Sharing Ideas Ignites Passion

Yesterday I got to share in a powerful brainstorming session with a good friend. She desires to write a book. As we talked and shared stories, her face lit up with energy and passion about her project. You could see the wheels turning in her brain as we developed possibilities for her book.

“I can’t wait to get home and start writing,” is how we left our brainstorming session. With an action plan in hand, she found new motivation to put her dream into words.

This experience brought me back to my teaching days. One of my favorite parts of teaching was to sit down with students and help them think. As we talked, they developed ideas. Soon, their ideas had organization, structure, and powerful prose that they were proud of.

I try to do the same thing at the kickboxing studio. I enjoy sitting down with members, discussing their goals, and strategizing ways for them to achieve their results. Members faces light up when they realize that a healthy, confident lifestyle can be theirs.

But, sharing ideas and dreams can also be scary. It is as if you say it out loud, and the universe knows your desires. You have the possibility of being judged. It places you in an area of vulnerability that makes many (including me) uncomfortable.

Though I have developed the art of listening with a non-judgemental, helpful ear… I sometimes feel vulnerable when I want to share my ideas. In fact, I have chose to not share much since March. Personally, I think the world has been very “judgey” lately, and I don’t want to be judged. Therefore, I have chosen to be silent. I write in a personal journal, where it is not read by anyone and, therefore, safe.

But this brainstorming session yesterday was actually really powerful. It allowed me to see that I, too, need to share ideas in order to re-ignite my passion as well. When I was studying literature in grad school, I used to argue that storytelling kept us human. It is the sharing of experiences, thoughts, and deep connections that allows us to feel, learn, and grow.

Yesterday’s brainstorming and sharing of ideas allowed me to find my creative spirit again. It allowed me to think, and ultimately to be inspired in a way that I haven’t felt since March. It was great to have two of us leave a conversation with the inspiration and motivation to put our ideas into words.