40+ hours into preparing to facilitate Dare to Lead makes you dream, sleep and breathe this work day after day. It is exciting and a bit daunting – this work has the ability to change lives. Holding that space and understanding for others is both a privilege and a serious responsibility. The deeper I dive, the more excited I get.
One of the requirements Brené gave us in our facilitator training was to “do the work” before facilitating the work. In doing just that, I’ve found how much harder it is to be in the arena doing the work than it is to be helping people learn. This is courage-building work for certain! Dare to Lead invites us into the best versions of ourselves, holds our hand when we are feeling vulnerable, and stretches our perceptions about our own experiences while validating our experience as truth. It’s brave, and brilliant, and bold.
As I am finishing up building out the slide deck and ensuring all my puzzle pieces are put together, I came upon an area of the workbook that I hadn’t yet completed. Given to us as homework and based on the“I Am Project, she called on her participants to write a poem about who they are and celebrate the intricate elements that make us unique. There is no right way, there is only your way. My way.
On this quiet Saturday morning with visions of fallen leaves, pumpkins and filtered sunshine out my window, I pondered these questions: Who am I? What are the elements that make up my story? What is so inextricable from my experience that it deserves to be memorialized in writing? Solidly in the mid-life unravel and approaching a milestone birthday, I’ve been thinking a lot about these questions as of late. I’ve taken on an increasingly mindful approach to my life, slipping in the question “Is this worth it?” more times that I care to admit. Life is short, so we need to be focused and intentional about living lives that bring us joy.
So who am I? The original definition of courage was to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart. What is more beautiful than that?
I am Paula: of roots that run deep, quiet strength and resilience.
I am Paula: of gingerbread cookies, bunches of honey, and little green houses.
I am Paula: of puppy kisses, kitten cuddles, and endless love.
Hiking. Lake life. Friends.
Reading. Learning. Growing.
Chips. Salsa. Guacamole.
I am Paula: of sunlight, nature and song.
I am Paula: of yesterday, today and always.
I am Paula and I am Enough.
QOTD: “Courage is the ultimate rebellion” ~ Brené Brown
Mood: The Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice
Share: Who are you? Tell me the story of who you are with your whole heart.
Cultivating Insight and Influencing Change 