First, true confession…
I was one of those geeks who loved school. (Well, pretty much. The whole math thing really wasn’t my style.)
Some of the stuff I learned actually comes in handy, now and then, all these years later. Especially when the Legendary Husband and I are watching Jeopardy!
Realistically, though, the purpose of learning most of that stuff, back in the day, was getting enough good girl points to move on to learning the next batch of stuff in the next right place.
These days, though, that doesn’t seem like enough.
I want the stuff I’m learning in this moment to actually help me get to where I want to be. To help me do the things that matter, deep in my heart and spirit.
And one of those things that matters, deep in my heart, is helping others to get where they want to be.
Yesterday was a day like that!
A room full of women with hopes and dreams. (Well, a virtual room.)
And a leader, a few blocks farther down the road, with some amazing experiences and insights to share.
This may not make a great deal of sense on the fly, but we spent the better part of 3 hours playing with words. Words on the way to someplace new.
We started with adjectives. Words others used, or might have used, to describe us along the road.
Questions and lists were involved. And more questions and more lists. And a bunch of wondering.
And more other steps, after that.
Some sharing and listening.
In my case, at least, some sketching.
And a whole lot of peering at things with intentionally different perspectives.
The desired outcome of this adventure was to claim, each of us for ourselves, something very like an organizing principle to guide our unique paths into the future.
Or, as I might phrase it, sorting and editing our filters and strategies based on what matters deep inside.
I’ll be pondering this adventure for a while. One thing, though, blew my mind in the best possible way.
Our Guide, Sam Bennett, was sharing an ah-hah which she learned along the way from one of her own teachers.
Are you ready???
Charisma is public self-acceptance!
– Sam Christensen
Which is kind of like the bumper sticker version of so much of what I want to model for my girls… and help others model for their littles.
And, yes, it takes some practice, but knowing what we’re trying to accomplish is a huge first step in the direction of hope-full change.
Or, as my own amazing teacher, Shiloh Sophia McCloud, would say…
I choose to embrace the messy and the marvelous within me. I shall not diminish my light. I shall shine.
-from To Be Glorious in Tea with the Midnight Muse
Just imagine what the future might be like if we all claimed those truths, and a good dose of wonder, not only for ourselves but for the world!
ps… if you haven’t taken the Intentional Grandmothers Archetype Quiz, now would be a great time! It’s free, fast, fun, and wonder-full! And it puts you on the path for more wonders to come!
pss… is there a longed for, not yet clear, path in your future? Let’s chat! The calendar elves will hook you up with 30 minutes, on me!