Loud n' proud...

I swear to you, my phone has been blowing up with tags, texts, emails, mentions, links, comments, support, kudo's, tweets, and love since BOLO last night. Literally, non. stop.

My whole life I have gathered troops around me - anywhere and everywhere. I could literally make friends with a tree. I gather people to love, people who love me, people to laugh with, people to have fun with....but hardly ever people to really open up to. No, no, no. Let's talk about you! I have always spent waaaaaaay more time inquiring about their lives, what made them tick, and learning all about the things that made them unique, so that I wouldn't have to crack myself wide open and let anyone in.

That is the sad and brutal truth of it, really.

But part of my journey has been about learning to open myself up and trusting that people won't take my genuine love for them and smack me in the face with it. I am figuring out how to let people see my hurt, pick me up when I fall, help me carry the load, and I am letting them know and love me.

It's time. And I absolutely deserve to get back what I have always given out so freely.

Last night, I was amazed at how a room full of strangers, with a common interest in the written word, could come together and hold me up  - and I am not quite sure how I knew that it would be an okay place to share as openly as I did, but somehow, I could sense it would be okay before I even got there. And by the time I was done? Man oh man, I could feel the energy being poured into me...because I am open to it now. And. It. Is. Awesome.

To watch the video of the Blog Out Loud Ottawa (BOLO) post that I read last night, please click here.

And to read the much better, happier and stronger list of my Top 10 Bests, please click here.

I am filled with gratitude, and sending all that love, energy and support right back atcha kid.

Have an AWESOME day!
xoxox
~J