A few months ago, my dear friend Anne Bérubé asked me if I would be her guest for a Facebook Live conversation. Anne is a writer and a speaker, and the author of Be Feel Think Do, published by Hay House in 2017. I was Anne’s first reader and editor, and am delighted to be a character in her book! (The photo above captures the moment when Anne first handed her book to me!)
During our Facebook Live conversation, Anne wanted to chat about the writing process, our authentic voice, and the things that can keep people from sharing their words. I loved this idea. The only problem?
I was terrified.
First off, I’m a writer. This is how I express myself most comfortably. Communicating verbally has always come a distant second and I’ve done a good job of telling myself that it’s not my forté. Second, this conversation would be LIVE. No chance to see it first and fix things I’d screwed up. No chance to say something again, but this time more articulately!
I tried to put Anne off, but at the end of August, when our families were vacationing together (and Anne knew she had me captive!), she asked again.
I said yes and the butterflies began their intense fluttering. Luckily, I only had to wait a few days.
In the end, what happened surprised me. I was more comfortable in front of the camera than I would have imagined and I actually had fun. Quite a lot of fun. It confirmed for me that doing scary things is important, maybe even essential. Being willing to be brave injects us with life energy and shows us that the stories we’ve been telling ourselves might not be true.
If you’re interested in checking it out, here’s the video of our conversation. And if you’d rather listen, here’s Anne’s podcast (scroll down to #36).
Thanks and happy listening!
