Do you remember the first time you shared something from your heart? Maybe it was a Valentine’s card you shared with a special person. Maybe it was something you created – a piece of art, a speech, an exciting idea.
It was something you cared about, but you were unsure of how others would feel about.
How would people receive it? Would they see the beauty in it? Would they find it trivial, meaningless, mundane? Overly sentimental?
Those were the questions I had before sharing my poem, Lean to the Bright Side, with my local congregation this past Sunday.
I had been asked to serve as the worship associate, and the theme for the meeting was, “Taking the War Out of Our Words”
The theme really resonated with me. Words carry so much power. They can be healing. They can be hurtful. Choosing the right words can make all the difference.
It’s one of the primary reasons I practice writing poetry. It’s an opportunity to find the right words to express what’s in my heart.
In the past I have shared my poetry with a handful of people or on social media, where the distance between myself and my audience seems safer, less risky.
Sharing my poem, Lean to the Bright Side, with a hundred or so people whose eyes, interest, and responses I can see, felt riskier. It was as if I were opening my heart for others to witness. How would it all turn out?
I stood at the lectern, took a deep breath, and began…
In the uncertain first steps
Of a treasure-seeking journey
Absent a clear sign
That marks the spot
Lean to the bright side
…
On the voyage to victory
When the winds roar
And the waves rise
Like monsters in the sea
Lean to the bright side
….
After I finished, Reverend Cathy took her turn at the lectern, looked me in the eye, and said with a smile, “Lean to the bright side. I like it.”
I took a risk, shared a poem that came from my heart, and the outcome and reception was positive.
After the service, I had a few more people comment how much they enjoyed the poem I had shared. One father even told me that he planned on sharing the poem, or the idea of the poem, with his son. I appreciated that. Words help carry what is in our hearts out to others. One of the best ways I can think of to make the world a richer place.
Shine brightly!
Stef (xe/xem)
Golden Nuggets
Golden Word: delicate Latin delicatus “alluring, delightful, dainty,” from de “away” (see de-) + lacere “to lure, entice,” Example: Their delicate expression left everyone longing for more.
Golden Quote: Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Golden Speech: How to fix a broken heart (Full 12:25 | Clip 22s) Psychologist Guy Winch shows you don’t have to break when your heart is broken.
Golden Statistic: The first heart-shaped box of chocolates was introduced in 1861 by Richard Cadbury (Good Housekeeping)
Golden Term: Emotional spending is buying something you don’t need, and might not want, to satisfy an emotional need. (Verywell Mind)
Golden Tip: Take a chance by sharing something from your heart today. Lean to the bright side.
Golden Question: What is your heart calling you to do today?