I just went to a Youth Ministry Seminar over the week-end and soaked in a lot of sound wisdom. A few tidbits I wanted to share with you:
Stuck: you know you're stuck when you start a sentence or thought by saying "I just..."
"No one can resist the relentless power of unconditional love."
"We live in the stories that get told about us."
"Intimacy bandwidth is limited to about 30 people. That is, the average person can be emotionally intimate with only about 30 people in her life at any given time."
And here's how it all fits together on HWHL:
I often say or think "I just..." but then I turn to HWHL to get unstuck because I can't resist the power of unconditional love on this blog and how we support each other in telling positive, uplifting, "can do" stories. As a whole, you are one of my 30.
If today was rough for you, remember, tomorrow is a new day, with a new story to be told!
Absolutely Fabulous!!
ReplyDeleteBTW: The one quote should read "We live into the stories that get told about us."
ReplyDeleteInspirational! Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh you have no idea what kind of day I had yesterday. I think I ate the whole house in about 1 hour flat!!! Thanks for the reminder that today is a NEW Day!!
ReplyDeleteTHanks for another inspiring post... I love your insights. Can you explain further on the "We live into the stories that get told about us" I need to ponder this one. THANKS :)
Ok, I really am interested in the quote about "We live into the stories that get told about us." I saw that on your FB status and I thought about it all day yesterday. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it.
ReplyDeleteIn the context of working with youth, I think it means to tell them and others the best things about them so that they can live into those stories and be the person they are at their best more often. It's all about Potential.
ReplyDeleteSo as an example, if someone tells me "You are such a patient mom. I so admire that about you." It makes me want to be a patient mom and live up to their view of me as that mom. I may not always be convinced that I am a patient mom. But their "story" that I am inspires me to live into that character.
But I also think we can craft our own stories (as we do here on this blog, but also as we do in our heads on a day to day basis) and in that way shape ourselves up emotionally and mentally. Do you know that song "Tell Yourself" by Natalie Merchant? That's what I'm talking about.
Wonderful thoughts! I love it!
ReplyDeleteEmotionally intimate with 30 people?!? Wow, that's a lot of people to be intimate with at once, I can only handle about 10 maximum. Maybe I'm just a prude ;)
ReplyDeleteOr maybe I'm unemotional.... :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent thought provoking post and one that supports the power of positiveness in actions, thoughts, how we treat and what we so to others.
ReplyDeleteJenn,
ReplyDeleteI calculated my intimates and it's not even close to 30. Just so you know.
Hahaha, yeah, I counted mine and it's closer to like 5-7 at any given time....
ReplyDeleteI can't maintain deep friendships with that many people. But hey, we've got a good thing going on this blog! P.S. Who is going to organize a big nationwide get-together next year for all the HWHL women? January, when there's no competition for family get-togethers like there is in the summer?
ReplyDelete