Figuring out It!

 

When It is figured out, you’re:

The envy of your classmates!

A shining star who aced her final!

At the top of your class!

An honors graduate with every pragmatic it figured out!

Meanwhile that perfectly perfect body of yours? She’s pragmatically and systematically keeping score. 

Sometimes she keeps the score by not so lovingly pushing you down and shoving you back – she’s knowingly underscoring that figuring it out comes down to one thing:

Being.  

Not doing. Not producing. Not attaining the next accolade. Being. 

And that’s the kind of score your perfectly perfect body will happily and healthily always figure out.

 

 

Photo by GreGGme on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

 

Take a Hike

This path you’re on? The one where an irritant nestles its way into your shoe causing you to –

Stop.

Sit down.

Remove your shoe.

And shake the debris loose?

Turns out that very debris, that very irritant, that very sit down, all hold great beauty and wonder.

Upon closer examination and honoring of the debris, you’ll discover both the irritant and the pause contain messages and knowledge to inform your own unique path.

Go.

Take a hike.

Beautiful bits of irritating debris are awaiting perfectly perfect you.

Photo by Victor Bezrukov on Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Get a grip

Last night was a history making moment. An end of an era moment. A moment of gratitude and reflection. It was a moment of grace coupled with an incredible knowingness to make space for the next generation of leaders who will undeniably shape a more just world.

It was a moment that almost didn’t happen.

In a packed DC ballroom, of Planned Parenthood staffers and volunteers from across the country, Cecile Richards bid adieu to her Planned Parenthood family. Speaking from her heart, she shared how she nearly didn’t show up to interview for what she calls her opportunity of a lifetime – serving as Planned Parenthood’s national president.

Cecile Richards

Surprisingly Cecile Richards, regarded as one of the fiercest modern-day advocates for women and families, initially doubted her own gifts and talents to lead the national Planned Parenthood organization.

Cecile said, “Like any adult woman who’s unsure of her own abilities, I called my mother.”

Enter Ann Richards, former Governor of Texas, who told her daughter, as only a mother can, “Get a grip, Cecile.”

Each of us, as our own insecure and flawed perfectly perfect self, has the opportunity to create unique, history making moments. It’s as easy – and it’s as difficult – as whole-heartedly showing up in your own life and your own spheres of influence.

It’s our collective moment to get a grip, believe in ourselves, and make a difference.

What makes you blush?

Is it when someone gives you a compliment?

Is it when someone points out you did not keep your commitment?

Is it when a public figure says something anathema to your belief system?

Whatever it is that makes you blush, it may be an indicator deserving of your attention. A blush deserving further personal exploration.

In that compliment someone may be noticing a gift or talent the world needs more of.

In that criticism, a reflection of a barrier you may have unwittingly created to prevent yourself from realizing your full potential.

In those comments that are out of alignment with your values may be an invitation to get involved with an issue or an organization.

The next time your perfectly perfect self blushes, that outward response may be a reaction to an inward yearning.

Photo source: narscosmetics.com

Conspiracy Theories

They seem to be everywhere. Nearly a day passes without one or more media outlets reporting on the latest political conspiracy theory as November nears.

Among the hyperbole and vitriol, one conspiracy theory appears to be suspiciously missing – yours.

What might your life and career look like if you decide, in this exact moment, to conspire with yourself?

Might you make that first mark and then another and another until the painting in your head begins to take shape? Or, perhaps you might revisit those lyrics you scribbled in your journal to give voice to the voiceless. Crazier yet, you might tender your resignation from a job you’ve disliked for a decade and start shooting that film you storyboard each night.

The greatest conspiracy to have ever been conceived is just waiting for you. Eagerly anticipating that glorious moment when perfectly perfect you, with all of your magnificent imperfections, reaches down deep inside to honor and bring to the surface your extraordinary gifts and talents – for you to conspire on behalf of you.

That’s a conspiracy theory worth reporting.

photo credit: Partitura_02 via photopin (license)

Those women

You know. Those women.

The ones in the salacious headlines. The ones we talk about. The ones we love to shame.

Prostitutes. Whores. Undesirables.

The ones who have gigantic, beautiful dreams for themselves and their children. The ones who went to college and chose to leave school to care for their sick family member. The ones who were abused as children yet their indefatigable fighting spirit shines.

The ones who take the fall for powerful men. The ones whom powerful men hide behind.

Those perfectly perfect women with all of their glorious imperfections?

Those women?

They’re our sisters.

photo credit: Amor via photopin (license)

Bizz, bizz, buzz, buzz – ouch!

With it finally looking and feeling like spring in Wisconsin, the Baby Bumblebee song from the soundtrack of my Girl Scouting days flew into my head today. Unfortunately this little gem of a diddy also tripped my earworm – ugh…

Here’s the silver lining of the earworm being tripped – the first two versus of the Baby Bumblebee song actually buzz with some solid wisdom:

I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee,

Won’t my mommy be so proud of me,

I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee,

Ouch! It stung me!

It takes courage to go after your big idea or big dream with intent – especially when it takes every ounce of bravery to reach out and grab it.

With the seemingly hard part of catching the dream behind you, you begin settling in. You feel proud of bringing home your big, glorious dream.

And then bam – you get stung by your dream. A new twist or challenge you hadn’t quite anticipated. Landing this big dream was a bit messier than expected.

It’s the stings though that pack the whollop of new learnings and insights. A whollop ultimately enhancing your big dream.

Go out and catch yourself some perfectly, perfect baby bumblebees. It will be worth the stings!

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Cue ABBA

Today looks significantly different than it did a year ago.

You’ve most likely celebrated a milestone or two. Perhaps you’ve grieved any number of losses. You’ve also experienced people coming in and going out of your life.

In all the ups and downs of the previous 365 days, perhaps someone took a chance on you.

A chance that made today positively different than a year ago.

A chance that opened up the world.

A chance that said, “I believe. I believe in you.”

Sometimes that’s all we need. One person to step up and take a chance on our perfectly, perfect selves no matter our imperfections or the trials we’ve encountered.

On the occasion where you find yourself all alone and you need someone to take a chance on you, look in your mirror. Yep there she is – perfectly, perfect you.

She’s gonna do her very best, if you put her to the test, if you let her try.

Take a chance on you – that’s all I ask of you honey – because I believe in you.

 

 

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Cheer Me On!

Charles is my neighbor. He’s an ace bowler. He’s an ace speed walker and runner too – watch out Forest Gump.

Generally, no matter the weather, you’ll find Charles doing laps around the block. So many that Charles sports a new pair of athletic shoes about every ten weeks.

One of the best parts of Charles laps though, is his energetic, gleeful request to neighbors and passerbys of: “Cheer me on! Cheer me on!”

A quick selfie while trying to keep up with Charles’s pace!

Those who know Charles unabashedly shout, “Go Charles go! Go Charles go!”

Those who don’t know Charles generally ignore him or cross the street.

As I look out the open windows on a gorgeously, exquisite spring day, hearing neighbors up and down the block enthusiastically chant, “Go Charles go,” a question forms.

What’s holding back your perfectly perfect self from cheering someone else on or, energetically requesting others to, “Cheer me on!”

Let the cheering begin!

The Amazings

Recently I had dinner with two phenomenal women – amazing women actually. Each exceptionally accomplished. Yet firmly grounded in the reality of living – the good, the bad, the important, the yucky, and all matters of chaos, messiness and muddlings that get mixed throughout the living.

What was wonderfully striking about our dinner was the absence of chit-chat. We immediately engaged in the sincere discussion of living lives. The values we bring to the living. How those values challenge and enlighten the living. Where we find support for living our values. The values that matter and how we go after more of those values.

As we said our good byes, I was reminded of author Sophfronia Scott’s quote, “Build your ark before the storm hits.”

Yes, absolutely build your ark before the storm hits. And absolutely, positively stuff it to overflowing with Amazings.

Amazings who honor and value you. Amazings who care about perfectly, perfect you with all of your glaring imperfections and foibles. Amazings who stand arm-in-arm with you on your ark or around a dinner table.

Who are your Amazings on your ark?

photo credit: ARK via photopin (license)