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Dear Subscriber First Name, Recently, in the midst of what seems like a torrent of unfolding cruelty and lies in our world, I have found myself incredibly appreciative of a growing swell of courageous truth-tellers. People pouring their hearts out through music, film, art, poetry, writing, and podcasts, on Substack and beyond. People using their vulnerability and voices to help us find our own; a groundswell of heroic seekers and creatives trying to help us to wake up and stay awake in these very poignant times. I love discovering new heroes; those who have a platform and are bravely “stretching” truth. Stretching their truths - not into exaggerations - but into bigger spaces for all of us, and all of who we are, to belong. Stretching themselves out of comfort zones, calling us to join them in naming and sharing what is most real for us, beyond the boundaries of the truths we have been told are most acceptable or admirable. Inviting us to stretch beyond prescriptions, and to become more heroic about exploring and expressing our human stories. We are so impacted by each other’s example. You know how it is when you are with someone who gets vulnerable, and your courage to be more vulnerable instantly turns up? Or, how, when someone shares something really honest, you find yourself wanting to be more truthful? Have you been in a circle of people doing check-ins or self-intros and during someone’s turn they take it to a deeper, more genuine place? And then it’s as if the whole circle feels an impulse to “go again”? Or everyone around the table wants to share something more? Can you imagine how heroic it might be if we threw out the agenda or the meal schedule, and just kept going? Can you imagine living in such a way that your very presence could give others encouragement to be and share more of what is true for them? We can no longer afford for our heroes to be as one-dimensional as they have been in the past. In a time when anxiety and depression are at all-time highs, especially among younger people, this is an important moment for those of us with some years under our belts to dare to be more thin-skinned and emotionally honest. To make it clear that embracing the truth of uncertainty can grant us more peace than trying to know it all. To name our quirks and idiosyncrasies. To elevate the road less traveled. To celebrate curiosity as much as achievement, and love as the greatest accomplishment. In her essay, "Your Silence Will Not Protect You," Audre Lorde says, "You were not born to be a well-behaved echo. Say the strange, true thing. Even if your voice shakes. Especially then." My heroes always dare to say the brave and true things while their voices are shaking. They don’t wait for perfection; they speak from where they are. They embolden my curiosity and courage. My heroes help me to walk through my life incredibly grateful. They give me hope. May the resources in the museletter below and on my website embolden you to share more of what truly matters to you. With abiding appreciation, always -
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