Share Four Somethings -January

Have I mentioned how much I love my writing sisters?

One of my writing gal pals has come up with a fun new blogging link up called “Share Four Somethings.” The idea is to share four things on the last Friday of every month: Something Loved, Something Said, Something Learned, Something Read. I wasn’t going to put anything else on my writing plate for this week, but I just read their posts and decided I was experiencing too much FOMO, so I needed to participate. And then I must visit Amazon to purchase several of the somethings they shared. 🙂

So without further ado, here are my Four Somethings I want to share with you this month:

Something Loved

This month, I am loving my personal trainer, Morgan. Morgan is a fierce warrior woman, disguised as an adorable twenty-something who I would gladly add to my collection of surrogate daughters. I began training with her earlier this month and I am having more fun than expected. I generally see exercise as a chore to tolerate, but working out with her guiding me and cheering me on appeals to both the extrovert and performer in me. Look Morgan! I did it!! Because we are both building our coaching businesses, we trade business strategies while she kicks my middle aged butt and makes me sweat. I am awkward, but determined! Because of my policy of failing with flair, I even invested in some extremely hip Lululemon workout pants.

Part of the being brave journey is asking for help from people who know more than you. During my certification process, I loved having a life coach to help me get the most out of my coach training. This year, I have finally decided I need help to take my fitness routine to the next level. Bottom line: please be on the lookout for my Michelle Obama arms in sleeveless tops this spring.

Something Said

This month, the words I am treasuring come from readers of Being Brave. The feedback I am getting about the book is far beyond my wildest expectations. Early on in the process of writing the book, when I was arguing with the voice of my inner critic, I wondered if my efforts would matter. The way I finally quieted those voices was by deciding I would write the book for my daughters. If they were the only ones who ever read those words, it would be enough. Every step of the process from then on, every edit, held no expectations that anyone else would be touched by the words God was putting on my heart. Now, when I hear some version of God is using this book to speak to my heart in a place I was struggling, it feels like I am receiving the best Christmas gift ever or an unexpected check in the mail. I am surprised, humbled and deeply, deeply grateful with each confirmation that God had bigger plans for this little book.

Something Learned

I originally started blogging to “share the somethings” God was teaching me, so this one feels familiar. My number one favorite thing this month has been preparing and delivering my talks each week to the two Being Brave studies at church. Initially, I had planned to just pull material from the Being Brave retreats, but ultimately decided to go deeper. Consequently, each week I am diving back into the six facets of brave from the book and asking the question what else? During that process during the week we were talking about authenticity, I came across a powerful discussion of our tendency to hustle for our worthiness from Christopher Heuertz’s book The Sacred Enneagram.

Identity answers the question “Who am I?”, while dignity answers the question, “What am I worth?”… My own consistent struggle is to recognize my addictive tendency to validate my worth (dignity) by curating an unrealistic and unattainable vision of who I think I need to be (identity.) If we can start with the grace of resting in our dignity, then the truth of our identity flows forward.

The idea of “resting in my dignity” has stuck with me ever since and continues to marinate. If I ask God “what am I worth?”, scripture tells me that God’s answer is “You are my Beloved. I would do anything to bring you back home. You are worth dying for.” We can quit hustling for our worthiness when we rest in our dignity. We are Beloved.

Something Read

Drop everything you are doing and go to your favorite online bookseller right now and order Kelly Corrigan’s new book Tell Me More: The 12 Hardest Things I am Learning to Say. This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read and I’m only halfway through it. It’s the kind of book that makes me want to buy a copy for every single person I know. It is also the kind of book that both inspires me and makes me a little envious as a writer- the kind of honest, funny, vulnerable, truth-telling, spiritual-but-not-smug words I want to write when I grow up. Just get it. You will thank me.

As a bonus something to share, I also just finished another Fredrik Backman book. It was entitled Britt-Marie Was Here and it was simply lovely. I love everything he writes and this was no exception. Fredrik Backman books are good for cultivating my tender heart.

 

That’s all for January from me. Now pop over and read the other wonderful Share Four Somethings offerings from my friends. I am off to shop for an Instapot!