Something's old, something's new in this Friday Finale
Tired of all the New Year hype and energy yet? Me too. AND me neither.
Both, and.
Just the way we roll around here.
Tired of it because as we say in French, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Oui. Certes.
But there is a way in which things get a little sharper after the softness of the holiday season. An ascetic quality that strips things back to their essentials that I find both bracing and entirely welcome. For ME. This year.
Both, and.
I’m taking a hard look at numbers. All of them - knowing that they do not define me.
I’m taking a hard look at what works. (A lot.) And getting honest about what doesn’t. (A lot.) Calibrating from there.
I could tell you about the clearing and deepening and softening into more devotional spaces in my life, business, relationships, body, and body of work that I’m doing, but I’m not ready to do so yet because I haven’t shown myself yet the full complement of what I’m capable of. At least, not for what I’ve got my eye on.
But I will. As I do.
In doing some of the tinkering that January has asked of me, I am revamping, ever so slightly, this Friday Finale.
You can continue to expect a letter from me. But the subsections will be shifting some.
Debuting will contain new and noteworthy things that I have created or others have created that I think you ought to know about.
Starring will let you know where I’ve been and what stages you might find me on. INCLUDING weekly Facebook Lives happening on Wednesdays at noon EST. (Make sure you’re connected with me there to hop in and get your Q’s A’d.)
Celebration continues to be celebration. Pure, simple, unadulterated celebration. Of life, of a good tomato, of a win, or of a life-shifting conversation. All if it.
In the Spotlight will shine the light on folx I feel are the embodiment of having stepped into their Starring Roles. Whether I know them or not. Because honestly... don’t we all need a little more of that kind of inspiration?
And finally, because so many of you have been asking for this, I give you:
Backstage which will be all about the progress that I’m making on my book. Snippets for those of you who have wanted to get your eyes on the words that are slowly but surely finding their way into book form this year... THIS YEAR. You heard me? I know I did. It’s ON.
Whether you adhere to January’s austerity or bow to your own process, I sense that you are doing your own clearing, clarifying, and calibration.
Go gently and go strong.
Both, and.
This week, I broke down how the Impostor Complex wants us to go alone. (If you didn’t get a chance to read it, here’s the upshot: don’t let it. Because it is an illusion that any of us need to go any of this alone.) Next week, I’ll be shining the light on the second objective of the Impostor Complex. The one that has you doubt your capacity. Like, when you downplay your successes and chalk them up to luck, fluke, or timing… you know the drill.
I am super excited to be speaking at the 2019 Social Change Forum hosted by Project Kinect in Madison, WI in February. The heart and thought and energy that Gregg Potter is pouring into this is palpable and I intend to BRING IT. Raise your hands up high where I can see them, my Wisconsin friends!
I think a lot about Caroline McHugh’s quote in an exquisite and well-circulated article about the collective grief around Prince's death a couple of years back.
“[There] are individuals who managed to figure out the unique gift that the universe gave them when they incarnated, and they put that in the service of their goals…
And when we see these people, we invariably call them larger than life. Life is large, but most of us don’t take up nearly the space the universe intended for us. We take up this wee space ‘round our toes, which is why when you see somebody in the full flow of their humanity, it’s remarkable. They’re at least a foot bigger in every direction than normal human beings, and they shine, they gleam, they glow. It’s like they swallowed the moon.”
So this new section is devoted to the folx who look like they have swallowed the moon. Whether they have fully stepped into their Starring Roles, are living out their Brand of Joy, are staring down their Impostor Complex, or are embodying Unshakeable Confidence.
Here’s some level setting:
Fare thee well, Mary Oliver. Thank you for your heart and your words and your brutal and exquisite honesty.
“To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.” - Mary Oliver, 9/10/1935 - 1/17/2019
This is a passage of my book that I completed this week. It will be a dedication to someone who has influenced me and inspired me in the most quiet and powerful way.
On a long drive home from the east coast one August day not so very long ago, we were in that sweet and comfortable wordless space that comes from plenty of time spent together. Nothing needed to be said. Natalie Merchant crooned softly about River Phoenix as we coasted through the White Mountains in Vermont on our way back home to Canada.
Present to my current joy but with an eye on the year to come, my mind kept playing out what’s next in my business, turning over options and vetting my excitement level. Wondering when I’d FINALLY make time to write my book. This book.
We pulled into the teensiest border outpost I’ve ever seen. Out came the border guard from her hut that was on the passengers’ side. My side. A tiny black woman with close-cropped hair, and dancing eyes. She asked my husband, Greg the requisite questions about alcohol and purchases. He answered. She nodded, then tilted her head towards me and looked me straight in the eye. Something new appeared in her face. An unforgettable blend of curiosity and deep knowing. She asked me when my book would finally get written.
Dumbfounded, I sputtered that I hoped soon.
She said, I hope so too, Honey. The world needs it.
She then shook her head as if to break the spell, and waved us through.
Over the past years, as I wrote and fretted and sweated and edited, I’ve never forgotten that look on her face. Divinely guided. She knew. She just knew.
So, thank you, Vermont Border Guard. Thank you for listening to the Angels that whispered the words I needed to hear. I’m coming for you, this very book in my hand. I hope you’re a hugger.
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