Pride

The Commencement Ceremony

As Pomp and Circumstance brought you in, Capella University learners, tears welled in my eyes. You have worked hard to earn your degree, to walk across the stage and proudly proclaim, "I did it." The journey to get here was filled with moments of joy and some struggles, (but doesn't anything that is worth doing have both?) Now that you stand on the other side of it, how do you feel? Have those choices and struggles allowed you to discover a part of yourself that unlocked Perseverance  |  Integrity  |  Strength?

I tried to capture the amazing moments of your graduation ceremony. The sound of women's high heels across the wooden stage, the swoosh of regalia gowns and the uproarious cheers from family and friends that filled the auditorium. And me, a Capella University employee of 5 years, who came back to volunteer. It was important for me to be there, to connect with you.

So I wore my volunteer shirt with pride and as I stood in front of the auditorium, I took it all in and as you looked to me to help you find your seat, we made connections with smiles, high fives, hugs, "congratulations" or tears. I peered into the faces in the audience, watching them as they watched the graduation ceremony. Indescribable. My cheeks hurt from smiling, my feet hurt from standing, but my heart welled with love.
It is worth noting the beautiful power of being a part of someone's joy. These moments are gifts to our own souls too. And as I directed you to return to your seats, I got to glimpse into each of your hearts, after all you were showing them without armor, rather each was shiny, sparkly and filled with pride. And in my own heart, I felt encouraged.
Each of your stories weaved together and it became less about the details and more about how you were able do what needed to be done. How you were able to follow your heart, while still honoring the chatter of the internal critic. Even if the words, were only words, they Derailed  |  Stopped  | Halted you somewhere and you found yourself on the edge of greatness. And in this part of your journey, you began asking "how can you continue to follow your heart?" And here you began taking the road less traveled and without written instructions or black and white boundaries you did it. And the obstacles became even more honest, because they touch into our beautiful vulnerability. But when honored, the light shines even brighter and there is no doubt that what we are doing is great. And this is what I opened to. Ideas of how I can live my life began flooding in and I see myself as a learner who wants to receive my degree in Following My Heart  |  Speaking Truth  |  Being Passionate knowing this journey is one of the greatest I am on. So I circle back, how can you continue to follow my heart?"

Sharing My Pride: Do what matters!

Be passionate! Be proud! Follow your heart!

When August began, the intention was to write and write and write, hoping to unearth a truth that was there, it just didn't have light shone on it.
And when the words didn't come forward, I baked and baked and baked. And when my body was tired, I paused and fell in to myself.
The yoga class I took this week, had me appreciating my body, accepting the points of pain and the flood of tears that came out when my left leg twisted over my body. Something released and something was opened.
Something was loved and something was left unbroken.
Something was seen and something was shown.
It was life and love and beauty and death.
It as willingness and pride and heart and trust.
It was joy and sorrow and pain and ideas of tomorrow.
It was all and it was nothing.
It was a moment of opening and when I fell, I noticed where I wilted, where the journey takes me and how beautiful it was to stay there - with me.
And so, I to found the openness that comes when we recognize that our light shines the brightest when we do, what we do, because we know we are meant to. 
And in my words, in my blogging, my baking, I realized the gift hiding underneath it all, was that I love - all of me. The part that creates and writes. The part that loves baking for fundraisers and charities. The internal critic that says "is what I'm putting out into the universe valuable?" And I realize as long as I'm following my heart, no matter how it is received (although, I do hope it is Loved  |  Appreciated  |  Inspirational) like those newly graduated Capella learners, I need to share my pride in what I do.