I haven’t blogged for a long while. This is mostly because somewhere along the way I lost my voice. It became swamped by the strains and stresses of life and I fell silent.
I have just got back from Spring Harvest, a Christian Conference. The theme was – Be, Say, Do. Somewhere over that week I found my voice again. I spoke in discussion groups, jumped up on stage to sing with Andy Flannagan and had discussions with my friends about all we were learning and what we wanted to change.
I have a notebook full of notes that I need to now re read and summarise. I have books to read and I have a desire to hold onto my voice.
Be
A lot of questions have been raised for me about who and what I am going to be. How I am going to be. I question whether in all aspects of my online and offline life I have been authentic. What does that really mean and how do you ensure it? This is something I will be exploring more.
Say
I believe we all have a natural filter, things we say and things that we hold back. I realise now that I have often held back in encouragement. I do and have always encouraged but not enough. I have remained silent when I could have brought words that would have helped and uplifted others. This is something I want to change. I have also stayed silent when I should have made sure my voice was one to be heard. This is also something I want to work on.
Do
I realised when I was away that the main thing I do is work. I know that balance is important but also I have written off a lot of what I do at work as if it is unimportant. I have conversations with young people everyday who are marginalised and feel unimportant and I invest in them.
I also recognise there are times when I have withdrawn and kept myself to myself when I could have been out doing. I recognise now that I have often built things up and felt that doing meant something huge, something really time consuming and it isn’t about that.
I have massively over complicated what is really simple. So over the next few months I am going to work on simplifying and not tying myself in knots.
How do you feel about Be, Say, Do?
shemakesmoments 
This is wonderful Louise and I could have written a very similar post myself. I hope you enjoy our journey and share it with us – I’ll be reading!
LikeLike
Thank you so much, was very liberating to write!
LikeLike
Great blog post! I know you’ve felt frustrated at work over the last few weeks/months….I also know how MASSIVELY important teachers are to young people. You have no idea the seeds you can sow, every, single day. You never forget a good teacher (or a bad one). What we do forget are the ones who fall in the middle. I want to encourage you to believe in the difference you have and can make in the lives of others. Even if you don’t see an immediate return, believe you’re sowing seeds for a future harvest, whether that’s online, offline, face to face, phone, email or text. Every little counts! Keep being amazing 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you so much for the encouragement!
LikeLike
Enjoyed your post! I have 3 siblings who are all teachers and I know the hard work and dedication that goes into it. They each have their own voice in their classrooms and each bring something special to those children as I believe each of us do in our daily work and lives.
LikeLike
Thanks for commenting. Glad you enjoyed it.
LikeLike
Pingback: Sunday Stuff 7/4/13 | heathermaystanley
Reblogged this on redeemedstories.
LikeLike