Welcome to February. Last month I chose the word courage as my theme and intention, and with courage I learned some things from Sandy (as in Grease), posted my first video, and found my own remedy for a vulnerability hangover.
So now we’re already into the month of February and my new word is: love. I know, kind of obvious for February, right? Yes, and there’s some real juicy stuff when you look deeper into love.
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. ~ Lao Tzu
And in the spirit of L-O-V-E, I’ll be bringing you a few conversations with a few people I know who are bringing more love into the world. The first one is with Carly Butler of Life’s Letter and you can read our conversation below.
Also in the spirit of L-O-V-E, I’ve pledged my birthday (which is this month) to charity:water to bring clean water to people who don’t have it. If you want to help me reach my goal of $1000 (please please), Go Here >>
Note: You’ll find buttons for crazy numbers like $39 and $390 (cause they think I’m turning 39 or something, as if… well, ok. I am. shh, don’t tell)… but you can donate like $5 or whatever, just click the “another amount” button).
And now without further ado, here is my Q&A with Courageous Carly…
Name:
Carly Butler
Home Base:
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:
Writer, Photographer, Dreamer, World-Traveler & smiling ray of sunshine behind the wicket at TD Bank……also on the road to becoming a Co-Active ‘Creative Expression’ Coach
What are you working on right now?
I’m writing a book: Life’s Letter: A journey within a journey. I am in England retracing my Grama’s steps from back in 1946. She met my Papa during WWII, who was a Canadian soldier. I have over 100 letters that she wrote before her highly anticipated immigration to Canada as a War Bride. On the 67th anniversary of each letter, I will do as she did. Walk the streets she walked, watch the films she watched & experience her home of London, England as she did.
What experiences from your childhood shaped/influenced what you’re doing now?
I came to England for the first time in 1994 with my whole family. My Grama wanted to show us where she grew up, where she slept during the air raids of WWII, where she went to school and where she spent her time. I remember absolutely LOVING the feeling of exploring a new place. This is when my love for travel began.
What role did your grandma play in your life? Or what did you learn from her during her lifetime?
I was quite young when she passed away, but I always remember her charming, bold & beautiful character. Her accent was endearing & she laughed all the time. One thing I think she taught me at a really young age, was to not take life too seriously, have fun & laugh.
What would your grandma think of (or say about) what your doing right now? What does courage mean to you?
I know she would be thrilled. She was always up for an adventure & encouraged people to see the world. I can imagine she would tell me that it’s an amazing idea & that she’s overjoyed that I’m here, truly honouring the steps she took in life that made her who she was.
What does courage mean to you?
Courage means doing the things that mean the most to you, even if it scares you. Courage means telling people what you feel in your heart. Courage means going against the grain. Courage means showing up fully, even if you don’t know what it’s going to look like. Courage means living life to it’s fullest.
How are love and courage related?
Love & courage are completely connected. It takes courage to love and speak from your heart. I also truly believe that you need self love to be that courageous person you know you are. If you don’t love yourself for who you are, of course you won’t have the courage to do anything scary.
How have they shaped your life?
I am here on this journey. I literally wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have self love & a HUGE amount of courage.
What have you learned so far on your journey? (about you, your grandma, life, love, courage…)
That even after taking course after course on those negative inner voices in your head: they’re still there. They’ll always be there. What helps is knowing that this journey is aligned to my life purpose & makes every part of me come alive, which allows me to kick those voices to the curb. I’ve also learned that it’s possible to connect with people who are no longer with us. As woo woo as it sounds, it’s true. All of us have family history that is alive in us forever, it’s up to you if you want to connect to it or not.
What has been your favorite experience so far?
By far it’s been the day that I went to the house that my Grama wrote the letters from. Knocking on the door was probably one of the scariest things I’ve done. My heart was pounding. I knew I had to do it though. It was magical.
If you knew this interview were going to reach everybody in the whole world, what would you want to say to them?
What would your life’s letter say? Live your dreams, follow your heart & make a life worthy of retracing.← Tweet this, y’all
What question should I have asked?
What are my biggest hopes and dreams for this project? My number one hope & dream is to document this story for my family….current & future. My number two, three & four are: inspire others, write a best-seller & meet Oprah. I’m gonna throw a movie deal in there, too. I love dreaming big…what can I say?
Thanks Carly!
Read more about Carly’s adventure on her blog Life’s Letter. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. And become part of her adventure by supporting her through IndieGogo.
I learned a few years ago that the word “courage” has the same root as the French word “coeur” which means heart. We often think that “courage” means putting on armour and heading onto one of life’s battlefields to vanquish some real or imagined enemy. But if one looks to where the word came from originally, it means to have *heart*, to act from one’s *heart*, to use one’s *heart* to help overcome a challenge. I love that.