There’s a long history to my right ankle—and the countless times I’ve mildly or severely sprained it.
You see, it’s not as strong as it’s meant to be—at least, not since I was a little girl learning to ice skate.
At that time, our house in Fairmont, Minnesota, was next to Lake Sisseton. Every winter, once the ice was thick enough to skate on, we’d shovel off the snow to create our own private skating rink. It was magical.
I grew up watching my sisters, Barb and Gloria—and my brother, Bill—skate on it. I couldn’t wait until I got to join them.
That magical day happened when I was seven or eight years old.
But there was a problem.
The only skates that fit my foot were the hand-me-downs my sister Dorothy once used. (We couldn’t afford new ones.) They were old and worn, but I didn’t care.
Except for one not-so-minor issue…
The right skate didn’t have a tongue.
You might not realize it, but that padded piece of leather—the one that sits under the laces—is really important. It’s what holds your ankle steady. Without it, there’s no real support.
My mom tried to make up for it by wrapping my ankle with an ace bandage… but that only went so far.
So I learned to skate with one ankle strong and upright—and the other one always leaning inwards (or pronating).
That’s how the pattern started.
Not just the physical one, but the habitual one.
A pattern of compensating. Pushing through. Making do with what I had.
The more I skated, the weaker my ankle got. And the more “used to it” I became.
Even after my foot grew and I graduated to new skates that both had tongues, my right ankle continued to turn inward.
Not because I was lazy or careless—but because it never had the structure it needed to grow strong in the first place.
That right ankle has haunted me ever since.
Like I said, I’ve twisted it, sprained it, babied it, braced it—so many times I finally bought my own pair of crutches to keep around, just in case.
As if to underscore it all, I’ve never once injured my left ankle—the one that had a tongue in my first pair of skates.
Recently, I twisted my right ankle once again.
Not badly—but enough to remind me that even after all these years, it’s never fully healed.
And then, just a few days ago, I saw my ice skates hanging in our “garage.”
Seeing them brought it all back.
The lake. The laces. The missing tongue. The ace bandage. The turning-in. The adapting.
And I realized… this isn’t just a story about skating.
It’s a story about foundation.
Because just like an unsupported ankle can cause pain for years, a weak, unstable or incomplete foundation in your life—especially in your relationship with money, yourself, and abundance—can silently shape how you move through the world.
You can get by.
You might even do really well.
But underneath it all, the habit of compensating, putting up with, and making do with what you have continues to limit you.
It may or may not show up in your bank account.
But you’ll recognize it in your stress levels.
In the ways you doubt yourself —or even sabotage yourself.
In the recurring pressure to “do more” or “be more” just to keep your life—and your finances—upright.
So many of us are skating through life on a foundation that was never strong enough to begin with.
Not because we’re innately deficient or inadequate.
But because we didn’t have “skates” that fit us—and supported us.
We weren’t given the foundation we need to support our dreams.
To support us to have the resources we need to fully live the unique lives we were created to live—sharing our unique gifts with the world.
We weren’t given a foundation OF abundance, FOR abundance.
Twisting my ankle again brought all this to mind-and realize something important.
It’s not about blaming the skates or judging your journey.
It’s about celebrating what you’ve been able to do and how far you’ve come despite not having a solid foundation to support you.
AND it’s about no longer continuing to live your life on that shaky foundation.
To stop compensating for what’s been missing.
In other words, it’s about healing what needs to be healed. .
And intentionally strengthening the foundation that supports your life—emotionally, spiritually, financially, relationally.
That’s what I’ve re-committed to in terms of my ankle.
It’s also why I created the Foundation for Abundance program—to help you do the same for your life.
To help you build something stronger than you’ve ever had before.
Because you don’t have to keep skating through life on a wonky ankle.
You don’t have to keep adapting to patterns and beliefs that were never meant to define you—let alone limit you.
You’re allowed to be strong. Supported. Free.
You’re allowed to experience joy, fulfillment, ease, and well-being as you “skate” through life.
So, my friend…
If my story about this weak right ankle resonates with you…
If you recognize that you, too, have “made do” and “put up with” unnecessary scarcity in your life or bank account…
If, as hard as it might be to admit, scarcity has become a habit in your life more than abundance…
If you’re ready to strengthen the foundation that’s carried you this far—so it can finally carry you where you long to go…
I’d love to support you.
Click here to learn more about the 8-week Foundation for Abundance program.
Together, let’s create a foundation that really supports you.
Not just the life you’ve had… but the one you’re ready to live.