Welcome to the world, LOVING BRAVELY!! After months of writing, rewriting, worrying, and appreciating, my first book has made its way into the world.
As someone who has never identified as a “creative” person, I must say that it’s pretty wild to hold in my hands something that I created. Loving Bravely is about the role of self-awareness in our intimate lives. Our willingness to take a curious and compassionate stance vis a vis ourselves creates the conditions for empowered connection with an intimate partner. This paradigm has been the focus of my clinical work and my teaching for 15+ years. What I did not anticipate as I began my writing journey is how much writing a book about self-awareness would teach me about… me! It makes sense, right? All of the risks we take in life—with our jobs, our travels, our relationships—open the door to a deepened connection to self. On this writing journey, I watched myself struggle with fear, self-doubt, and pride. I watched myself shrink and grow in the face of feedback from others. I watched myself step into my voice in new ways.
What project is whispering to you? Are you open to the self-expansion that comes with risk?
Something else that I have been really aware of these days is just how much Loving Bravely is deeply mine and deeply not mine… at the very same time. I wrote it, yes. But the people I love and have been loved by are on every single page—my mentors, clients, friends, family, spouse. I think that is true of every creative project we claim as our own.
Mine/not mine.
Separate/connected.
Attached/surrendered.
I’ll close with this. I have been holding awareness of the waves of emotion crashing over me lately. I feel so much joy and enthusiasm about the birth of this book. And… that giddy excitement sits right next to the fear and sadness I feel as I watch the events unfolding in our country. Those emotional both/and spaces are slippery ones, aren’t they? I have found it helpful to center myself again and again on the trust I have in the work of the book. In my bones I know that strengthening and healing ourselves with awareness, compassion, and curiosity sets the stage for us to step into LOVE—courageous, empowered, eyes-open love. During this time of uncertainty, may we offer nothing less than that to ourselves and to each other.
Happy reading, everyone! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and reactions. And book selfies are, of course, ALWAYS welcome.
Get Loving Bravely → Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
