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Are you focusing on what truly matters in your life?
Dive with me into the powerful "big rocks" illustration to be reminded how to prioritize the things that count—both in our personal lives and in our faith. Using a simple yet profound analogy of filling a jar with big rocks, little rocks, sand, and water, we explore how trying to fit in everything without prioritizing leaves no room for the most important things.
I put my own personal twist using a pickle jar to illustrate
Five years ago, I had the joy of introducing my EnVision YOU book and butterfly out into the world. Getting to launch my 2nd book, EnVision YOU, at TRIBEWRITER 2019 with Jeff Goins was such a thrill. He hosted five Tribewriter conferences. I attended all five.
I attended TW (Tribewriter) 2015 because I had a book in me that was burning a hole in my heart. The message I heard from Jeff that year was “You are a Writer.” I wasn’t sure I believed it, but I made a commitment.
I came to TW #2 (2016) with my first book...
I wanted to share this with you months ago, but I needed to wrestle with some of my own hesitations about doing so. I've been out of the loop for much of the year, in part because I needed some space and time to 'catch my breath' after both of my parents moved 'home' to heaven in 2022. That took a toll on me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually for sure. I needed some time to just catch up with myself and the awareness of how life has changed drastically.
Also, I turned 65 this year. It's one of those birthdays that has made me stop and take a look at my life to see how I feel about it.
So many things have come up for me during this time, but these thoughts have surfaced for me for sure:
Three years ago, the little butterfly on the cover of my 2nd book took flight.
EnVision YOU: UNstuck and Confident
I hadn’t planned on writing another book. Who am I kidding, I hadn’t planned on writing the first book (Lovely Traces of Hope) Being an author had never been on my bucket list.
Today is my birthday! April 20, 2020!
This is birthday in the middle of the ‘STAY AT HOME’ season that impacts us ALL, but leaves EACH of us responding differently. I enjoy time at home. But I need people too. I get energy in both realms. Today…I knew I needed people. So I used my birthday as an excuse to invite some women in my life to celebrate.
This was an open invitation to women in my world to join me for a virtual tea-party. I didn’t know who would say they wanted to come, but I know the women in my world. I knew they would be good for one another. And they were!
I covered my kitchen table with…
I have watched her from a distance for a while now, this young woman that now sits across from me over a cup of coffee. We have spoken briefly, usually including a hug on a Sunday morning between services. I have shared with her that I am praying for her specifically, but we really don’t know each other at all. Except that I feel like I do know her - or at least some aspects of the life she lives.
If you have been hanging out in my world of late, you have felt the flurry of excitement as I introduced my new book, EnVision YOU: UnStuck and Confident, to my world. Two months ago I began inviting women into the launch team to help this little butterfly take wing. But as is usually the case, so much was happening long before the blitz of the Launch.
I want you to meet some of the people- mostly women - who have been part of this process with me over the past year. I know i have mentioned some of these in the acknowledgments for the book, but I want to say …
If you have been following my blog, or my facebook pages, or talked to me personally over the last few weeks, you already know that I am in the process of launching my newest book,
EnVision YOU: UnStuck and Confident .
If by some chance you are just hearing for the first time, you might have some questions. Here are a few I’ve been getting from potential readers.
For me this is a Significant day - not an ordinary day in any sense of the word! I’ve shared some of this in my last blog post called Five Years Later . But it seems important to include some of it here again because it is such a key part of my journey. Heads up - this is a long one. But I am an author now.
It is the Last day of TRIBE FIVE (a conference for writers and creatives put on my Jeff Goins and his team). It is the last day of the last conference. He's up to something else- we just don't know what - yet.
On the last day of the first conference, I heard Jeff say,
“You are a writer when you say you are a writer.”
So I said I was a writer.
For the past five years, one of those highlights in my life has been to connect with a group of creative, soul-searching writers and artists who gather in Franklin, Tennessee for the TRIBEWRITER Conference hosted by founder and creator of the Tribewriter community, Jeff Goins.
I value learning new skills by listening to those who have already done what I want to do as they share what has worked for them or tips of the trade. But more than that, I love having the opportunity to rub shoulders with the men and women who are using their voice, their stories, and their talents to make their difference.
This is my 5th TRIBE Conference. It will also be the last TRIBE Conference that Jeff Goins will be hosting. I will have attended all of them. Each year brought with it new challenges and insights both as a writer and as a person.
Each year there are those who say to me, “Don’t quit. Keep showing up.”
But mostly they say “Own who you are and do it with all your heart.”
The importance of this year’s TRIBE Conference in relation to my writing journey is significant. You will understand more at the end of this post.
