May 16 2019

Jolt 2: Awe Inspiring Moments

In order to exercise a character strength and inspire listeners to do the same, here are some of the moments that left me awe inspired this week! Please share one of yours at #InAWEtoRISE.

After deploying messages of gratitude–simple affirmation to a list of people directed in devotion that morning, I received a message back that showed me how important it is to reach out. The individual had just sent a text to his spouse asking for prayers due to feeling invisible. My message was timed perfectly to remind this individual of their visibility and value. What a moment! (This is the one further described in the Jolt episode.)
Though I have walked by a business door in my town several times, I never internalized the awesome message! I parked across the street from where I really needed to shop out of a whim and ended up with the door directly in view, and the reminder was so perfectly timed, I laughed out loud and prompted a smile from a passerby. Simple moment. Brilliant moment. 3
Within the span of three days I was saturated with messages from people around me of my life message in a truly awe inspiring way. Brene Brown has long been a true hero of mine. Her books have prompted a great deal of growth for me personally, and I swear we would be best friends if she wasn’t so famous now! Ha! As anyone else, I struggle with worthiness and in this new life chapter, feelings of vulnerability and a lack of worthiness are a constant companion that I continuously battle. Even posting these AWE Inspiring moments in the Jolt episodes take courage for me! Collectively, each of these examples were perfectly timed reminders for me to keep moving along boldly, bravely, courageously.
1. Jennifer Hogan referenced a bold post I had made in her awesome blogpost focused on Brene’s work. Everyone should read this post. You are welcome.
2. Through my website of all things, I received a message from a person in my past that had been looking for me and shared the link to Brene’s Netflix special with me, stating he believed I would like her work. (Yes, yes I do.)
3. A current connection shared Brene’s Netflix series with me after an event we did together.
4. In the middle of WalMart, I ran into an acquaintance that I know peripherally. In a brief but depthful conversation about how her leadership role is going, she mentioned Brene Brown and also referenced that the words we were sharing reminded her of Brene.
5. In a processing conversation with Neil Gupta, he shared with me such a wonderful and generous observation of these collective interactions. “What you are doing is you are exuding who you are just by being yourself and through that its resonating with people and then they get these anchors (you sound like her or something she would say). You are talking about those things–I found you because of #slay, and that’s one you don’t see every day and you went straight into this verse. When you are authentic and talking through those things, it should be affirmation to say, “I am on the right course of action and what I am saying is resonating. These have always been your words. (Brene’s is) that other voice that is out there, and you are speaking life to people.”

It seems small, but it’s not to me. These communications in succession inspire awe for me.

4. I reached out to congratulate a member of my PLN who had recently graduated with an advanced degree. This individual lives in another state and let me know that he will be taking his own leap of faith very soon and moving to a new location–which happens to be in the same town that is miles from where I grew up and worked as a server in high school and college. It seems little, but the connection left me in awe.

5. My husband and I were having a conversation about how much we missed our lead pastor and the creative arts director (they are married and answered a call to another location last summer). These two were influential in our lives right when we needed their life message to restore our individual and collective faith. We noted that we missed their voices. The very next day, they launched their first episode of a podcast! We get to hear their voices! Even more awe-inspiring is when my sister called me because she wanted to share a story with me about her dream the night before. She intimated that her pastor (who died this year) was in her dream, and his voice was soothing to her. She stated that simply hearing his voice brought her peace. I was in awe of her phrasing and the connection to my own revelation just the day before.

6. Last Saturday morning, my dog got out of her kennel in the early hours while I was in devotion. She came down the stairs, peed on the nice carpet, and then when I was cleaning it up, she woke the neighborhood barking outside. This is not the way I like to tone set and probably not the way anyone does. To say I was agitated is close to accurate.

My oldest daughter came out and wanted to go on a bike ride while I ran, so I was happy to oblige, but she was being loud and taking her time. It frustrated my already chafed nerves. When she argue/yelled I was going the wrong way to the dock from the driveway, I got very frustrated and yelled back. When she sulkingly pedaled in my direction, I felt guilty and dejected, but I kept moving.

When she got to me I said, “Leadership means following others sometimes. Your way is not the only way. Leadership also means remaining calm, and I am sorry that I was not patient with you.” She agreed and said, “I don’t like it when you yell. I thought there was only one way to the dock.”So, I shared that this is the way I go because I still get to the dock, but I get to run a longer distance, and I was happy to teach her and apologized again for letting my frustration tone her morning. She was quiet for a moment and said, “Leadership also means listening.” I agreed. “Absolutely. I know I need to listen better.” And she inspired me with this: “No, mom. I meant me. I need to learn to listen better.” I could have fallen over on the pavement with shock.

And that’s not even the best part. When we got to the dock, I showed her how to listen and distil the sounds so she could hear the birds over the loud waves. We sat in silence so that she could go beyond the creaking of the dock from the movement of the waves and train her ear to the sound of them crashing on the shoreline. It was fleeting but magical. I decided to be bold and share how I worship in praise down at this dock, and I fully expected my daughter to tell me to stop and that I was embarrassing her. That others would hear. Instead, as I lifted my arms and sang, “It’s your breath in our our lungs, so we pour out our praise” I cracked open my eye, saw her look around one time, and then she joined me. Awe inspired.