favorite part of this race was meeting different people on the trail. Young, old and in-between. Some were wicked fast runners, others walked the whole way, others were in the pain cave. We were all connected to a shared experience of being uncomfortable, yet having perseverance to get to the finish line. I had the joy of encouraging a young man in the home stretch, who was ready to give up. We ran across the finish together!! Awesome experience. ❤️

10/26/2025

Hey guys! Well, I did it!! I finished my first Ultra yesterday, and even got 3rd in my age group! Thank you all for your support and belief in me. Here is a video of the trail in Kansas. It poured cold rain all day!! It took me 7 hours and 25 mins to accomplish this goal. This video is to show you a bit of the scenery. Enjoy!

10/23/2025

Many of you know I've been training physically for the ultramarathon, which is this Saturday. I have also been a student of learning how ultra athletes train mentally. I've watched cool documentaries, interviews, and podcasts. A few days ago I finished David Goggins' first book, pictured here. His story is powerful, inspiring, and gives me more places to go in my mind, when the pain gets too hard. Some points resonating with me...the challenges we face are opportunities to grow, and it's vital to do what we're afraid of in life. Keep stretching that window of tolerance!! 💪

10/15/2025

I'm a few days late posting for "Mental Health Day," but every day is Mental Health Day for me! Lol. My life's work is around helping others find their own path to a healthy emotional life. It is also something I work on myself, continually. Today, I invite you to pause, look up from your phone, and check in with your own body. Are you clenching? Slumping? Biting your nails? Now perhaps, take a few deep breaths. Turn your head and look around your environment. What catches your eye that is pleasing to you? Tiny practices like this can really help change old "tunnel vision" patterns. Being more present and enjoying the little things is something to be grateful for. I'm grateful for fall daisies and fuzzy bees. 😊🐝

10/02/2025

09/28/2025

I just realized it's been exactly a year ago, when I was face down for a week after my retina detached. That sure was a challenging time, and little did I know, more challenges were yet to come! I am SOOO grateful that is behind me. And it is amazing to have run 2 marathons a year later! Wow!! And a big ultramarathon is coming up in October. Sometimes going through the hard stuff, motivates us to do better. Rest and recovery are important. Challenging our limits also makes us better people! 💜💪

09/24/2025

View from the front porch this morning. The bees and I can't get enough! 💜💚💛🐝

09/23/2025

In case you've been following along with my healing journey from the retina trauma last year, here is an update! I hope it gives someone, somewhere hope and inspiration to believe in themselves. Creating goals and crushing them one little step at a time is a way to build resilience. 😄💪🦋

Last year was super challenging for me as I experienced multiple eye and retina emergencies and surgeries. Today, I'm following up to share my progress! I ho...

09/19/2025

A local resource that is coming up next week!