a GREAT DAY!

When I look at what makes a day a GREAT DAY for me two words come to mind

Servant Hood 

and 

Connection

As I journey through this adventure I am on, I often contemplate

 what it is that revs my soul, 

that makes me feel alive full of JOY!

It is simply serving others……

And 

Being with other people…….

When I am serving others I can only have a selfless attitude of gratitude.

When I have laid down myself it is then that my heart pumps out pure JOY!

When I am surrounded by people I am entering into their story and they mine. 

Ideas are shared.  

Pain and tribulation is walked through with gum boots on 

and encouragement pushing us 

through the swamp. 

Connection and compassion 

for our self 

and others

 is what is needed 

in order to get through the muck with out getting stuck.  

I love that we are called to embark on this journey with each other.  

When I attempt to go at this alone

 I often feel empty, lost, angry, bitter, disconnected and desperate,

 and unworthy of belonging. 

It is then that I am held captive, 

enslaved to the negative voices in my head trying to convince me 

that I am worthless, 

that nobody cares about me, 

nobody cares about my story!

My story is silenced.

And when my story is silenced I am a slave.

But I journey to live in FREEDOM.  

Live to tell my story and hear others stories because stories matter. 

People matter. 

If we want to live with our whole hearts from a place of Love

our stories must be told, shared and embraced. 

Every chapter.

  

Even the messy chapters, the scary chapters, the imperfect chapters.  

"Stories have to be told or they die,

and when they die,

 we can't remember who we are or why we're

 here."

~August Boatwright in The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

My GREAT DAY was a great day as I served at the Shared Dreams facility 

with a friend. 

Cheryl and I sorting and hanging clothes together!

Our artistic design of outfits!

We entered into the stories of the people who come to this facility 

 because life has been a bit hard for them. 

They come here to meet Grace and have Mercy reign down on them.  

We entered into the story of the women running the facility. 

We heard about their experience working here 

in this place with families and children. 

We heard their stories.  

We shared our stories.

  They encouraged us as mothers. 

My friend and I shared each others stories about the towns we grew up in and how they have shaped us.  

We shared about how that experience has changed us.  

We shared about what it meant to be where we are at today 

and how life has changed us, chiseled us to be who we were created to be. 

We shared about friendships, marriage, parenting. 

We were vulnerable and we are better because of it. 

FREEDOM.

I love learning and hunger for knowledge.
I love research and the findings one captures.  

Not in just any area
but in the area of becoming the best version of ourselves, 
and living our stories in FREEDOM
along with understanding what it means to
live from the heart, live boldly in LOVE!

Thanks to my wonderful Can Am Tas Philas group
I was led to Brene Brown. 

And yet the goodness did not stop at the Shared Dreams Facility...

It continued as

I embarked on another adventure this GREAT DAY with another precious friend. 

I am right here in the mecca of goodness and research on social and psychological stuff.  

OHHH how my heart is sooo happy! 

This adventure led us to a book launch party!

Brene was releasing her new book Daring Greatly

 and I drug my sweet precious friend 

Catherine along with me to embrace this opportunity. 

Sweet Catherine is "into" becoming the best version of herself 

and sharing her story

 (which must be why we are here together because but two years ago we were neighbors in Canada and did not even know it ((Providence)))!

 but hanging out with a bunch of social workers, 

psychologists, addiction clinicians, 

lawyers and engineers 

is not what she would consider "her thing".  

She bravely and courageously entered into my story and joined me on this adventure (and had a great time and learned a ton).

6 books 6 Tas Philas...Me introducing US!

This event outlined more of my story adding more to the plot.... 

  

It helped me write a few more chapters in my story. 
This event invited me into wreckless abandon, risk!

I am thrilled to press into my story and 

 dig deeper 

into the research that Brene has discovered on shame and vulnerability.

I am stirred to undertand more of my story through her work.

I am compelled to join others in their story.

The excitement of the Tas Philas and her work in Canada!

What is most exciting is the Can Am Tas Philas and I will be embarking on Brene's book study Daring Greatly beginning on September 26th.  

Amy the Can and "Flat" Jodi the Am
 of the Can Am Tas Philas

Amy, Patti, Laura, ME!  Can of the Can Am Tas Philas

Jaime of the Can of the Can Am Tas Philas

As we connect and learn, embrace and serve I am overjoyed to see how together and apart from each other our stories are written and how the work of Brene will encourage us with a strength beyond our selves to Dare Greatly....

I know that buried deeply in my heart and soul is the imperfect ability to be kind to myself as I live and walk in freedom, 

loving myself and those around me, 

while experiencing and providing a sense of belonging 

in a place that is safe to tell and experience my story, our story.

I want to awaken my soul to this......

I am going enter the arena and Dare Greatly to live with audacious authenticity practicing my truest gifts of courage compassion and connection.  

Ahhhhh......Break!

Won't you join me?

Thank you for this GREAT DAY ladies at Shared Dreams, Cheryl, Catherine and  Brene!

My heart is full of JOY and GRATTITUDE!