My most cringe habit + the truth in our tears
One of my most cringe-worthy habits is...well, being cringe-worthy...
I must've been absent on the day the "play it cool" cards were being handed out.
Like the time I was at a mastermind retreat and I found out my new friend, Sam, was best friends with one of the members of my most favorite band...
Not only did I have no chill...
I proceeded to CRY actual tears and lie on the floor crying said tears & laughing at myself in the process.
Everyone lost it...and it was a memorable moment, but let me tell you about the number of times I've played that one over in my head.
Or that time I started oversharing about my cat lady status with the colleague I had just met at a networking event who told me about her one cat...
ORRRR the time I got into a full on coaching session with the mama on the playground who told me about her dream to launch her own business.
I have zero chill.
And chances are, if you're reading this - you can relate.
But the incredible revelation here is...
The very thing we try to avoid - like being "too much" or sharing our vulnerable truths - is THE conduit for powerful, enduring and transformative connection.
On a recent call with my ELEVATE Mentorship group, I could tell that one of our members was struggling.
When it was her time to share, she broke down into tears...
As we held the moment with her, she took a deep breath and riffed on everything she was so deeply wanting and needing to say out loud.
It was gorgeous, honest and raw...
That courageous act revealed a depth that we often work so hard to hide away.
I want you to know that your stories are what bring people closer.
When we speak through the heartbeat - we give life to what we're really about.
It's why we love watching performers enter the song,
And poets become the word.
And artists melt into their medium.
It is a great risk to become what your calling is asking of you. It's a greater risk not to.
We can save ourselves the hail Mary, the pleading in the rain, the praying on our knees by risking it NOW, by living truth today, by entering the depths and dancing with the exquisite dimensions our emotions & stories offer.
Want to expand your community beyond its current bounds?
Want to create a more powerful ripple effect in your brand/biz?
Try out these prompts this week:
Tell a story about a time when...
You almost threw in the towel and what happened - bring us through the journey.
You were silently struggling and what you did next to find your way back to the light, support you called in, etc.
Your deep why - the thing that lives way beneath the surface - was triggered and it all made sense.
Important things to remember about story telling...
Bring us into the scene.
Play with pace and place by sharing specific details.
Offer full-bodied information - place/time/feeling (PTF) so we can connect more deeply
This helps us connect with one another's humanity...living, breathing beings.
When we can access the place where our hearts find common ground, we hit the story jackpot.
Notes for the week ahead:
Stories sell - re-read this message to integrate.
Liberate yourself from the rigidity of perfection and practice your craft.
Proofread out loud (it will sound different & offer more insights)
SLOW DOWN the pace and bring your reader into the moment.
When we stop performing at who we think we're supposed to be, we unlock the power of authentic connection.
Happy Storytelling!
xo
Amber