On Not Being Ready

This post comes from a different place than what I've posted to the blog, thus far. This post came from a physical sensation...a fire in my belly, if you will. 

 I am so lucky and fortunate to get to talk to talented, intelligent, vibrant, creative women all day long. Most days, I can't believe this is my work, and everyday I'm astounded by the stories, convictions, passions, bravery, heartbreak, and strength of the women that I'm connected to through The Hivery. I see first-hand the creative process, grit, ups/downs, and collaborative spirit. I am so buoyantly uplifted by women supporting each other, and it is the depth of this potential that keeps me endlessly motivated to build the best Hivery I can.

However, every now and then come the words that create a pit in my stomach. It goes something like this:

Fabulously talented, engaging woman:  "Wow, what you're doing at The Hivery sounds so cool....I love what it stands for...I'd love to be part of something like that".

Me: "You should come check it out. I'm blown away by what happens when women come together to create their own meaningful work"

And then, here it comes, it's when I hear the delay in her voice, the "uh, maybe someday"...and finally, "I'm not ready".

"I'M NOT READY".

Listen, I've said it, too. I've probably even said it this month! But every time I hear those words, I think back to a very sad day, maybe my very saddest. And my stomach hurts and my body tenses up, and I can't help but wonder, what are we getting "ready" for? 

And here's where my mind goes immediately, almost every time I hear those words. I am transported back to sitting by my sweet mother's bedside as she was dying. Sorry for the sad story ladies, but it's true. 

In my eyes, my mom was perfect (well, as close as I've ever known). She was smart, hilarious, devoted, creative, loving, fun, and more. I could go on and on. But, on one of her last days, she said, "I'm not done yet. I haven't done what I wanted to do"...and it was heart-breaking. She, like all of us, wanted more time, more experiences, more days, and she knew she couldn't have them. She fought like hell in her final days, because she felt she wasn't done.

So, when I hear women say, "I'm not ready", I'm not sure that I can continue to be so gentle and cheerfully say, "Well, come by when you're ready". Because, the clock is ticking on this beautiful life, and the years are quickly melting together.

AND YOU, YES BEAUTIFUL, UNIQUE YOU, HAVE A VERY SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THIS WORLD. AND DEEP DOWN, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS.

And if you choose to sit on it because you're too busy (often known as scared), then I'm scared, too. I'm scared you're not going to get to it. I'm scared that you're going to build up a litany of very practical excuses, and you'll put everyone else's needs first, and you'll make sure everyone else is engaged, curious, and exploring, before you even take a moment for your inside self. 

So forget ready, forget busy...blow off your errand list, and sit yourself down with your pen and notebook. All I ask is 15 minutes...write down your deeply rooted dream, your idea, your conviction. I don't care if it's massively large or beautifully small. But, there's something brewing in that heart of yours and I'm afraid that "I'm not ready" isn't good enough anymore.

See you at The Hivery. Let's get to it.   

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