More Joy. More Peace. More Power.

Tag: Caroline Madison

Don’t Rain on My Parade

There have been times in this 6 year journey of learning to love myself and stepping into my power, where I’ve had to be my biggest cheerleader.  Those closest to me- my mom, husband, and even close friends didn’t understand what I was up to.  Why was I spending so much time blogging and Facebooking?  Why would I want to pay a coach to “be my friend” when there were friends who loved me and would tell me like it was?

That was the problem though.  They were going to tell me like it was, according to their limited vision for my life.  They were going to tell me the practical, safe, normal way to do life.  They couldn’t see what I could see for myself.

NO THANK YOU!

Don’t Rain on My Parade!

barbara streissand/i am a powerful woman/ sarah boucher/ don't rain on my parade/ funny girl

There will always be naysayers, but it’s shocking when it’s from those you ABSOLUTELY KNEW would be there to cheer you on.  In my case, the people that didn’t get it originally do now, but that’s not always the case.

All of this to say, you have to believe in yourself.  You have to hold tight to your visions, even when you don’t know when or how you’re going to carry them out.  Don’t give up on YOU!

There have more recently been times when I’ve lost my vision, my focus, my passion – like this entire past year and a half.  Thankfully there are people, like my friend Caroline, who have helped me see those dreams that have become blurry and speak POWERFUL words into my life.  Caroline is a brilliant writer and as encouraging as it is to read her words, having an actual conversation with her is the REAL TREAT.  She fires off one uplifting thought after another and I’m blown away by how her mind works.  After a recent conversation about accepting all parts of oneself, even the parts that don’t seem to fit (for example – my inner rebel) she posted this for me.  I wanted to share it with you because I want YOU to accept all the parts of you too.

This POWERFUL WOMAN journey isn’t about one of us having all the answers.  We ALL have lessons to learn from each other.  I hope Caroline’s words encourage you the way they encouraged me.

YOU have to define yourself for yourself.

You know who you are–you have known all along–because you know how you feel inside; you know what makes your bones ache, your blood churn, and your spirit come alive.

Logic is useful in many ways, but it is useless in defining the immeasurable, such as passion, soul, intuition.

Logic can help you make sound decisions, but trusting the intuitive parts of yourself keeps you from oppressing and suppressing the very essence of who YOU were created to be apart from everyone else.

Get off the path logic paved on its own.

Define a whole new path in uncharted territory which demands your intuition to pick up a shovel and help clear the brush.

Trust what you find on that path.

Believe in it.

Dig your truth up from the dirt and brush away all of the dust from its edges.

This is where you find yourself; this is where you free yourself.

Be ready.

When you come to fully realize YOU, you’ll never be able to unsee it.

You’ll cry. You’ll scream. You’ll think, ‘My God, there YOU were all along! Look at how beautiful you are.’

Lightness comes. With the stones of preconceived notions cast aside which served no purpose but to weigh down your pockets.

Calm comes. With self-acceptance. With self-love. With self-gratitude.

Space comes. With acceptance of others. With love for others. With gratitude for others.

Life falls into place. With the universe attracting to you all of those things which speak to your essence, your soul, your truth.

#forSarah

#rosecoloredlensesblog

#iamapowerfulwoman

 

You can follow Caroline on Facebook and read her blog at Rose Colored Lenses.

Sidenote -my ego loves #forSarah. Feel FREE to send encouragement my way and use #forSarah…Lol

A few thoughts to consider and I’d love to discuss if you’d like to leave a comment.

  • Are you being cheered on?
  • Is it time to find a tribe?
  • Do you need to put some distance between you and the naysayers?

Don’t settle for mediocre treatment from anybody…ever!

You deserve respect and love – the same as everybody else.

Thanks so very much for being part of this community!

Much love,

Sarah B

 

Pardon Me While I Bleed

I Am A Powerful WomanMy writer friend, Caroline Madison recently shared her opinion about transparency in writing memoirs.

“The truth is hard sometimes, but steering clear of it, walking on eggshells because it’s easier than turning the tides and moving forward, is a cop out.”

I have to tell you, I’ve been a little shocked by some of the personal details Brave Caroline shares, like her parents’ flaws or struggles in her marriage.  “I could NEVER write that!” I’ve thought.

I feel a strong desire to protect everyone; my kids, my husband, my parents, my secrets, and to keep your opinion of me solid, that is if your opinion of me is a good one.

One reason I can’t write openly is because I don’t want to spark a debate.  This pertains mostly to thoughts on religion and God.  I really just want you to agree with everything I write and say, “Me too,” or, “Well said,” so I barely say anything at all, to stay in favor with you.

Ernest Hemingway (who I initially loathed, but on further reflection have decided to cut him a little slack, what with him being human and all) wrote, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

Caroline Madison bleeds when she writes.  Elizabeth Gilbert bleeds when she writes.  Glennon Doyle Melton BLEEDS when she writes.

I stay away from all sharp objects.  I can’t afford to bleed and that’s why my writing and my posts have been as dull as plastic knives in a Little Tikes kitchen.

I join the tens of critics (family members and Facebook friends who I imagine shudder every time I put myself out there with a new post or a silly video) in wondering what exactly it is that I’m up to in the world.  Why do I keep embarrassing myself?

I don’t even know.  I’ve lost sight of the reason.  I’ve lost my passion, my vision.  I’ve become lukewarm in almost every area of my life.  I am a freaking people pleaser and I’m getting less and less okay with that (except I still want everyone to like me.)

I’m hiding behind so many layers that I can’t even find myself these days.

So bare with me, while I attempt to peel back these layers, rediscover my passion, and begin to bleed.

Does anybody have a band-aid?

Glennon Doyle Melton, courage, Love Warrior

Thanks for reading!  Also, my little blurb at the bottom of the post has been updated, so please read. Thanks again!

If you’re struggling or dealing with a loved one in pain, check out What Every Person Can Do.  It’s incredibly affordable.  12 weeks of support for what 1 hour of counseling would cost!  But…and I know this firsthand, even reasonably priced is not an option sometimes, so don’t write this off. Partial and full scholarships are available for those that need them and are serious about going through the work.  I’m creating a private Facebook group for anyone wishing to go through this online program starting in October.  I’ll be going through it again too! We’ll have a safe space to share and discuss what we’re taking in.  If you have questions for me, you can get in touch with me here.