Living the Upside of Life

Posted by Kelly Lewis Share Your Voice

"How do I live the upside of my life?".  A question I have been living for the past two weeks with a mix of impatience and allowance.  

The funny thing is I have been writing this blog post in my heart and mind since this beautiful question hopped into my hand and said "Look at me...Look at me".  And just this past weekend I realized why I had not actually sat down to write it - I didn't have THE answer.  This gentle reminder quickly took me back to my time in Georgetown's coaching program when a wonderful friend and colleague, Frank Ball, said to me, "Kelly, just be in the question".  And I can remember looking at Frank like he had eight heads and thinking to myself, "Frank, questions are meant to be answered so let's figure this out and move on":)

While trying to practice what I "know" but don't always do, I stumbled across a similar tid bit of wisdom in The Courage to Teach Guide we are using for one of our Leadership Programs.   Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves....Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them.  And the point is, to live everything.  Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer." 

So I turned my task to write a blog post with "The Answer" upside down and decided to practice living the question and sharing with you what I am now noticing:

• I am living the upside when I share in someone else's greatest joy - the love of my life, my husband Glenn, has shown me this recently when sharing his love for fishing with me
• I am living the upside of my life when I am bringing together diverse groups of individuals to learn with and from each other - what a gift it was to have 300 6th graders, 30 11th and 12th graders, and 12 thirty-fifty somethings leading and learning together on Monday
• I am living the upside of my life when someone sees me and appreciates what I am passionate about (even if they care about something different)  - I experienced this recently with a group of amazing graduate students at VCU's Brandcenter 
• I am living the upside of my life when I decide to show up as my best self regardless of how everyone around me is choosing to show up - thanks to my peeps who helped me see this during our monthly Workbox community dialogue group this week...I am working on it:)
• I am living the upside of my life when I am connected to the people I love - Sunday I got to hang out with my girls, eat great Thai food, drink delicious wine, chill in front of a fire, laugh at myself and with the two of them, and share what's up in life 
• I am living the upside of my life when I am keeping it simple, being honest with myself, and giving freely - thanks to the fabulous group of women who gathered for a Bounce event last night for that big nugget of truth 
• I am living the upside of my life when I am letting the magic of life happen rather than trying so hard to make it happen - Can I hear an AMEN:)    

So that is where I am at the moment.  And I can honestly say I am excited about just sitting with and in this question without the need to have an answer.  I will let you know how, "gradually, without noticing it," I begin to live into the answer. 

And for you - What question(s) are you currently living?  And are they the ones you want to be living?  If not, what question(s) wants to live you?  

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Kelly Lewis Hello! Here are a few things that I have found support me in creating the life I want, keeping myself in check, and leading with courage and compassion: a slow walk with my hubby and our pups, my work, honesty with myself, the smile of another, and mother nature.