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Bring The Awesome

Last year I felt a push to do hard things and to be wilder. This is not something that I’ve abandoned or even remotely conquered. In fact, it’s been even more solidified lately. Along with a few new phrases for this year…

You might have noticed I only posted ONE TIME last week. And I only posted once on Impress Your Kids, too. It’s not because I was disinterested. No, in fact, all I’ve been thinking about this post-Blissdom week is my blogs. But the broken record of my do-hard-things-be-wilder refrain was extended when I heard Scott Stratten speak at Blissdom. He said:

People don’t share “meh”. People share AWESOME.

I want to share Awesome on my blog and I want you to share it with others. Like MY Awesome. I want what I write here to be Awesome. I want it to be share-able. {I was already feeling this in November when I stopped posting 6 days a week.}

The funny balance here is that when my blog first started it was a creative outlet, then it morphed into a conversation with my readers and the blogging community at large. Somewhere along the lines, it’s changed (Twitter and Facebook are slightly responsible but also just the age of my blog) and now I feel like I have a responsibility to SHARE. It’s not my daily journal anymore. And if I chose to “meh” my blog, then all I’ll get out of my online relationships is “meh”.

Is this making sense?

Now, here’s where it gets cool. (And slightly less bloggy.)

I’m reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. (Who isn’t?) And I’ll admit, it takes some focused energy to read her. So, the first three chapters I loved and cried. But the fourth chapter—I got that gnawing thing in my stomach that said, “THIS IS YOU.” The whole chapter is about busyness and hurrying. Rather, how we like to focus on the busyness and the hurriedness instead of giving THANKS for the small, the seemingly insignificant and the hidden lovely.

She quotes Elisabeth Elliot and says,

Wherever you are, be all there.

Wherever you are–doing the dishes, playing with the kids, reading a bedtime story, writing a blog post or volunteering at church. Be all there–don’t think about all those things at once. Play with the kids while you are playing with the kids. Read a bedtime story while you are reading a bedtime story. Write a blog post while you are writing a blog post. Serve while you are serving. Don’t mix them. Don’t multi-task so much that you forget about what you’re doing.

Oh, I come at this from every angle and fall up short. How many times have I written a blog post in between flipping pancakes? (A lot.) How many times have I made a to-do list while playing games with the kids? (Tons.) How many times have I watched television with my husband while writing a blog post and pretending to listen to him? (Ouch.)

So here I am thinking about how I want my blog marriage kids life to be Awesome. And I realize why I can’t bring it. Because I’m not all there. I’m trying to do it all and be it all. I’m trying to “get it all done” and looking around my messy house (both online and off) and realizing I’m not doing any of it!

This doesn’t mean that I’ll be doing less than I’m already doing. Or eliminating anything in my life. It just means that I’ll be here when I’m here. And when I’m not here? It’s because I’m bringing the Awesome somewhere else.

When I write a post, I’m going to be all there and bring the Awesome.

When I play with the kids, I’m going to be all there and bring the Awesome.

When I clean the house, I’m going to be all there and bring the Awesome.

When I spend time with my husband, I’m going to be all there and bring the Awesome.

Wherever you are, be all there. Bring the Awesome.

Comments

  2. Meagan says

    This is something I have been working through lately (and not doing a stellar job I might add). When I read that chapter last week in Ann’s book it reminded me again that I am rarely “all there” in anything I do, therefore nothing gets done well. How is God glorified in that?

    Thank you so much for sharing this. Hopefully I can bring the awesome today in all the things God has prepared for me to do!

    Have a lovely day!

    • oh amanda says

      Exactly–how is God glorified in that? I had been thinking more about MY life and getting ME time that I wasn’t even considering what I was doing for HIM. Thanks for the comment!
      a

  3. Gracie says

    How right you are! As moms, we are supposed to be the ultimate multitaskers. I think this has hurt us to never be ” all there”. Great post!

  5. Katie says

    Oh, how I have been convicted about this lately, and here you are as the first entry on my Google Reader, talking straight to me. Great post!

  6. Tara Cherry says

    Wow! What an encouraging thought. I often find myself posting just because i feel like I have to. Like if I dont, I am not successful. This really brings some food for thought.

    And about 1000 gifts, I guess I am just gonna have to get this book and find out what it is about. I mean, everyone is talking about it.

    Thanks for sharing your heart.

  7. Kristi @ Creative Kristi says

    I’ve been struggling with this since hearing Scott speak. I want to only share the AWESOME but I also want my blog to be my business. I don’t know how to post less if people are counting on me (advertisers, readers, my bank account) to post frequently. I have a craft/DIY blog and sometimes it’s WEEKS between projects (I have 2 kids under 3) but I can’t be a blog ‘business’ and post that infrequently. 🙁 I need to continue to work on this. Thanks for the reminder!

  8. Dani says

    Amanda – this is such a timely post. I have my blogs that I check pretty much every day … yours is one of them. I don’t expect there to be a new post every time I visit (especially if it’s a personal blog rather than one that has many contributors) since people do have outside lives. This is a great post and I look forward to more like them (even if they don’t occur as often, or especially if there is more time in between to give you a chance to make them AWESOME ;)). I finished One Thousand Gifts this weekend and am starting again to read the chapters as they go through them on Bloom. Thanks!

  9. Ashley Pichea says

    I’m learning that I need to be completely focused on whatever task I’m working on. I get too distracted too easily and lose too much time {quantity and quality} in the distracted-state-of-life.

  10. Craig says

    I remember reading you before Blissdom – and it was not “meh” – and now post Blissdom – and still not “meh”. You have brought the awesome.

    God Bless and Keep You
    and Yours

  11. Lisa-Jo @thegypsymama says

    Oh man — this is just Fantastic!! Yes, me too! Me too! Thanks for putting into words a lot of what I’ve been thinking. 8 months pregnant and I realize there’s both more and less awesome I can bring – and that’s more than ok. That’s awesome too!

  12. Dedra says

    GIRL!!! You just brought it today… more than the AWESOME! Love you to pieces!!! I’m all in too. Ann and all the gifts… tooo much… too much!

  13. Wendy Hagen says

    I am trying to be Awesome in the waiting room of the doctors office. But I decided with this task it would be more Awesome to leave a comment so here I am. Love this post. So hard to calm the spaz, multi-taskin’ self down to focus on one thing, but so much better to do. Especially when it involves people-like spouses and children.
    Thank you!

  16. Tracey says

    A great reminder to really focus on what’s at hand – without thinking ahead or looking back! Thanks for the encouragement today!

  18. Living the Balanced Life says

    I think so many of us felt an unrest after Blissdom. between Brene’ and Scott (and the other panels) we were challenged in so many areas. But the main things, be real and be awesome. So it was hard to just come back home and jump back in where we were and just do more. We want to do better. I struggled with posting last week as well. I feel a little more awesome stirring in me, so there may be more this week!
    Oh, and this post? It was more than AWESOME!
    Bernice

    • oh amanda says

      Thank you! Yes, I think that was the hard part–“”re-entry if you will. How do you sift thru your posts and really find The Awesome? I was literally thinking I’m going to start adding a byline: “This post is awesome because…” and if I can’t finish it, then I won’t post it. 😉

  23. Ashley @ Just Another Mom Of 2 says

    This is a great post, and something I have not been able to stop thinking about since leaving Blissdom. Between two young kids, working from home, and trying to keep up with a blogging schedule, I started to become frustrated- with everything. And that’s just plain not good. My kids deserve more, my job deserves more, heck, my blog deserves more.

    This post is pure awesome. Thank you for sharing your inspiration- it’s a lesson I think we all need from time to time. Now I need to be sure to keep it up..

    • oh amanda says

      Exactly–keeping it up is the hard part. Today I found myself quoting to myself, “be all there. be all there. be all there.” when I wanted to jump away from the kids and check my email or veg out while they were playing. It helped…

  25. Funkidivagirl says

    Awesome post. No, I have not been bringing the awesome and it’s because I feel a need to share something…anything….to get a post up. But I’m not at the place in my life when I can blog several times a week; other things have taken priority. So, I was thinking of giving it up. But instead, I think I will concentrate on bringing the awesome–even if that is only 1 day a week. Thanks!

    • oh amanda says

      It’s a tough feeling, isn’t it? We feel this pressure to get something up there b/c people might forget about us! But what Scott Stratten said was what if someone unsubscribes or never comes back b/c the last thing they read was “meh.”? It makes sense!

  26. ali @ an ordinary mom says

    So much truth, real, hard truth.

    It’s so easy to multi-task when we live lives of multiple roles and responsibilities and activities… but not being all there makes it impossible to give our best…

  28. Erika says

    Oh chapter 3! I think I underlined just about every word … hit. me. where. I. am.

    Thank you for this post. From someone who is new to blogging and trying to figure out where I want to go and what I want to do in this cyberspace … but more importantly who I want to BE (wanting to make a difference and share what HE has put on my heart … but not ending up as a sheer sum total of my blog posts … I want to LIVE LIFE!), this post was refreshing. Thank you! (….that was a REALLY long run on … hope it made sense!)

    “I don’t really want more time; I want enough time (p. 67) … I just want to do my one life well” (p. 68).

  30. Ben says

    You pretty much nailed the awesome in this post. First time commenter here (I think), but I think I’ve been following your tweets ever since you shared a photo of the OCC boxes.

    This is something I strive for, and although it’s not perfect at least the heart to be all there, is there.

    Thanks for this encouragement, now I’m going to read the awesome-est bedtime story to my boy he’s ever heard.

  31. Cha Cha says

    I have struggled with this from day one of my blog. You read everyones advice on how you should blog and suddenly you are doing things just to have something to blog about. I was very convicted about that over the Summer and almost stopped blogging-but God had other plans. I now live my life and when I have something to blog about I do and I stopped trying to munipulate people into liking me, I decided that if God wants someone to read or see what I do then He will get them there. This is a great post love it.

    Cha Cha

  35. Jeni says

    It’s recently come to my attention that I do a lot of life from behind the computer…or the Kindle…or the whatever-it-is. I am trying to be more present, but after years and years of multitasking craziness, it’s a huge struggle!

    But one thing I know for sure? I don’t want my kids’ memories of me to be an image of me lit by the glow of my laptop.

  36. Jennifer says

    Ugh. This is so hard. You are completely right, yet I feel torn. I felt the need to get my blog going, to really get committed instead of writing whenever I could. But then I wonder, should I just write less but write better? I don’t want to write ‘Meh.’ There’s got to be a balance that I need to find….

    Great post! You’ve got me thinking.

  37. Andrea @ Savings Lifestyle says

    And, this, my friend is awesome!

    I’ve been trying this in earnest this year. It’s hard to shut out the social media outlets because it is part of our lives. But, I realized that I can’t multi-task and be effective. So, I’m just not trying anymore.

    • oh amanda says

      Thanks, Andrea. I know, I think in social media. But if I don’t have real life, then I don’t have anything to share in my social media life. That’s where I’m at right now.

    • oh amanda says

      I’ve only read 3 chapters, but I’ve read them twice! 🙂 It’s a fantastic book–one that makes you examine yourself. Good stuff.

  39. Elaine says

    Excellent advice. Although not sure I can ‘bring the awesome’ while cleaning the toilet, I’m going to do the best I can! 😉

    Seriously though, we do all need to try to live more in the moment that we are actually IN. SO many can benefit from your wonderful words here…

  41. Tiffany @ No Ordinary Homestead says

    You definitely brought the awesome today. I’ve definitely been in that boat…and I not only am a SAHM to a 2 year old but I also run my blog, a bath & body company with my mom, have a couple internet marketing ventures AND am starting a new something.

    Seriously don’t know how I keep it all together sometimes and I so could use more help, but I have learned in the last month or so that if I follow through with one project at a time, it actually gets done more quickly. So instead of loading the dishwasher while feeding the dog & emptying the trash, I should just feed the dog, then do the dishes and so on.

    Multitasking is in our nature as women…but it doesn’t mean that we have to go in 5 directions at once. Be in the moment…whenever & wherever it exists.
    {Hugs} for this wonderful post!

  43. Alysa (Inspired RD) says

    AWESOME! I just started Ann’s book (read Chapter 1). I am feeling so convicted already about this topic, so I am sure Chapter 3 will hit me hard too. Thanks for the awesome challenge.

  44. Dayna says

    Thank you for this post. Thank you, thank you. Today, as I was washing dishes AND dreaming up posts- the word awesome came to mind. I actually thought “Really?” Can I use that word in that context in that post without sounding like I am stuck in a time warp? “But I will be using it in the true sense of the word!” I argued with myself 🙂
    Now I know that, as usual, it was that little seed of a word that He plants in my head and heart so that later when the word is used as He intended it, I take notice.
    Notice taken. Thank you.

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