Living the PooleProof Life

The PoolePRoof Wisdom Podcast Did you miss me? Because I've certainly missed you! It's been a while since the podcast last aired (let's just say life was happening and something had to give). So, as I prepared to make my return, I had a little work done (on the logo, not my face or anywhere else😉), and I am busy preparing new episodes. Expect new topics, great guests, and the inspiring wisdom and insight you've come to expect from the podcast. Get ready, good people, because the PoolePRoof Wisdom Podcast will be returning soon! https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-KyhPuyvS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Am primed to purchase the @badassboz book when it is available Feb. Got to meet her at the @hollyrodfdn Design Care event last year, and I let her know how much I appreciated the inroads she's made professionally that benefit so many. She was tremendously gracious and kind. I, of course, didn't know how much she had lost. That she is now sharing her story speaks to her strength, and realization that our personal stories have the power to help and heal people we don't know and will never meet. I read and learn from her story, and think anyone who has had to navigate great loss and tremendous challenges -- topics I've dealt with in my own books -- will find an insightful and authentic teacher in Ms. Saint John. Buy the book! https://www.instagram.com/p/CoqcayEtpUu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Classic No one is perfect, which is what is perfectly imperfect about being human. Everyone has things about themselves that they do not wish to share with the world or even acknowledge themselves, and it can be stressful to constantly feel inadequate because of them. However, if we do the work to accept ourselves and improve what we can, we can make progress that ensures what's worst about us fades away and what's best about us is elevated. Then, we are able to fulfill our truest potential as humans and no longer find our lives defined by our most base instincts and behaviors. We will never be perfect, but we can always be better. It's a goal we can commit to and definitely live with. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoZfR9Xu6Wm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom If you're describing any of your relationships as "It's complicated," pay attention. If your relationship -- what it is or isn't -- annoys you, you're already in trouble. Living with a frustrating relationship dynamic is exhausting. But the first step toward changing it is to stop slogging through each day as if you're doing penance. Sure, you may be irritated by a loved one for any number of reasons, and perhaps you're right that they they want and expect too much from you. Once you open a conversation with them about those issues, however, you can't control exactly how it will develop. This is where you must uncomplicate the complications. Letting go of your need to be seen as a good person might turn out to be necessary to do this, but you'll likely wind up with something or someone better when you speak your truth. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoX8l5fP2xZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Taking action on something you've long fantasized about might be necessary for your peace of mind right now. You may need to determine what's really possible before you embellish your dreams any further, so pace yourself and don't just jump in. And while the thought of having to explain what you're doing to others could cause you some anxiety, take advantage of the opportunity to reach out and ask for advice or help -- others can be more helpful and supportively generous than you expect, given the chance! https://www.instagram.com/p/CoTIPR4Lgkz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom How much time have you spent apologizing for just existing, the things about yourself you can't change, or the things you want to change but haven't been able to yet? How many years have you suffered because you couldn't be what others wanted you to be, even though you really, really tried? And how many years have you been denied what you really did deserve because you thought asking for it would only make life more difficult than it was? Oh, good person, I hurt for you. Not because these things happened, but because you are still allowing all of it to steal your life. Your hope. Your joy. So, right now, I want to encourage you to fight for the life you have ahead of you. I want you to make no more apologies, shrink no more to fit in, and live boldly in your full authenticity. This life, your life, is worthy of such freedom. Live, and do it on purpose. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoS2MyzPe0c/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PooleProof Wisdom Classic If you've been paying attention to what I share in this space even a little, you know I have leapt often and built a lot of sets of wings because through faith I know the risk is worth it. I consistently do this because I know that to reflect our faith, we must always face our fears and choose to overcome them, even when it seems impractical to do so. Life teaches us how to live it, but it also challenges us to live it well. Only when we are willing to accept the challenge do we appreciate the life. This, good people, is true. And if you didn't know, well now you know. Go forth and live. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoR6hDPu3nn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom This is one of my favorite quotes because it dares us to imagine more for ourselves than we tend to imagine. My thoughts these days veer toward "Why not?" versus "What if?" because I have done the work and discovered what I'm capable of, and learned that I am so much more than my limitations. I've also ascended to a place of consciousness where I do not allow the world, individuals, or circumstances to dissuade me from going for it all, whatever "all" may be. While many have come to expect that life will ultimately beat you down, I've learned that life challenges you to learn its secrets for living well. Part of that is not fearing being who you are destined to become. I have a tattoo on my arm that is a quote from Joan of Arc. It speaks directly to my faith in this thinking: "I am not afraid. I was born to do this." So were you, good person. So were you. (Do yourself a favor, by the way, and look up the rest of the quote from @mariannewilliamson; it both floors you and inspires us all to imagine the impossible. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoPbkcbuzh_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Classic Don't waste a perfectly good life always playing it safe. Take a risk, learn a lesson. . .grow. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoMh3dkOCXU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Friendships, like any important relationship, aren't all rainbows and butterflies. Real friendships have ups and downs, require adjustments and separations, and always lead to the realization that life is much better with the friend than without the friend. That's why truth is a non-negotiable I expect from and deliver to my friends. Not when it is convenient. Not when it's asked for. But the truth, period, on repeat. Does that mean I sometimes don't give an opinion when I have one? Absolutely. Does it mean I'll expect the friend to extend the same courtesy to me? Without a doubt. But when it matters, truth always prevails. Like my mama used to say, "Love demands truth to be fulfilled." So seek out the kind of friend who is a truth-teller, and be that friend as well. Oh, and one more thing: The truths you share are your business. No real friend would put your business in the street. That's another non-negotiable. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoGQ9cYLu1Q/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Classic I had early life experiences that taught me the power of being hopeful. Now, that ability is simply part of who I am. My hope never wanes, never shifts, and never fails to extend itself broadly even when I sometimes veer toward thinking the worst, even a little, before quickly standing again on the hopeful foundation I've built. The strength of my hope is that I have it in the dark as well as in the light. I am, after years of living with and through many challenges, unable to be anything but hopeful no matter how daunting or scary the circumstances are. Because of this, I never tend to dwell in doubt or uncertainty. Instead, I embrace possibility. It does not matter how small the possibility I imagine may be. I always find a way to navigate every path I find myself on, whether straight, narrow, or twisted. Hope is a superpower, and I am grateful to be in possession of it. I use it for good. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoE9tOyu_q1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Deciding between turning to others and being our own support system can frequently occupy our minds. In fact, a current struggle could be bubbling to the surface in difficult ways, and when those you trust and rely on are busy with their own lives, we might hesitate to reach out to them for a helping hand. In particular, being burned in the past could have convinced us that if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. But that isn't true, and you are getting in your own way. Ultimately, how you'll manage is up to you, but remember -- you don't have to go it alone. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn-7XnFN7k6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom My friend Kim Kitson shared this with me three years ago today, saying it reminded her of how I contemplate and think about life. Such a warm and thoughtful compliment, I thought. But that's how she is and moves in the world. She is kindness, personified. As I look at it again today, I see myself in the words, in the choices I've made, and in the happiness I've found. Gratitude washes over me because I know what I have can't be said to be something I deserve; I understand that it's only through grace that I find myself here. But I receive it, fully, because my faith compels me to. I believe I am worthy of happiness. Do you? Do you believe you are worthy, too? I hope you do, because, good person, you are. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn-pL2ZtuGp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Classic Storms will come. They have before and always will. Do not fear them, for they serve a purpose if you let them. Instead, focus on surviving the storm and ensuring that you have learned something more about yourself, something you can use to improve your own life and the lives of others going forward. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn9Zx_uuXsG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Don't carry into tomorrow what was finished today. Rest. Dream. Then, wake with hope for a better day ahead and do all you can to ensure that is exactly the day you have. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn8XkmFt0hQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Classic There's a point during the journey of self-improvement when, with the vast majority of the exterior work done, we want our interior experience to match what's outside. This is when we change how we present ourselves, from how we think, feel, and believe, to changing how we move in the world and those we welcome to travel with us. The change is even represented by the jobs we hold or choose not to hold any longer or the careers we've chosen to give up in pursuit of more meaningful work. When the interior and exterior self match perfectly, the resulting balance renders us fully aligned with the universe and more powerful than we thought possible. My advice to you, good person, is to pursue this alignment. Pursue it with vigor and enthusiasm. For when you do, you'll discover wonderful options for leading an abundant, exceptional life. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn7iieJveGc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PoolePRoof Wisdom Classic What looks to many people like an ability to be saintly is actually patience outwardly manifesting because I've done the work of tuning out static and negativity. That's why when I am in a groove or an intensely productive mind space, I don't let external nonsense or noise knock me off track. I let others fuss, complain, and squabble if they so choose. My emotional balance and compassion start within and flow outward through my intentional actions, resulting it an aura that radiates calm and tranquil vibes. What I know for sure, as Dr. Joan Borysenko has written, is that “Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.” https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn66XN7ubjW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=