Go With Your Heart

Just wanted to share some thoughts.

I got fired up the other day in a response to someone leaving a group that I'm in. This individual made  an announcement about leaving, shared a controversial video, and included a comment about intolerance in a group where tolerance is front and center, in my opinion.

And I know it's who I am to defend people and causes and places I care about - so maybe I reacted too quickly, or maybe my words weren't my finest - but - and this is a big one - I went with my heart. 

And that's an important part of what we're doing there [in that group]. We're going with our hearts. We're there because somewhere in our hearts we determined that we needed to educate ourselves. Because somewhere in our hearts we recognized that we need to be doing more. Learning more. Finding ways to educate our children and loved ones. Finding ways to be there for our children. For the children of others.

This is not a group where you go to find your yeses. If you're looking for yeses turn to your friends who think exactly the way that you do. And I do mean exactly. Because - well - if you need that then those are the kinds of friends you need.

Oh, and yes, our brains come into play. Of COURSE they do. But our hearts really lead the way - don't they? When we see violence against People of Color, we don't always stop and think, but man, our hearts. They feel it. When we think that someone is being mean and rude, we feel it. When we think we're being spoken to roughly? We feel it.

And for our entire lives our purpose in all that we have done and continue to do is to protect and shield our hearts.

Consider it. We try to do so for our kids. We try to do so for ourselves. We make choices that are safe. We do a lot of deep thinking and discussing before taking leaps. Why?

Because heartache is impossible to bear. Impossible to sail through. And when someone calls us out on our sh*t? That hurts our heart. Because it makes us question all the things we've done over all the years of our lives. And that hurts like hell.

And so, if your heart hurts by things you're learning - wherever that learning is happening? Consider it growth. My grandmother used to say hiccups meant your heart is growing. Consider these the hiccups on the road to finding out more about yourself and more about who you are and who you want to be.

Because those leaps you take? They're the greatest ones of all. Remove the shield from your heart, as you would when you search for love, when you aim for a new job, learn a new skill, all of it. Clear a path and try to pull the armed guards away. Make space. Do it. You deserve it. And so do the people in your world. Not just those in your life. In your whole world. Do it. Knock down the gates. Open those doors. Go with your heart, even when it hurts.

* Non-sponsored important information, shared as a paying member of the group and a paid-in-full student of the course and subsequent content: 

If you're looking to learn and grow and are committed to doing the work, have a look at my friend Danielle Slaughter's Raising An Advocate course and group. 

The course itself is phenomenal. It's important. And it's worth the investment. But the group is what happens next. Where the work happens after the initial wave of learning is done. Where you continue to grow and learn and find your way. You can do a monthly payment, or you can invest in yourself and Danielle and pay in one lump sum for the year. Whichever works for your budget. And if you can't financially afford to do this right now, there are options. So speak up. Look into them. Find your way. We need you. Your kids - if you have 'em - need you. Your friends' kids need you. And you need this.

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