SHOW UP

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Five Years Later - Almost to the Day!

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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.

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In a Cabin called Hope

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On Friday, August 16th, I spent the day in the DEEP WOODS. It is a spiritual retreat center located in the woods behind my church. In the fall of 2012, our friends and family helped us to build the 3rd cabin that is available for personal, spiritual retreats.

The cabin is called HOPE.

The reason I was there on August 16th was the 13th anniversary of my daughter, Leisha’s home-going.

This is ME! I am Her! Tribe Conference 2018

I caught myself wondering if I was ever going to grow up to be 'HER'- that woman who moved through life confident that she was who she was supposed to be.  My reason for sharing it here will make more sense at the end of this post.

I knew I was going to TRIBE CONFERENCE different than I have been in the past. I felt more ready, more eager to grab hold of what would be there for me.

Here's how the theme showed up…

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The Power of Your Tribe

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Do you know that feeling of being surrounded by people who are amazing and feeling like just being in their presence makes you a better person?

I do!

I have chosen to connect myself with some amazing, super people, whether it is my network of professional women I belong to - or my church or small group. I am a better person just because these people are in my life.

One of those highlights in my life is to connect with a group of creative, soul-searching writers and artists who gather at the…

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Will I ever be HER?

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I find myself sitting in the chair in my front room pondering what I see in my future. I want so much to feel confident; healthy, productive, grateful and graceful, beautiful. Helpful. Peaceful, HOPE full.

I want to being a strong, confident woman. I see a woman who has poise and gentleness, yet is bold and persevering.

Yet this week as I've laid on the sofa a lot, I have felt none of those.  I have felt weak, tired, messy. I've wondered if I could ever be that other woman. I've had moments of doubt, confusion and discouragement; times when I only felt desperate. How can I ever be a strong, confident woman when I keep floundering in moments of discouragement and sadness?

 But today I am taking time to ponder what I've heard this week from just listening, from forcing myself not to let my thoughts take me to despair or to deciding to quit - again for the umpteenth time, to feel like I wasn't good enough.

 Here's what I heard. …

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Thank you Jeff Goins!

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Dear Jeff,

Last September 2017, I left the TRIBEWRITER Conference with three phrases planted solidly in my brain.

DON'T QUIT!

SHOW UP!

DON'T STARVE!

I was both undone - but mostly encouraged as you shared your story of starting not one- but #7or 8 (can't remember exactly how many) different businesses.  How it took not one, but 8 years to find the ONE THING you were committed to doing.

I was undone because …

Vision is Born in The Space Between

As you look at your LIFE's HIGHWAY, what do you see down the road? Maybe it's one year, maybe five years. 

The conversations is had this week have more to do with what's in our way rather than the destination. We will talk about the more see we go. But our purposed this week it's to talk vision. What do we see down the road?

If I were to ask you to describe how you picture your life in ten years, chances are you could paint a fairly clear picture.  You might have some idea of where you want to be financially, or you could describe what you hope to achieve professionally.  You may have some sense of the relationships you want in your life.

Andy Stanley says in his book Visioneering,

"you would be able to look beyond what is and paint a picture of what could be—and in some cases what should be—true of your life. That’s vision."

In my coaching practice, there is a dramatic difference in the people…

enVisioning Life's Highway

Without a real direction for this morning's SUMMER SHOW UP Day 3,  I ended up talking about VISION differently than I thought we would today.  

I shared an exercise I often use with my clients to help them identify where they want to go in life and how they are getting there. I used a metaphor of a LIFE HIGHWAY.  But I didn't explain it very well.  So here is a bit more information. 

Consider that you are preparing to take a trip.

Dreams, Callings and Visions...O My!

Who did you identify in the DREAM GIVER story I read yesterday?

  • Ordinary

  • The father

  • The best friend

Are you a Nobody named Ordinary with a Big DREAM? Do you remember when you first noticed that Dream? Was there something significant about that moment (like Ordinary's feather) that causes you to remember your Dream?

Or did you identify with Father somehow- you had a dream, but left it on the window sill so long that it turned to dust? 

Or maybe you are BEST FRIEND?  Someone else has shared their dream with you and you weren't sure what to do with it.  So you encouraged them to keep quiet.  "You don't want the other Nobodies to think you are a fool."

I have always connected with

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The Remarkable Gift of SHOWING UP You!

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--  how the 30 day challenge challenged me.

The past 30 plus days have been an interesting experiment for me to SHOW UP each day to my GHC community.

To remind you, it was while attending the Social Media Week Lima 2018 conference in June, that coach and speaker Tiffany Lanier (#LivewithTiffany), challenged me to SHOW UP! 

"I don't know how it will change you - or your community- but I know it will.  Just SHOW UP!"

Her words struck to the core of me.  Last fallm at the 2017 TRIBEWRITER conference I attend each year, the message I came home with from Jeff Goins and friends was "Don't quit.  SHOW UP.  Don't starve."

Hmmm? 

I was starving.  Oh not literally, obviously, since I'm in a battle to lose weight right now.  But I was starving in the sense that I was struggling to connect with my clients and therefore generate enough income to not just pay some bills, but provide for other things as well.

As Tiffany shared her wisdom with me I realized I wasn't SHOWING UP.  In fact the only thing I had done was NOT QUIT.  Though I thought about it several times.  Ren had to talk me down more than once when I suggested that perhaps I should just go get a J.O.B and let someone else tell me what to do.  And pay me regularly.  Ren keeps reminding me that this is what I am supposed to be doing.

But I was 'starving' because I was not SHOWING UP!  I knew it as soon as Tiffany spoke those words. 

Just SHOW UP!

So I have!  For 30 days now I have been SHOWING UP on my Facebook Live personal page.  And so have you!

You are a huge part of the gift …