I’ve recently returned from TRIBEWRITERS 2017, otherwise known as #tribeconf.
The Tribe Conference is a marketing conference for people who don't think of themselves as marketers. It's a gathering for writers, artists, and creative entrepreneurs to grow their craft, share their work, and get the attention their work deserves.
I would describe TRIBEWRITERS as a community of weird, brave and oh so creative men and women who have ‘stuff’. It is the kind of ‘stuff’ that is made up of real, often messy, mostly ordinary people and events in our lives that make up our story.
But after the weekend at the first ever TRIBEWRITER’s Conference, (hence #tribeconf) I came to own I have been on this journey of writing most of my life.
Jeff Goins being Superman!
Jeff Goins, founder and host of the TribeWriter Conference, (Superman in another life) spoke directly to me (though he doesn’t know it) on the very first session.
He challenged us to:
Let go: of expectations, of fear, of shame (feeling that we Should Have Always Mastered Everything). Here we go again. First thing he says and I’m already having to open my hands to what God might be wanting to do here.
Embrace the mess: How did he know I woke up in the middle of the night in a sweat, wondering if I was going to show up and be shown up for the mess that I was? He asked us to partner with the community regarding the issues we have. I did! I found great encouragement and accountability in the process.
Become a more true version of yourself:
Be you! Not someone else, even if you admire them.
Believe in yourself. Action follows belief.
Try something new this weekend. That was easy! Everything had some newness to it.
While the weekend was full of excellent speakers with very practical resources and action steps for us, I probably could have left after the first speaker and felt like I got what I needed.
I have struggled ever since Leisha died feeling like I need to write to finish her book, but have been in a battle to rediscover who I am really not just as a writer, but as a woman. All I thought about myself had been put into question when my daughter died. I blogged a bit about this during the weekend. You can catch it here.
But Ally Vesterfelt, of Author Launch really spoke to this as she shared her father’s story as he was near death. As a clinical psychologist and marriage counselor, he had worked with all kinds of people. But his first article as he fought to live was “Dying is easy, Life is hard to do!” Yes it is! I can attest to that! I never considered that Leisha had the easy road in dying. The rest of us had to fight to live.
Ally was just getting started with her challenge to me. Her next thoughts made me know I was going the right direction.
We find our voices when we are most likely losing them.
One of the most painful things is to lose the sound of your own voice.
FIGHT for the truth, the rawness, and the realness of your own voice.
Finding your voice starts with finding yourself.
Wow! For her to speak directly to the battle I mentioned earlier means she is familiar with the pain of it. I have been there for the last 9 years. Finding my voice by finding myself. I can identify that it must be truth, it will be raw, and it must feel real or it feels disingenuous to the process of healing.
“More than likely you will find your voice on a path you least wanted to go down. Sometimes the sufferings, not the healings, are the source of greatest transformation of our life.”
She was right! I knew she was!
I was being changed through the sufferings. I didn’t want to suffer. I tried to avoid the suffering, but I knew it when I embraced the ache and walked into the darkness that the greatest transformation occurred.
As I work to finish Leisha’s book, I reconnect with many layers of grief in order to share what I have learned from the last 9 years. That has been part of the mess I have felt recently. But I wouldn’t change the process. I am much more aware of who I am and what I was meant to say!
I understand that I must find my own voice before I can truly help someone else find theirs. While I hope that the book will be used to change one person’s life in an effort to change the world, I know that writing this book has and is changing me.
The story I’m getting ready to present to the world in a few months has been in process for most of my life.
I’m a writer! I have been a writer! I need to write if just to change me!
How’s your story coming?
P.S. Thanks Jeff Goins! For letting go, embracing the mess and becoming a more true version of yourself. You have modeled for me and given me courage to do that same.
Thank you Ally Vesterfelt! For sharing out of the raw, real, truth of your own story. I am one who is changed because of it.
Just because I didn’t write life lessons from all the other speakers doesn’t mean I couldn’t have. I am still just processing the first one. Thanks to all of you for your time, availability and genuine support.
I’m already signed up for TribeWriter 2016. Join me?
We are headed back to the DEEP WOODS to pray! We want you- and your spouse, or your friends, or even family to join us.
FRIDAY EVENING, August 1st: anytime after 5:30pm- you can stop by the DEEP WOODS for a few minutes or for the whole evening.
The DEEP WOODS is located behind Crossroads Church, 775 S. Thayer Road, Lima, OH 45806. Click here for directions.
We’re going to meet to pray- as individuals, as couples, as a group. There is no agenda- just a challenge to PRAY!
We may talk some
Walk some
sleep some
laugh some
eat some (we will have some light refreshments- feel free to bring one to share)
But through it all we will pray!
For the NAKED TRUTH Women’s Conference, Oct 3 & 4.
For the women- from speakers to attendees who will be part of the conference
For tickets sales which begin August 1st.
For the lives that will be impacted
For the healing that will result
For the marriages that will be made whole.
For confession, forgiveness, and peace.
For awareness of the consequences of seeking counterfeit intimacy.
For HOPE! GREEN HOPE of course! Hope that grows out of faith and flows into Love.
Bring your own requests- to share- or to speak privately.
If you don’t live close- but feel God stirring your heart to pray for these things as well- Please join us in prayer! Last time we went to the woods, women from Texas to Minnesota, from Pennsylvania to Colorado were praying with us! We would love to hear from you!
Come to the WOODS! God will meet you in this sacred space!
I love them! Those AHA moments! Today I woke to an AHA!
Last fall, as I was regrouping after the weddings of our two beautiful girls, and as I was helping to prepare for the wedding of my dear friend, I did some goal setting for 2014. (I’m not good at new years resolutions so this works better.)
I usually start by writing down a long list of things I might like to do- then I sort those into NOW list and a BUCKET list.
Then I prioritize the NOW list and then choose the 3 priorities that I believe will have the greatest influence.
For 2014, my top 3 were:
My marriage- thriving in being two again
My business- completing the Business Plan Competition in March and bringing Linda Dillow & Dr Juli Slattery, of Authentic Intimacy to Northwest Ohio and the surrounding areas.
My health- finding strength and wellness to increase stamina and enjoyment in life.
This morning, Coach, Author, Speaker and my virtual friend (we’ve never met face to face) Carrie Wilkerson, challenged me to consider whether I was making progress toward my goals- or waiting for perfection.
Often I have- and do – wait until I have all the pieces in the right place, know exactly how I will present it or what needs to happen for it to make the biggest impact. In other words, my project sits on my to do list until I get tired of seeing it and either do something or just eliminate it.
But as I listened to Carrie this morning AHA! I AM MAKING PROGRESS!
Ren and I aren’t where we want to be – but we are having a great time getting there! It’s thrilling to begin dreaming dreams together again and finding new ways to love each other. I wouldn’t trade this time for anything.
I’ve completed the Business Plan- got 2nd in the competition. What’s more- it’s a business plan I refer back to often. It’s working for Kathy Burrus, Green Hope Coaching.
I’m especially excited that Linda & Juli and their team will be in Lima on October 3 & 4! The Lima team is growing,- connecting
women to the message God is giving through Authentic Intimacy! Twenty years ago I put this on my DREAM list- to bring Linda Dillow to my world. Now is the time! Now there is progress!
As for my health, thanks to the research and persistent efforts of a faithful friend and chiropractor, Dr John Needler, I’m finding renewed strength. I’m up much more than I am down- and I’m doing things I haven’t done in a long time. Will I ever be ‘healed’ completely? That remains to be seen. But I feel LIFE in a way I only DREAMED about for the last 12 years.
PROGRESS- forward or onward movement toward a destination!
It’s not perfect! Sometimes it’s even messy! But I’m on my way!
How about you?
Did you set New Year’s Resolutions? Have they gone by the way as so many do? Do you realize that if you start NOW- you may be able to make some significant PROGRESS or even complete them by New Years 2014!
What are you waiting for? Let’s make PROGRESS together!
I know- in days gone by we couldn’t even say the word ‘naked’ in public, let alone write about it or talk about NAKED TRUTH!
But that what we are doing- opening the discussion about intimacy- spiritually, emotionally, and sexually. And what is more we are looking at reclaiming God’s design for intimacy. The conversation is open, honest and unafraid.
Plan now to attend the conference called THE NAKED TRUTH: about You! about Sex! About God! Authors and Speakers, Linda Dillow and Dr Juli Slattery, from Authentic Intimacy, will be our special guides on
Friday evening, October 3 and Saturday morning, October 4 at Shawnee Alliance Church, Lima, OH.
Women of all ages and all seasons of life, married or single, are invited to come, to learn, to heal!
Mark your calendars now! Registration details will listed soon.
P.S. Thanks Jeff Goins! For letting go, embracing the mess and becoming a more true version of yourself. You have modeled for me and given me courage to do that same.
But as I listened to Carrie this morning AHA! I AM MAKING PROGRESS!
