Recently, I received a heartfelt and vulnerable instant message from a woman on The Adventuresome Life Facebook page. I’ve included a brief portion here:

I just wanted to pass along how inspirational you are for me. I’ve read your blog and decided to follow you on Facebook just to see reminders that help keep me going. I’ve been through a lot over the years.

She shared some specific details about what she has been through and the hurt she has felt in response.

I’m a good person. I love easily and wear my heart on my sleeve. I just wish I was stronger. You seem very together. How do you do it?

 

To which my partial reply was:

I do it the same way you’re doing it. By living, breathing, feeling, falling down, getting back up, making mistakes, celebrating victories, nurturing my self-worth and being willing to learn.

I can relate to EVERY part of your message. Your battles have been my battles. And still are some days. You’re not alone.

Strength and courage are “muscles” we develop – just like biceps, quads and abs. You have to exercise them consistently in order for them to grow and get stronger.

Remember, the only way for you to recognize how strong and courageous you are becoming is by knowing what it feels like to be weak and afraid.

It sounds like you are identifying things that no longer work for you. That is the perfect segue way into creating what is acceptable to you now. Keep going!

 

What stood out to me more than anything was her wish to be stronger. By seeking outside of herself what strength would look like, she was missing the true strength that was already present inside of her at that very moment.

She had lived through all the challenges in her life up to this point. She was reaching out for support and willing to share her story and experience. She was open to seeing things differently and trying new things. She was taking accountability for her own life and what it could look like now.

Ironically, she was exemplifying strength and courage but couldn’t see it for herself, in that moment.

One of my favorite authors and teachers, Pema Chodron, an American, Tibetan Buddhist Nun, suggests that we don’t expect ourselves to be anything more than what we are right now. That our emotional upheavals are fertile ground – the very stuff of waking up. They are opportunities to practice.

To flex and develop our muscles.

And sometimes the tougher or more challenging your life circumstances, the stronger you become (i.e., the heavier weight you must lift, the more potential for growth and development).

 

 You see, we’re all a lot more alike than we are different. At the root of it all – our fears, “flaws” and “weaknesses” come from the same yearning – we all just want to know that we matter.

The more that we are able to recognize our deep-seated destructive patterns and how they play out in everyday life, the more empowered we are to trust in our dreams, in support that is always there and in our own decisions.

I’m so grateful this young woman reached out to me. Her message embodies the human experience. It confirmed for me to keep carrying out my vision for The Adventuresome Life – to support myself and others in seeing and experiencing life for the true Adventure that it is – a personalized gift handed to each and every one of us in order to grow, develop and expand into the best version of ourselves.

So if that’s what it’s all about – why not enjoy it?

Want a good place to start?

It takes STRENGTH to move towards what you really want in life. To live an authentic life. To say “Yes” when you’re bombarded with overwhelming and conflicting opinions of others; when you’re predisposed to accepting “the way it is”; when you feel unworthy or wrestle with undeservedness; despite the fact that you dumb yourself down to make everyone around you feel more comfortable. IT’S TIME to push boundaries beyond expectations that others have set for you and that you have unconsciously accepted as your own.

Exercise your STRENGTH and join me for The Inaugural Adventuresome Life Experiential Retreatshop November 5th & 6th, and let’s explore further. Spots are still available.