20 responses so far ↓

• 1 Deb Owen Jun 9, 2009

  I’ve been putting off responding about a couple of speaking opportunities, and on the photo side – talking with an agency about partnering together.

  I’ll call them back today.
  

  Thanks for this!
  All the best!
  deb

  Deb Owen’s last blog post..what’s your story? (what do you think it ‘should’ be?)

• 2 Tisha Jun 9, 2009

  Everything you wrote resonates with me! I too tend to hide and I’ve been working on expressing myself versus waiting to be asked. It’s such a different place to be, isn’t it?

  I appreciate hearing your honest words on your own journey with this–thank you! Makes me feel a little less alone!

  Much love,
  Tish

• 3 Lea Howell Jun 9, 2009

  Jen….I have just yesterday “created” a corner space in my living room to “write my world” in!
  I have found that after I read your “writing rituals” piece……..and reading SARK’s “Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper”……that I was failing at writing, not because I wasn’t writing, but it wasn’t fun. As a new part of my career as a nurse/consultant/speaker/advocate..
  it should be FUN! Using the knowledge of 20 years in a new way should be wonderful……but it felt like a chore. Not only that, but I felt that I had to have a designated room, alot of equipment, and money to have a great place to work!
  I am a travel nurse, so having little space and less than an office full of useful items……I have created a writing place! A FUN, colorful, inspirational, spiritual, musical and very whimsical place! It only took me a minute to FEEL differently about my writing once I sat in the chair in my new space! PHENOMENAL!!!!
  I can’t wait to share it. I have taken a picture and will make a video of my place to help others see how simple and quickly you can make a space MAGICAL! I simply used things that I had on hand……no big office, no equipment….and no significant cost. I put together my space for $10.00!!!

  A simple action to share a gift! How much better does it get? I so wish that I could attend the writers retreat in July…..just can’t swing the cost right now. But I am hopeful that a retreat will be in my future within the year!

  Thanks for all you do to inspire me!
  Lea

• 4 Josiane Jun 9, 2009

  The action I’ll take today to put my Thing out into the world is to buy the domain name for my online business, and maybe put up my homepage. I most probably won’t get much farther than that, as I have to get ready for a trip, but at least this step will be done and I can move forward as soon as I come back.
  By the way, I’ll have lots of content to write for that website, and that’s what I’ll be working on at the writer’s retreat!

  Josiane’s last blog post..Exposing some flesh

• 5 Maribeth Jun 9, 2009

  Geez Jen – your timeliness and honesty with things continues to blow me away. I hide too. One of the things that causes me to hide is my hearing. 3 years ago I was diagnosed with hearing loss – nerve deafness – that is progressive and who knows if I’ll be able to hear anything in 10 years except for the constant tinnitus. There’s nothing to be done about it and that was a blow. The ENT told me to live as a hearing impaired person for a few years (I thought I already had been) and then see him around my 50th birthday for hearing aids. I had that big birthday last month but I keep thinking that it hasn’t gotten that bad yet. On the phone, I use my headphones and have gotten good at moving the volume dial so unless there’s static or background noise, I’m a regular person! But . . . both my sons are home from school now and they’re both ragging on me to go for another test. It’s not that I don’t hear them, I hear some consonants wrong or I hear every other word or so and fill in the blanks, often incorrectly – so I get the wrong gist out of too many conversations these days. It can be really amusing, but it’s just happening so much now. It’s easy to hide working at home . . . but it certainly does affect my business in ways I’ve tossed under the rug. Ugh.

  I don’t do a lot of social things because of this. When you take a wrong turn in a conversation, it’s really embarrassing. My hubby says I just need to tell people – and that’s what’s been so hard for me. It’s embarrassing and when you tell someone, they SHOUT AT YOU. I don’t need people to shout, just enunciate and that’s hard for a lot of people. Of course, in a crowded room with lots of noise, any one on one conversation is going to be very difficult for me.

  Yesterday, I fessed up to Cairene, and I’m going to take your lead and come out of hiding. But baby steps Just a bit ago, I asked my hubby to enunciate a little better. When he’s telling me something serious, he lowers his voice – which is a wonderful business tactic to get people to really pay attention to you – doesn’t work for me at all. He shouted at me

  Love and thanks Jen! Let’s be brave together.

• 6 Sheri Jun 9, 2009

  YUMMY! I have shared it with the world on FB and my blog!

  Thanks again Jennifer. You are a gem!

  Sheri’s last blog post..Book Review from Author and Life Coach Jennifer Louden

• 7 sue Jun 9, 2009

  im going to deal with a customer who says one of the prints i sold to her doesn’t look right and make sure that we both win here.

  sue’s last blog post..WHO WANTS TO MAKE A MANDALA?

• 8 Laura Jun 9, 2009

  I’ve been hiding more and more lately, licking my wounds after what has felt like far too much turbulence and change. Thanks for writing this, it’s given me some perspective on my own actions.

  As an act of not-hiding, tonight I’ll tell a story to defend an old friend and maybe my self. I’m good at standing up for others, not so much for myself. But this time I can perform for us both.

  Thanks again.

• 9 Goddess Leonie | Goddess Guidebook Jun 9, 2009

  I just think you are sooo wonderful

• 10 jeana Jun 10, 2009

  I too am a hider… and have realized that it’s really fear. For if someone ‘finds’ me while I’m hiding, it’s not because I forced myself on them, or because I ‘won’ them over, or convinced them of something — its simply because they’re interested. It’s.. less risky that way…. so I thought.

  But then I realized, I hid myself so far away… that I’m missing out on life! Life is taking risks, meeting new people, going on adventures. I recently created a list.. 101 things to do 1001 days.. (http://hwy68.blogspot.com/) with the understanding that “Being in action. Taking baby steps.” isn’t so overwhelming… it’s kind of fun actually.

• 11 Jennifer Jun 10, 2009

  Oh I’m so glad to read that I’m not the only one who hides… it makes me want to take lots of simple actions today to stop.

  And the one I will take is every time I find myself thinking “He’s so much funnier than I am” or “I must be boring them all I’m so dumb,” I’ll stop and notice something I am grateful for!

• 12 Wendy Cholbi Jun 12, 2009

  Wow, synchronicity in action yet again. I wrote a post on my blog today that’s all about Being The Real Me, even when I’m not sure what business action to do next. I think it completely fits the theme of “coming out of hiding.”

  And I wrote and published the post *before* reading yours! I’d like to say something witty like “great minds think alike,” but that would be calling myself “great”… aw, heck, Jen, we’re *both* great. Thanks for helping me proclaim that to the world.

  Wendy Cholbi’s last blog post..I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m going to be ME while I do it

• 13 Lisa Jun 15, 2009

  I will embrace my creativity (by making some handmade treasures to sell at the Market this weekend).

  I will focus on what I want ~ and not what I don’t want.

  As John Wooden said “do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do!”.

  Thank you for this post. Very timely and relevant! (I’ve been hiding for far too long.)

• 14 Jennifer Jun 15, 2009

  Oh we angels and goddesses are coming out of hiding, standing up in our lives, flaws and all.

  Thank you for helping me feel less alone!

• 15 Lisa Jun 18, 2009

  I promised to actively speak up in class instead of hiding while others argued…and I did

• 16 Mary Jun 19, 2009

  Ahh… hiders of the world, UNITE! :0)

  While I am very comfortable writing, emailing, posting blog notes and pages, etc., it is with sincere difficulty I have calling people. What is with this? I think I feel as though I am able to be thoughtful, and erase, and back-up, and delete some more, until it looks really good in written form. And with my voice, I some times find it difficult to express my intense and amazing desires and wishes.

  I read your note earlier, and decided I would, at a meeting with my doula sisters today, not only deeply listen, but express myself and make nourishing navigations thorugh the land of “Can you give us more…??? And oh yes, we don’t want you to charge any money…. and oh yes, it is going to take a lot of your time and energy. So when will you sign up?” Anyway, I was able to navigate the needs with empowerment and strength, stay grounded, speak from my heart is a really open and positive way, and bring the group out of a place of suffering (that quagmire meetings sometimes get into – the rant) to a place of forward motion. I felt I was able to express my need for boundaries and not over-commit.

  All in all, it felt delicious…!!! Thank you !!

  with love and blessings,
  m.

• 17 Mary Jun 20, 2009

  I have never believed in accidents, and feel that all that happens in our life, is shaping us for a very specific purpose. How I navigated to this wonderful spot is beyond me, because this was not my intended goal or location, your blog/website, and clearly no accident I’m here. It’s not even close to what I should have found (when I thought I was in control of the destination-chuckle)
  While on one hand I recognize the powerful and influential side of my personality, I too, also hide. Perhaps my fear is really being afraid of the the potential power that is capable of happening if I didn’t hide or “keep the lid on it.” I hope that makes sense. I’m not a writer, and now in the evolution of my second career I have to write, and have been hiding behind that as well.
  So…I suppose I deviated from your original question…what will I do? For me, I will begin to write from my heart. That will be a large step for my small footprint.
  Thank you for your transparent and truthful honesty.
  I will practice the same.
  Mary

• 18 Chris Jun 21, 2009

  Hi Jen,

  My simple action this morning was to correct a shop assistant at my local corner store for charging me too much for a loaf of bread. I later realised that even with this correction I was still over charged by 1p.
  Not a big deal in itself, but when you have been struggling for months to find a job, it is easy to get bogged down with the small things. This made me realise that in order to progress, it is these small things you need to take care of first and everything else falls into place.

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