#STS
Is about raising our heads, facing the day, with strength, with our shoulders back, ready, capable, willing and able.
This motto has weaved its way throughout my life for the last 13 years. Inspired by an incident where I was doing everything opposite of these notions and words for years.
I realized in this moment, that while I may not have the power to change other people or the way they react to things, I do have the power to change how I stand, how I hold myself, how I treat myself, and how I face the day.
This motto has been written with pencil, with ink, and even in tattoo’s to remind us. We are stronger together. We are better together. When we rise. When we stand up.
I always hold this vision of myself, facing the sun, facing the day, facing whatever may come without crumpling or falling down. And yet, the pitfalls still happen. The pain, the illusion of unworthiness, the heartaches and grief of being attached to stories and outcomes that might not really truly be my story. The feelings are different these days. And while they still come, they’re also Quicker.
For I remember in an instant to #STS.
To Stand UP.
To Raise my head, my hand, my Voice.
To honor all the Love and Electricity running through these veins with Honor, Honesty and Integrity.
Gratitude comes in the form of bravery when we show up to our lives, to ourselves, to our loves in this way.
All those quotes, classes, motivations and inspirations that can be seen online and in our lives… They’re TRUE! For every single one of us. When we stand up, show up, and listen. Our lives start interweaving and sprouting these inspirations. These miracles of living. Life always gets better when we listen to it.
Pain ain’t easy friends. Being honest about our pain, our broken hearts, our grief, the burdens that we carry and can’t find a way to let go of… That’s the True Strength… When we choose to Stand Up anyway, with whatever we are, whatever we’ve got… that’s #STS.
“Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”
– Brené Brown
I’m done trying to prove that I’m not broken, that I’m healed, that I somehow know the magical cure for myself and others to feel better. I don’t. And I can’t take anyone’s pain away. But what I can do is Stand Up and share the journey of how I learned to Stand Up in my own life amidst the struggle and pain anyway.
Ultimate moments of vulnerability or even perhaps humility can shine and sparkle themselves into our braver brighter days.
BOTH are a part of the story. The pain and the triumph.
BOTH help us rise. The mountain and the valley.
BOTH become who we really are as we continue to stand up, face new days, with new dreams, new intentions, and new openings for Love to travel through our Lives as we continue to travel through our own.
“If you can see your path Laid out in Front of you Step by Step. You know it’s not your path. YOUR OWN PATH you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your Path.”
-Joseph Campbell
And while we are in continual creation of our own paths, our own lives, this motto bares a Simple message.
Stand Up friends.
Reveal Your Strengths to help others Stand Up too.
#StandTallAndStrong
Because we need you, and you need you too.
“And still I rise,”
– Maya Angelou