For two years, in both the Spring and Fall, I’ve hosted this Soul Selfie Challenge. I thought up the #Soul_Selfie hashtag the Winter of 2015 wanting to name the kinds of posts I was compelled to write. And then I realized I needed to search out other people who felt the same compulsion to discover themselves as I did. I knew I needed company in my self-discovery journey. Already an established and happy Instagram user, the Soul Selfie Challenge was born. A week-long prompt using challenge, it’s an opportunity to dig a little deeper and discover what you truly feel about your life, yourself, and your relationship with the words. Read this round’s intro post here.
They say you should go and create the very things that you wish to be a part of. And this outpouring of self-discovery is exactly where I feel most alive. Just have a look at my blog and you’ll get me. But I also truly need community to do this journeying with. I’ve been alone for so long inside my head all the while I’m thinking, “It would be nice to connect with others on these soul-searching subjects.” And that is exactly what I got when I created this challenge, and then some.
You get people mirroring back to you what you’ve said and then they add a bit you never thought of which makes you go “Aha”. You take the risks to be a little more vulnerable and you gain confidence when it doesn’t actually blow up in your face and people say they feel that way too and you’re not alone. Gosh that connected feeling is good because that connection is what humanity is hardwired to do.
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”4″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”120″ thumbnail_height=”90″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]
And then there’s the healing power. I have witnessed some amazing things happen through the power of the honesty of this challenge. People moving themselves onward because this challenge came at the exact time they needed to do just this. To step out of their closets and claim something out loud to facilitate their healing. Wow! If I can facilitate a healing moment of any sort for anyone, I’m there doing that.
And lastly, as we heal ourselves, we become more able to help heal the world. No doubt that on the day of the Women’s March all around the world, many were awakened to the fact that they felt isolated and it didn’t have to be that way. I had a eureka feeling yesterday where I knew I was safe and powerful within my community of women both online and off. It’s a girl club I never felt I was in before. And I like it very much. It is helping to heal me. My gratitude will be the fuel to pay it forward. And these challenges are but one way I’m doing that.
And If you enjoyed what you read, subscribe, via the subscription box in the sidebar, to my thrice weekly posts via your email box. And visit me on Instagram to see my daily pictures, friend me or like my page on Facebook. Or come find me on Twitter or Pinterest too. I am always practicing Intentional In-touchness so chat at me please. I live for conversations.
And, as always, Thanks to you for your visit.
