Sorry Eleanor Roosevelt, but I disagree

Eleanor Roosevelt said, "It takes courage to love..."  Sorry Eleanor, but I disagree. I think it’s easy to love.

There was a time in my life when I loved him and he loved another. Lying alone on the cold tile of our bathroom floor I wished I didn’t love. I wondered what was wrong with me. I wished I was her and I prayed for courage.

Many years later I can see clearly now: It’s easy to love. It takes courage to stop loving.

As a young mom I held my babies close. I memorized every freckle on their little noses. I knew the origin of each bruise and scrape. It’s 10 o’clock and I’m picking up my teens from the movie theatre. Cell phones and bras replace the pacifiers and diapers. I bite a nail for each minute I wait to see them safely enter my car. Tonight, when they’re fast asleep, I’ll hold them tight again.

Everyday my children teach me: It’s easy to love. It takes courage to let go.

I kept a journal of poems all through my life. Every now and then I would read a few to someone special, someone safe. Blogging has opened me up to an audience of passionate, intelligent, funny and sometimes crazy women. I read your blogs and I’m in love. I envy the freedom you have with your words. How can I be that funny or poetic? I hit the “publish” button and cringe. I read my post a dozen times and it never sounds good enough.

Blogging forces me to remember: It’s easy to love. It takes courage to let others love you.

This was my first guest post on: The Scoop on Poop

Ice Cream for Breakfast

Today The Drama Mama over at The Scoop on Poop gave me a shout-out and tomorrow I'll be a guest writer on her blog.

She asked me to write about the words “Love” and “Courage”.

I smuggly said, “Love and Courage. No problem. Got that covered.”

I finished my coffee ice cream then opened my journal to begin writing.  Then it happened.  Nothing.  I had nothing profound or interesting to say about Love and Courage. 

An old quote got lodged in my head.. ”It takes courage to love…” by Eleanor Roosevelt

Not unique, not my favorite quote, and not even sure I agree with it.

I insited, "Go away Eleanor" but she remained.  Finally I gave in and began reading other quotes by the amazing Eleanor (was she ever without insight?).  I stumbled across this one and my mind was free:

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face... Do the thing you thing you cannot do.” by Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt gives me inspiration today to write

without the fear of judgment.

Wish me luck in finishing my guest post.

Thanks for stopping by.

Please support me with your honesty.

Don’t be the victim of your own glass ceiling.

If you don’t strive to attain what you feel might be unattainable, you will never really know the limits of your potential.
I believe we fall victim to our own limitations every day.  

Wikipedia defines Glass Ceiling as:
Ceiling: “a limitation blocking upward advancement”
Glass:"transparent because the limitation is not immediately apparent”

Break the Ceiling

Shatter it, climb up and don’t look down.
Here are 5 steps to help you find that ceiling:
(after all, it’s invisible and you might not even know where you put it!)

1. Pick one aspect of your life that you want to progress or a new goal you feel is unattainable.
   (for example: money, job, family, blog, writing, preaching, coaching)
   Me:   I want to be a published author.
2. Find an example of someone who has achieved your unattainable goal.
   Me:   There are so many, how can I choose? Ok.. here are two of my favorites.  Both of these women are accomplished authors of memoirs.
   
   

   	Sarah Saffian author of Ithaka: A Daughter’s Memoir of Being Found
   	Elizabeth Gilbert author of Eat, Pray, Love

3. Tell yourself why you CAN'T do what they did.
   Me:   I can’t be a published author because: I’m not famous. I don’t have a degree in English or writing. I don’t have an agent. I don’t have the financial means for editors or publicist. I’m just a jersey girl, ex computer geek, who knows nothing about publishing a book. Wow… I feel worse now than I did before this exercise.
4. Take off the blindfold, you’ve just found your ceiling.
   Me:   Ok… All of the reasons stated in #3 are true. I can’t change them. BUT… my ceiling is that I ASSUME these are reasons I won’t get published. If I let these doubts rule me, then I won’t even try, hence the ceiling. If I let my own limitations prevent me from climbing, then one thing is certain, I will never get there.
5. What next?
   Seeing clearly is the first step to success.
   Tune in next week for: How to keep yourself from keeping you back

Now go. Find your ceiling and let us all know about it.

Thanks for stopping by.
Please support me with your honesty.