be audacious. and don't trample the flowers

I am blessed to be surrounded (virtually) by women of courage.  women who will walk up to their fears and bitch-slap them down, or find a way around, or in some method big or small - make their dreams come true.  the list is endless, and it chokes me up to think of all the audaciousness their lives encompass.  i feel small and whiny compared to their feats of strength.  but then i feel large and capable.
one such person is Patricia ("Trish") Seggebruch.  and i rip off, copy & paste, and otherwise borrow this from her blog, because she says it best:

‘When a resolute woman steps up to a great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, she is often surprised to find it comes off in her hand, and it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers.’

RW Emerson~

________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is only in the effort of facing down our own demons and putting our faith to the test

that we find out how strong we are

or how weak the supposed enemy.

And when the enemy is our own ill conceived notions of ourself

our ability

our strength

our value

our dedication

our purpose

our contribution

all the more amazing

the joy and wonder of

having the beard come off in one’s hand~

Come along with me on one amazing, bold adventure.

With this one timid yet bold adventurer.

- See more at: http://www.pbsartist.com/blog/#sthash.gVAk0WK0.dpuf


Yes.  I read these words and said yes.  After yesterday's crushing of my heart, i read this today and said Bring It.
Can I explain/lecture here a minute?  I may be preaching to the choir, but there is one specific person that needs to hear this, and won't otherwise listen.  When a person shares their Dream with you…their deepest, fear-filled step-at-a-time-gonna-do-this Thing, consider yourself blessed and be grateful for the trust they have put in you to share the most raw parts…trust that you won't tip the salt shaker onto those still-forming Dreams…They are not  asking your opinion and especially not not not asking you to play Devil's Advocate, which as we know is a thinly disguised manner in which people allow themselves bad behavior and all manner of dream-crushing under the guise of making sure you've thought this through….hence the name.  it is a very thinly disguised forum for a person to exhibit their hostility and perhaps jealousy.  it is never, however, appropriate to offer up your DA.  and if the Dreamer should ask, "what do you think?"  they usually are not asking truly "what do you think?" but instead asking for reassurance that they have the skills, knowledge, and balls to work through any dilemma until the Dream is satisfied in one of two possible outcomes…it lives, or it does not.  but either way - the purpose of Dreams are often the skills and knowledge acquired along the way, not the actual "success" of the Dream.  which makes it successful, no matter what the apparent outcome then, no?  (that's French).  So i guess the so-called Devil's Advocacy foisted upon my ears, and the Only Possible Solutions pushed and shoved at me yesterday turned what could have been a Very Wonderful conversation into a battleground, which i do not appreciate and lowers you on my list of People To Be Trusted With Dreams Of Any Sort.  it is not up to you to resolve my bumps in the road, and i certainly did not ask for the torrent of trash strewn at me verbally.  do not do that again.  This dragon will protect her heart.  And i will not excuse your words unless asked in an apology.  I will, however, notice that your thinly disguised disgust of my Dream in verbal form…did. not. sway. me.  i stumbled with the blow, but my last thought before sleep was "tomorrow starts again."  So on the other hand, i thank you for allowing the lesson.  but that hand remains closed, hiding the Dream.