Thursday, January 7, 2010

Making a life

I got out my calendar yesterday--the big kind, not the daily calendar on the Blackberry--and noticed that I am out of town at least 9 times in the first 20 weeks of 2010. In addition, I am doing at least 8 Date Nights during that time, leading young adults at MBC and, oh yeah, running a counseling practice.

In that context, I just read Brene Brown's latest post. In case you don't want to read the whole thing, here is the line that made me close the blog window and walk away from my laptop, just trying to absorb it: (after saying that she chooses not to advance her career at the expense of her family) "It's not that I don't care about my work--I do. I'm passionate about my work. I believe in the things I talk about. So much so that I want to make a life out of living them, not just a career out of talking and writing about them."

Don't get me wrong: I don't regret at all the opportunities I have to travel this spring. Every one of them represents something important and meaningful to me. And every one of them represents a portion of the tuition for Mowgli at Guilford College, which is a key goal for this season of my life. And, I'm very aware that spring won't last forever and then there will be a long lull.

But I'm grateful for the reminder to "make a life out of living [my values], not just a career out of talking and writing about them." And I'm grateful for another role model for this crazy working-mother life I live. And I'm especially grateful for all the people who support and surround me and my family and make it possible for me to live this life right now. I love my life.

1 comment:

pmcd said...

I just read her blog this afternoon and wrote down the exact same part on a piece of paper to stick in my calendar book(and then I copied and pasted the whole part after the "here's what I really want.." part and I'm thinking about framing it! or maybe writing on the walls in my house and in my office. (probably should write it in my car too since that is where I seem to spend a good part of my time!) It's what I really want to.
Here's to 2010 and making it happen!!!!! I love and miss you!