Monday, August 20, 2018

You Matter: A Love Letter

Nearly 5 years ago, I launched a free monthly email love letter program aimed at sending kindness, encouragement, a little guidance, and a lot of love at whoever was willing to read. I hoped that it might brighten readers' days—or maybe give them a gentle and needed nudge to make change. I was awed when, each month, someone (or many) would write back to me and tell me the letter was exactly what they needed to hear that day.

I've decided to retire the letters but plan to repost many of them here for those who weren't subscribers at the time they went out. As always, I hope that maybe they'll make those who read them feel understood and adored.

____________________________________________________________

Dearest,

I was at a party recently when someone started telling a story about a baby with a minor birth defect. A question came up about it, and a friend who was sitting next to me rattled off a bunch of answers under her breath, but when I encouraged her to share them with the person who brought up the story, she shrunk like a wilting daisy.


When was the last time you hid your greatness?

It’s funny how sometimes you know you have something truly valuable to contribute but fear of judgment, or seeming like a know-it-all, or maybe just the sound of your own voice stops you dead in your tracks.

The thing is, what you have to say matters.

What you do matters. Who you are matters. Out of the 7+ billion people on this planet, you are the only one with your exact mixture of smarts, talent, insight, beauty, and wit. When you don’t share what you have to offer—when you dim your unique light—you’re doing the world a disservice.

So KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!

Kidding. Sort of…

This world needs what you have. And your spirit needs the world to have it. You need to be yourself and use your voice, or else you’re not living what Brene Brown would call a “wholehearted” life.

Don’t sell yourself short. Don’t make yourself small. Step up and step into your power. Speak up and speak your truth. Give us all you’ve got.

And we’ll love you even more for it.


XXOO,