↠ＵＮＴＡＭＥＤ↞

I joined a book club this year with a group of women.

All of them are exceptionally intelligent, strong, deep thinkers and fearless communicators.

There is an auspicious power in surrounding yourself with a solid group of individuals that challenge you on an intellectual and emotional level.

I once read,

“𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟓 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡.”

This has become something I consistently and invariably consider.

I’ve been fortunate to have amassed many unique and truly authentic friendships and connections in my life.  I think in order for this type of connection to happen, we have to offer up the most genuine version of ourselves to others.  To share knowledge and perspective.  To not be afraid to hear views that challenge our current perspectives and beliefs.  To remain present even when it’s uncomfortable.  To discuss difficult experiences and expose the presumably sordid pieces of ourselves.  To not only serve up our own insecurities but also create space for people to do the same. To recognize that while our lives are unique, we are all intrinsically the same.

This is one of my favourite excerpts from this book.

“𝚆𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚋𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎.  𝚆𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝, 𝚎𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚔, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍.  𝚆𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜.  𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎.  𝚆𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚎𝚌𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚗𝚞𝚖𝚋.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝚞𝚜.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗.  𝚆𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚍.  𝚆𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘.  𝚆𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍-𝚋𝚢𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚜, 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜, 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝.  𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚊𝚏𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐.  𝙰𝚕𝚜𝚘: 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐.  𝚆𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚞𝚜.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚕 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛.  𝚆𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚋𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐.  𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚢, 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍, 𝚐𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚢, 𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚢.  𝚆𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗, 𝚠𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗, 𝚠𝚎 𝚍𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗.  𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜, 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚜.  𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚠𝚎’𝚍 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.  𝚆𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚗’𝚝.  𝚆𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜.  𝚆𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚠𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗.  𝚆𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎.  𝚆𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙶𝚘𝚍.  𝚆𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎.  𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎.  𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚕𝚢.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍.  𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍.”

–Ｇｌｅｎｎｏｎ Ｄｏｙｌｅ， ＵＮＴＡＭＥＤ

xo,

Jen