Are You in Your Journey or on the Side Lines?

Women Who are in the Arena….I Applaud YOU!

Brene Brown talks about the gift of vulnerability.  And on one of her talks she shares that there are those who are in the arena and those who are on the outside.  You know what I’m talking about? The arena where we try new things, take chances, take a risk. For many of us the chance is on loving again.  Or, the risk of starting our own business. Or, trying something new, like taking a class or hobby or sky diving...Yeah, that arena. The one that grows you and the one that leaves you vulnerable, on the stage, in front of the audience.  What Brene Brown talks about is that those that are in the audience or on the sidelines looking in have no right to judge, criticize, make fun of, or be less than supportive of those that are in the arena doing the hard stuff.

If you are in the arena, be proud.  Hold your head high. Ignore the naysayers, their merely the audience of your life, but also of their own life as well.  

Being in the arena is tough shit!  I once had a dream a few years ago that I had put a hot pink streak in my hair and I was so excited about it.  As I walked up to these two giant wooden doors and opened them up to the world, on the other side of that doorway stood a huge crowd of people.  Some of the people I recognized, relatives, acquaintances and a few co-workers. Immediately I felt vulnerable, exposed, foolish, and I tried to hide my hair, my hot pink stripe from the crowd.  I felt shame.

I think the symbolism is clear.  The Hot Pink stripe was the work I was doing in the world with Hot Pink YOUniversity.  And the more visible I was becoming, through social media presence, speaking, or having the audacity to author a book with my thoughts and stories...the more I was entering the arena.  

The “other” or audience is usually not the enemy to what greatness we could be, usually that monster lives inside.  

How do we move past the monsters holding us back and move into the arena and our authentic self?  Or, as I like to think, how do we enjoy the ride, not just the end goal?

Being present to the journey.

Giving ourselves a break.

Compassionate self-talk

Internally validating ourselves versus relying on external validation.

Being audacious to inspire future audacity in ourselves and others.

Taking action, imperfectly moving forward, to learn and experiment with life, to lead to greater clarity and knowing-inaction in the death of a dream.

Dreaming.

Always curious with life, with ourselves.  Never making assumptions that you know.

These are the virtues to living authentically, entering the arena to play, find pleasure, laugh and take some audacious risks.

Won’t you join us in the arena?!

Author:  Christie Gause-Bemis of Hot Pink YOUniversity and author of Ignite Your Life:  Reignite Passion, Purpose and Play.  www.hotpinkyou.com