Vulnerability vs Fear

How in the hell was I going to pull this one off? The launch for my book, “Where the Hell Did I Park My Life ?!”, was almost here. Oh, and then there was the scheduled oral surgery looming in the midst of it all. It seemed everything was just bating me to feel scared and frustrated. Why not throw in the 100-year flood, or I could also come down with a case of the chicken pox the night before while I was at it? (I already had the chicken pox in 8th grade, but that’s beside the point).

It was not the fear of the unknown, or how things would turn out, it was the vulnerability of the unknown.

My recent book launch (https://www.kaariallen.com/book) was meant to be a celebration of all of our lives, and how much we need each other to “keep on keeping on.” When the anticipated event arrived it made me laugh, cry, sing and confirm that an adventure was beginning and I have absolutely zero idea What? How? When or Where? it will take me…

Now that the book is out in the world, I want to share a few of the reactions, learnings and celebrations that readers across the country and world have shared with me after reading it.

“Can you believe that as a 74-yr old man, I want to try to make some personal improvement?!” - D., Iowa

“It feels as if I have my own private counselor with it on my lap.” - K., Colorado

“I’ve done all of the prompts, now I want to do them all over again!” - T.,Tuscany, Italy

“Stayed up until 3:00 a.m. reading aloud with my husband. We laughed, we cried and we celebrated!” - A. & C., Kansas

“Athletic coaches should require all of their athletes to read this. It is motivating, empowering and offers reflections not only for performance on the field, but in life!” - E., Texas

What I have discovered from this plunge into the deep end of the vulnerability is this – you expose your heart when you say yes to the project or goal you have set for yourself. You put it out there along with the fears and uncertainty and hope for the best. The amazing support at the launch and the subsequent responses to my book have confirmed to me that the risk was worth it. The risk to be vulnerable is almost ALWAYS worth it.

I don’t know where things will go, but I do know the WHY with certainty…It is because I must keep moving without trying to predict the unknown.

I hope all of YOU do the same! It’s more fun that way.

Cheers to YOU all,

Kaari

“Never be afraid to try something new.

Remember, amateurs built the Ark;

Experts built the Titanic.”

-Anonymous