On July 19th we held our annual writing retreat. Some of the women who attended kindly provided us with there answers below. Feel free to ponder the questions asked and share your responses with us in the comment section below.What would you say if you weren't afraid?
#1 I would say, ' I am terribly lonely. I am afraid of my pain, and I am tired of trying to deal with it on my own. I am hurting, a lot, and I always try to downplay my struggles, but really I need someone there to recognize those times when I really am not okay- despite what I tell them. I am scared so often, and even though I always push people away, really all I want is for someone to hold me and tell me they love me no matter what. I want to know I am not alone.'
#2 I would say that I’m afraid. I would admit I have no idea how everything is going to turn out and often my decisions seem like guess work. I would tell people I need them or don’t need them. I would laugh louder. I would admit I’m wrong more and tell people my faults. I would admit my vice like need for control over most aspects of my life and I would tell people that I’m scared of that control slipping for a second and sending the world crashing down around me. The truth is though if I could say anything I don’t know what to say because I’ve never been not afraid of repercussions or realities hitting me that I can’t handle. I along with pretty much anyone else I know lives in a state of quiet acceptance where we believe that many of our hopes wishes fears and anxieties should never see the light of day so I suppose I would simply say: I’m afraid of what it would be like to not be afraid. I’m terrified of what liberation from my own anxieties and insecurities would feel like. So I’m content in some way to stay afraid.
#3 I would tell people to forget themselves. I am surrounded by people in a society where they believe there is only one way to accomplish anything. Their way. I would tell people to forget their opinions and biases and love everyone they meet. There is no need for hostility from anyone. It does nothing to build the world by honking, swearing, or being frustrated and upset by others. I would remind people to be kind, compassionate, patient, and humble and remember that everyone has their own story, their own dark doorways of the past. I would say to leave all the silly things that don’t really matter behind and love those around them unconditionally.
#4 There isn't one thing I would say if I wasn't afraid. I think it would be more like a phrase or just being able to say something when I meet people! I am quite shy when it comes to meeting new people or carrying on a conversation with someone I don't particularly know. The whole "talk to the cute boy in class", well I might as well go sky diving. I wish I wasn't so afraid to just talk to people. Now sometimes I am super brave and can just talk someones ear off but the one on one conversations with new people.. Yikes! Those are what get me.What makes you come alive:
#1 Sunshine. The smell of lilacs. Old books. Cello music. Unexpected reunions. Yoga, apparently. Great deals when I'm shopping. Frank Capra movies. The way the beach sounds. Running through the sprinklers on a really hot day. Cotton candy. Chubby babies. Writing. Exploring. Learning. Experiencing.
#2 Loud music with a bass, the high dive, city lights. Fear: the kind that curls your toes and makes your fingers stiff. Being so tired that you’re suddenly completely awake and hungry. Being hungry. Take off in airplanes. Speed boats, fast cars, dancing and being cold. Deep sadness that burrows so far down you have to wrench it out with some kind of movement or decision. Feeling loved.
#3 Challenges are what make me feel alive. My life has been full of so many wonderful things, as well as many challenges. There is a strength and awakening when you realize what you have overcome and what you have accomplished, as well as what you haven’t. It is a battle that I believe we all wage daily. The fight for acceptance, for strength, power, and pride. Failure is embodied in all of those attributes and contributes to who we can become if we work hard to achieve it. I’m not suggesting we focus on failure, but it is key to our success. I find when I fail, or falter that I teach myself to stand taller than I was the day before, and seeing that growing shadow beneath me makes me feel like I am living my life the way I should, because I allow my challenges to build me and make me strong enough to overcome them
#4 Riding on a Ferris wheel, boogie boarding in the early morning, a delicious meal after my fast, listening to a sad story and having comfort to share, collecting flowers to press and dry, designing a new PowerPoint presentation, hugging a newborn baby, waking up rested, planning my birthday so as to have a whole day to myself, hearing baby birds up in a tree, playing the organ, doing an abstract watercolor. Being safe ...
#5 There are two things that make me "come alive". One I would say is when I am with my family. My family is so important to me and we all get along so well that we have a special connection with one another. We can be on a little vacation or just sitting around the front room, and since all of us being in the same place doesn't happen very often, it's very special to me. I also feel alive when I clog. My team is my second family and some of my best friends. I can be having the worst kind of day but going to class always makes me forget about my worries and for a few hours I am just able to be totally myself and not worry about the surrounding world. I also teach clogging to young kids and though some days I want to rip my hair out, there is a special feeling when you see that they are learning and loving to do what you do. They look up to you and to be a good example to them is not always easy but it's worth it.
ADSENSE HERE