There is no passion to be found playing small-in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
Nelson Mandela
Women are always tested…but ultimately, each of us has to define who we are individually and then do the very best job we can to grow into it.Hilary Clinton
These two really meaningful quotes greeted me the other morning and brought tears to my eyes, especially after a sleepless night spent wondering who and of what value I am. Wow! The universe is out there listening and speaking! Now it is time to stop the ongoing brain chatter and listen. Finding one’s authentic voice involves constant listening, watching, and really paying attention. It is not for the faint of heart. Yes, we will be tested; yes, we have to define who we are individually and then, yes, we must do the best job we can to grow into it. Doing the best job we can insinuates that sometimes we are better at it than others. Sometimes we are lousy at it. In fact, at times it feels as if we have retreated back into that old who-am-I-really mode and have made no progress at all. Perhaps then, this is where the GREAT pause needs to come into play. Big fermata time! Hold that chord! Let go of the discord! Or maybe, HOLD that discord -a GREAT BIG Charles Ives tone cluster long! Then, let it resolve into one in-tune, perfect unison, pure and simple. At that point, the shoulders lenthen out, the back lenthens and widens. The breath enters and the brain hums along in tune with the universe, we continue to grow. The search for the authentic voice continues!