THE VULNERABILITY ARMORY As children we found ways to protect ourselves from vulnerability, from being hurt, diminished, and disappointed. We put on armor; we used our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors as weapons; and we learned how to make ourselves scarce, even to disappear. Now as adults we realize that to live with courage, purpose, and […]
Continue reading...
This decorate-it-yourself Starbucks travel mug has been sitting at the back of one of our kitchen cabinets for years… 6 years, in fact, the length of time we’ve been in our house (side note: the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere). In the name of freedom, I have been in mega-purge THROW AWAY ALL THE THINGS […]
Continue reading...
A few weeks ago I read a great blog post by a mom who doesn’t do Elf on the Shelf because she feels that it teaches her children that receiving gifts/blessings is conditional, based on their performance. I was telling a friend about it, and she responded: “but isn’t that what Christianity is?” Hearing this […]
Continue reading...
UNDERSTANDING AND COMBATING SHAME (AKA GREMLIN NINJA WARRIOR TRAINING) I loved the third chapter of Daring Greatly, in which Brené discusses some pretty heavy topics like: the correlation between perfectionism and shame, how shame-based cultures (corporations, families, countries) stifle creativity and innovation, how shame can perpetuate addictions, and the different things that cause women (appearance, issues […]
Continue reading...
I’m discovering that a big part of my learning to walk in freedom in 2014 is choosing to live intentionally. For the past several years instead of approaching my days and each task in a mindful, purposeful way, I’ve kind of floated through life, doing things on auto pilot and just getting by. By this […]
Continue reading...
I know that traveling internationally can be overwhelming for a lot of people. London is one of my favorite cities in the world (it’s tied with Barcelona), and I love sharing my favorite parts of it with others–both in person and virtually. Our breakfast was brought into our room on a cart, and we ate […]
Continue reading...
DEBUNKING THE VULNERABILITY MYTHS In the second chapter of Daring Greatly, Brené exposes some myths about vulnerability; some of the things she says in this chapter definitely hit a little too close to home for my taste. Oh, and before we get too far into this–Brené defines vulnerability as: uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. Myth 1: […]
Continue reading...
This year I plan on linking up with Haley Morgan each month to share my goals. Nothing keeps you accountable like telling the entire internet you’re going to do something, am I right? This January I will: 1. Plan meals each week–especially work lunches and snacks, which are always a ridiculous struggle for me. (see […]
Continue reading...
The past couple of weeks, there have been some disturbing rumors floating around the internet about the future of Ethiopian adoptions. We’ve been on our adoption agency’s Ethiopia waiting list for 10 months, and when we heard the rumors and read some worrying things online, my first reaction was fear and tears. It’s a major […]
Continue reading...
Every Monday for the next seven weeks I’ll be linking up with my fellow Influence Network member, Carrie, to review a chapter of Brené Brown’s amazing, life-changing, eye-opening book, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. I totally recommend reading it; hopefully reading my weekly reviews will […]
Continue reading...
