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It's been one heck of a week! I think the theme for the week is "Can work really be this fun?"

Tuesday night was my first event on "The Midlife Journey: Falling Apart, Growing Up, and Finding Joy! It was a sold-out crowd of fun-loving, midlife-crazed, awesome people. I had such a great time. I know it sounds a little cliché, but we laughed and we cried. And, we even snuck in a 70's music sing-along (which won't surprise my Lovebomb crew). I'm going to share some highlights from this night on my blog next week!

In other "too good to be work" news . . . drumroll please . . . the cover for the new book!

I'm so excited about this book! I'll also share more about this soon.

Last, I'm giving a talk in San Diego today and scooting home right after. Here's my question: If there's a waterfall in the lobby, a macaw sitting outside your room, and a view of the marina from your back window - is it really work?

iPhone camera craziness!There's a huge part of me that is afraid to say this out loud, but I feel so lucky! I started this work about 12 years ago. Five years ago, I sat down and really imagined a career that didn't exist:

1. to be a professor, but part-time (which didn't exist at UH)

2. to be a researcher/storyteller (which barely exists now)

3. to write the kind of books that I actually would want to read

4. to be creative and artful in my work

5. to do all of this and be at the family dinner table 4-5 nights per week (because home is where my heart lives and it's the one place that makes the rest of it matter).

There are weeks when part-time feels uncomfortable and I don't know where or how I fit. There are moments before I go on stage when I'm afraid that researcher/storyteller isn't good enough or serious enough. There are definitely moment when I'd rather write academic articles and protect myself with a thousand references. And, there are even a few weeks per year that 4-5 nights at the dinner table isn't viable. But overall, this is happening and I'm loving it.

So this week:

I'm trusting that being excited and happy about my work won't invite disaster and "the other shoe to drop." It's really OK (and important) to stop and say, "Hell yeah! I love what I do and I'm happy!"

Today, I'm so grateful that I didn't listen to all of the people (and my own tapes) who said, "That will never work" and "You're kidding yourself." AND I'm even more grateful to my parents who taught me the value of perseverance, work, and hopefulness.

I'm inspired by "refusing to choose" a neat and tidy box that allows everyone to understand what I do over a complicated career that is allowing me to create work that I love.

I'm also inspired by this quote, "We must absolutely do what we love, or we run the risk of doing nothing at all." I'm not sure who said it so if you know, leave me a comment!

Happy TGIF. Thank you for allowing me to share my excitement here. I'd love to read your TGIF today!

Comments

[Deb]

I'm trusting that God is working in my life for good.
I am so grateful for all the blessings I have, a supportive husband, friends and comforts so many people don't have.
I am inspired that is never too late to have the authentic joyful spirit filled life I deserve and to truly love myself!

[Deb]

I forgot to say"Brene', LOVE your BOOKCOVER!!!!!!

[Mel]

Oh wow, that is fantastic to read. The joy and excitement literally jump of the page:)

I am trusting that I can do all that I want to do, no matter what other people think as I am not "other" people.

I am grateful that wordpress is featuring my blog on their homepage, that is just lovely for me today.

I am inspired by all those people with their dogs in the park, they formed their own little community and it's lovely to watch!

[Kay Marie]

YES! I am perfectly IMPERFECT and I can hardly wait to experience this book! Tussen Takk!

[Cameron]

So happy for you and love that book cover... I so look forward to reading it!! :)

[Kerri (from PNN)]

What a lovely message this post is. Brene, I'm so happy to get to know you over on PNN. Here I go:


I am trusting that good things are about to happen in my life.

I am grateful that I found PNN because it has truly enriched my life and started me on the path to allowing myself to be authentic.

I am inspired by people who are brave enough to share their own stories; especially when they are trying to help others.

TGIF everyone! ;-)

[Gargi]

Congratulations!!! All this inspires me! And yeah.. awesome work!!

Now my TGIF --

I am trusting that being the driver of my own life and exercising my choices is the best thing I can do for myself ever.

I am grateful for my family and my friends who support me when I really need it.

I am inspired by K.D.Lang's song "Love is simple..."!!!

[Laurie Boris]

I'm trusting that the Universe will be the wind at my back and give me the wisdom to make decisions that are right for me.

I'm grateful that after decades of working to support my writing that some people are willing to pay me to write.

I'm inspired by the beautiful, brave, wise, funny and supportive women I've met at PNN.com.

(Love the book cover and looking forward to reading the book when it comes out.)

[Deanna]

Today I am trusting that the adults in my life are capable of taking care of things for themselves. They don't need me to do everything for them. In truth, they need me to stop doing everything for them so they can stand on their own feet.

I am grateful for quiet time.

I am inspired by the world as seen through the eyes of a child. I'm learning that there is joy to be found in the simplest things like the sound of an airplane overhead or fish sticks for dinner or watching a bug crawl across the sidewalk.

[Lorie]

I am trusting that I can let go and not try and control everything and everyone around me.

I am grateful for a day spent with young minds, youthful energy and, of course, HORSES!!

I am inspired by horses. their ability to mirror back to you exactly what you are feeling.

happy happy day for me today... i hope everyone else is experiencing some joy too.

oh, and BTW- Brene- YOU ROCK! can't wait to jump into the new book!!!!

[Monique]

Today I am trusting that expressing my opinion, even when it accidentaly upsets others, is ok.
I am grateful for my job that is unpredictable, exciting and hard.
I am inspired by the possibility of greatness in me!

[Jodi]

Today I am trusting that good will come. That with goals, and dreams, good will come. I am trusting that letting go of my fear will bring about wonderful opportunity.

Today I am grateful for the moments when I can let it all go. They seem few and far between, but when I let go of all the "stuff" my world is so much brighter.

Today I am inspired by so many. Everywhere I turn there are amazing people, doing amazing things. They inspire me to be my true self.

[Heather]

I am ...
Trusting that my essential self* will continually increase her confidence and guide me to a path of authenticity and fulfillment.
Grateful for some meaningful conversations with my husband this week.
Inspired by my kids’ enthusiasm for their recent endeavors at school.

*Essential Self is a term Martha Beck uses in her book "Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live," which I am currently enjoying.

[kelly rae]

brene,
i love every morsel of this post. you have no idea. every morsel!
congratulations on it all!

xxo

[Heather]

I am TRUSTING that I can keep follow my heart while getting paid work done.
I am GRATEFUL for said paid work :)
I am INSPIRED by the people who tell their stories for research. they believe that great things will come of their struggle and it's my responsibility to put my effort into helping it along.

[carissa... brown eyed fox]

TODAY... i am...

trusting... that even in the quiet times things are still working together for good...
and the quiet times are okay... necessary!

grateful... that i can order a pizza for dinner... keeping it real! :)

inspired... by so many beautiful women out there following their hearts... taking leaps... going for it!

AND so happy for you Brené! "hell yeah"!
your new book will continue to touch and move many!

[Lisa]

oh goodness. Just had to say this is such a part of my own journey it nearly brought me to tears when I just read it:

"I'm trusting that being excited and happy about my work won't invite disaster and "the other shoe to drop." "

I'm trusting that the autumn/winter adventure ahead of me is for the good.

I'm grateful for my incredible husband.

Inspired by my tribe of photographer friends and the people who created Burning Man over the years. (Never been, but trusting I'll get there when the time is right!)

[Lee]

Awesome cover - for even more awesomeness in the inside!

I'm trusting we picked the right kitty for our family to adopt

I'm grateful to the countless volunteers that make animal shelters run

And I'm inspired by you, Brene!

[Davielle]

Brene, say it ain't so ... YOU WERE IN SAN DIEGO TODAY? how did I not know that, and who was the talk directed at? I would have given my right arm (well, okay, my LEFT arm) to hear you in person. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. big sigh. oh well, whoever the lucky audience was - I'm sure their lives were blessed in immeasurable ways. Waaaaaaaaaah. (oops, I'm repeating myself).
OKAY - TGIF -
Trusting ... God. To keep me / put me in "just the right place at the right time", for His good.
Grateful for ... my dear friends who have held me up in prayer all week long.
Inspired by ... the beginning of a new season - isn't Fall just wonderful?

TGIF, everyone.
-- Davielle (aka, Princess Magpie)

[glad]

I just got your book "I Though it was Just Me ...." in the mailbox today!! yay! Can't wait to dig in. The cover above is gorgeous. Congrats to you for living the life of your dreams.

That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out how to do!!!

[Nadia]

congrats on the book! can't wait! ciao!

[Monique]

I have been listening to your ITIWJM podcasts and I can see transformations already!
Today I worked on letting go of dissapointment and allowing myself joy even though I made mistakes.

Am I allowed to say that I love you?

Thank you so much for your work!

[Allison]

I LOVE your bookcover!!!

I am TRUSTING my feelings.
I am GRATEFUL for the time I had today to read for ME instead of for school. It was sooooo needed.
I am INSPIRED by the renewal of Autumn

[Avril]

Hurray for the gift of you Brene!
Your work fills such a gap and is so necessary and refreshing.
I'm so glad you aren't buried under zillions of references and big words, and grateful for your authenticity that makes it safe for others to be so. I have shared your first book with several friends, and can honestly say it has opened doorways of communication and deepened relationships.
New book cover is beautiful and can't wait to read the book.

Also....

I'm trusting that I don't need total control over my current project, and that the outcome will be far better if I let it evolve through creative process.

I'm grateful for having balance and friendship in my life.

I'm inspired by a new hobby that I am loving!

[Carolyn]

I am trusting that I can rise to the occasion tomorrow. That I'm good enough to pull it off!! That I can focus, forget the extraneous stuff, communicate well, and be relaxed and warm-hearted.

I'm grateful for the opportunities which have presented themselves recently. Just the challenges that i needed at the right time.

I'm inspired by you Brene! Thank you. Can't wait to read the book.

[Lisa]

Wow. So needed to read this today.. I love hearing the passion and inspiration in who you are being and what you are creating in the world. Totally wowed me into believing...

[Michelle]

Love the book cover and thank you, thank you for the group you have started over at PNN - what a wonderful group of women connecting.

One question...is " "The Midlife Journey: Falling Apart, Growing Up, and Finding Joy!" part of your book "The Gifts of Imperfection" or is it a separate book? i want to read them all!

[Michelle]

OH almost forgot!

I'm trusting that things will work out as they should with our finances and that things will get easier with time.

I'm grateful for my home where I feel safe, secure, and comfortable - where I can truly always be me.

And I'm inspired by all of the wonderful women I have been talking with over at PNN.

[Anj (aka Writergrrl)]

Better late than never? ;-)

I am Trusting that by stopping to take a breath and listen, I am becoming a better mum every day.

I am overwhelmingly Grateful for the women who are travelling along the Audacity of Authenticity path with me...I feel that together we can move *spiritual* mountains!

I am Inspired by the resilience and unrelenting persistence of my children to search out the joy of each moment - it is beautiful to watch.

Brene, your book cover is stunning. I love the fact that you've realized your dreams...it gives me hope that I can get there, too, one day! Cheers :-)

[Kelli]

You are such a warm and welcoming individual which serves to highlight the profession of sw. I started a new position in this arena and it further highlights for me the need to strengthen our profession thru just such examples to all our fellow human beings regardless of background or even positions in our working institutions.

I have recently been humbled by training with direct care staff for a hospital with developmentally disabled individuals. what a tough job they have! I am humbled an honored to serve as a social worker and conduit of information/resources/ advice for them.

[bree]

I'm trusting that his amazing week did not lessen his feelings for me.
I'm grateful (SO GRATEFUL) for change.
I'm inspired to organize my life.

[B.]

TRUSTING: that IF I pay attention to my inner voice, it almost always works out gloriously. And that I do pay attention more regularly these days.

GRATEFUL: that I'm doing the job I still enjoy after 25 years and that it helps people transform their lives.

INSPIRED: by your discussion Tuesday about your midlife transformation. I am 20 years older than you (birthday in Nov. too) and I went through something so similar starting about 18 years ago and finishing (mostly) a while back. While I had read your blog posts about it, it hadn't hit me in the very personal way that the discussion Tuesday did.

Thank you.

[Dee Dee]

You are such a great model of openly trying to practice what you preach (?) as not numbing out this joy is SUCH a habit to break! The cover is such a beatiful sign of the solid, positive progress of this meaningful, life-changing work.

I'm trusting instints for self-care like those that nudged me to tell my boss I'd take Monday off and to take a nap this afternoon at the end of an insane 8-day overload tour.

I'm grateful for a small group of friends, moms, and daughters as we start a new Brownie Troop.

I'm inspired by my own 8-year-old "Brownie-before-you-even-got-me-the-vest" who writes her own jokes down, makes signs to post at school for her lost jingle bell, and opens a new store with her cats in the living room each week.

Oh, and I'm all TGI about listening to your talk this past Tuesday!!

[Amalia]

I am so excited about the book- hooray!

TGI....how did it get to be Friday again?!? I blinked and missed my week.

Today I am trusting that my to-do list (especially the work one!) really is shrinking. I look at it and am, at best, uncertain. I know I've finished a few tasks though to it must be shrinking, right?!?

Today I am grateful for the unconditional love (and frequent silliness) of my menagerie. Daddy jokingly refers to me as the home for wayward rescue animals for the Intermountain West. While it's a bit true (dog from Idaho, cat from Colorado, cat from Utah), they're all terrific critters and we're lucky to have each other.

Today I am inspired by the beautiful music and songwriting on Will Hoge's new album "The Wreckage". This was recorded after he was in an accident, hit by a car, and his recovery process led to some amazing stuff. http://www.willhoge.com/ if you want to check him out.

[Liz]

Loved TGIS so much I decided to do it again:)

The book cover is WONDERFUL!!! Cannot wait until it comes out Brene!

Today I'm trusting that we will stay healthy and be able to go on our amazing Chicago getaway next weekend (knocking on wood as I type this...)

I'm sooo grateful to have a day off with my husband today. Worked the past 4 weekends and it feels like heaven not to be going in today.

I'm incredibly inspired by Susannah's Unravelling class, which started this past week. Gone from feeling totally intimidated and like the lousiest student in the batch to finding some real connections and permission to play. Loving it!

Have a great week, everybody!

[Gretchen]

Brene, so cool about the book cover - can't wait to read the book!
I'm Trusting that this is a good path to be on (full-time wife and mother, not officially practicing social work or teaching, things I have trained long and hard for...)
I'm Grateful for the opportunity to live in this country (Serbia), to gain the perspective that traveling/cultural immersion offers
I'm Inspired by the new people I have met over past three weeks - expats, embassy families, and Serbian moms on the playground....all living in the same place, all with radically different points of view. I'm constantly questioning, where do I fit?

[Aubien]

Congratulations ... you deserve this joy.

[Janet]

I am trusting my instincts to do what is right.
I am grateful for a warm house.
I am inspired by mid-life opportunities.
Life is good.

[Mitzi Schindele]

Feel your joy, young Lady!!

[Chaz]

Love the new cover!! Big congrats. Can't wait to read it.

[Mary-Jo]

I have been dealing with the same feelings of waiting for 'the shoe to drop'. I was telling my husband the other night that I feel both blessed and paranoid beyond words. Blessed for all of these gifts I have been given and paranoid that this is the just calm before some unforseeable storm.

So I'm taking your lead in that and...

I'm trusting that this is my life right now and everything will always be the way it was meant to be.

I am grateful for the challenges that have brought me here and made me who I am (much more appreciative than I have ever been in my life).

I am inspired by the sunrise that truly made me stop and stare on this morning's run.

[qmama]

beautiful book cover...congratulations. and thank you for writing it.

this week...
i am trusting that i have all i need.
i am grateful to be mama to my children and wife to my husband.
i am inspired by the craft of storytelling.

[JennaKate]

Your blog today was so refreshing and inspiring. Too often, it seems like as women we must apologize for being happy, for living the life we wanted... when we really should be celebrating, expressing gratitude, and cheering on our sisters (and brothers!) on their journeys. You are so incredible, thank you for living with spirit and grace and sharing ti with others!

[Erica]

Just yesterday I was sitting on a plane reflecting upon my last year's accomplishments in my first year of a new job and feeling so proud and honored to be able to do the work I do. I too am so lucky... I love my job.

[myriam]

brene,

your heart reminded you of that quote. my heavens, you are spirit and strong and just SO right where you are !!!
you are grace and courage and love and generous...

xxxoxoxoxo

[Roja]

I am trusting that my adviser can understand my concerns and will take steps toward making my project work for me.

I am grateful for photoshop and for watercolor, which have saved me from the abyss I was stepping into.

I am inspired by people who do quiet things, continuously, for a long time, and achieve big things in the end. (And maybe a well-deserved nobel prize)

[Davielle]

I already posted, but just want to check ... is the new book still on target for APRIL 2010, or might it be coming out sooner? I can barely wait :-). LOVE the cover.

[Stephanie]

I am so happy for you! Granted, I we don't know each other, but I feel like I'm getting to know you a bit through your blog. You are living a wonderful dream that YOU made a reality!

Right now, I'm a stay-at-home Mom of two (8yrs, 10yrs) while my husband finishes up his last 3 years in the Army. I'm blessed and so lucky to be at home when my kids are and to nurture my spirit and engage in creative endeavors (guitar, art, pottery). I am grateful for it every day.

My Mom told me the other day, "I hope you realize how lucky you are. Most people would give anything to be in your shoes. You better enjoy it, 'cause when you have to get a job, someone else is going to own you." Gee whiz, what a ray of sunshine!

Truth is, I will have to find a way to make some money upon my husband's retirement so he can pursue his goal of getting a PhD and being a college English Professor. Truth is, I don't want a "real job" (one of those that fits in a tidy box). Truth is, I AM scared, and I wish I could turn my art into a job. So, I'm gonna keep on truckin' and gathering inspiration from women like YOU. I'm not going to give up on my dream, and I'm glad you didn't give up on yours.

Thanks once again for sharing. You are an inspiration for many.