CLICK BELOW TO REDISCOVER HUMANITY
A DECADE+ OF STORYTELLING POWERED BY THE BEST WRITERS ON THE PLANET

The World Is in Too Much Trouble to Make Ourselves Small

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.

~Anais Nin, diarist, essayist, novelist, short story writer

That day I purchased her Book of Whole Meals and proceeded to cook through it from front to back, trying out every recipe.

Many years ago, nutritionist, cooking teacher, and author Annemarie Colbin gave me my first opportunity to teach about healthy food and its preparation at Natural Gourmet in New York City. In the previous chapter on Becoming a Mama Bear, I mention that I took her classes, not because I didn’t know how to cook, but because I was on a quest to find out about healthy and nutritious food and the difference it could make in my own life and that of my family. After the first class, Annemarie asked me, “What are you doing here? You know too much to be in a beginner cooking class.” I explained that, yes, I had grown up around good food and loved to cook, but my motivation was to find a way to support my son Reid in getting stronger and dealing more effectively with his asthma. I wanted to see if changing his diet could make a difference. I shared with Annemarie what I was already doing, both in terms of foods and other healing modalities and practices. She made several important suggestions. That day I purchased her Book of Whole Meals and proceeded to cook through it from front to back, trying out every recipe. It was a thirty-day meal plan and included recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What happened was that in those next thirty days, with the addition of this revised diet, Reid was weaned off his steroidal inhalant. It felt like an amazing triumph and inspired me to want to learn more…much more. So, I continued taking classes and experimenting.

Somewhere along the line, I invited Annemarie to my home for dinner. I had grown up in the restaurant business in New York and had studied with many great chef-teachers, both in the city and abroad. Over the years I had become quite an accomplished cook. I remember distinctly what unfolded after dinner as if it were yesterday. Annemarie came up to me and said, “You really can cook. I’ve decided that you are going to teach for me.” My first reaction was pure fear. I told her that I didn’t know enough, that I wasn’t good enough, not to mention that I was terrified of standing up in front of people and speaking. She looked at me and said something I have never forgotten, one of the biggest AHA! moments of my life, words I have carried with me always. She looked at me and said, “The world is in too much trouble for you to make yourself small.” She insisted that, because I obviously know what I know, it was absolutely essential that I share this gift with others. That’s how I began to teach cooking…and more.

To this day, those words, more than any others, give me the impetus and courage to put myself out there, give voice to what I know as well as attempt new things, pick myself up when I make a mistake, dust myself off, and move beyond my fears and self-imposed limitations.

Over the course of my lifetime, I have dared to stretch beyond my comfort zone again and again. I went back to school, first to become a nutritionist and then, years later, to become a life coach. I worked hard at finding ways to communicate my knowledge and convictions about choosing to live in the healthiest and most fulfilling way possible. I further challenged myself by doing lots of public speaking. I figured that if I could learn to speak in front of thirty students while making a full and elaborate lunch or dinner for them, standing up and standing (more or less) still and just speaking should be a cinch. It wasn’t, but step by step I learned. Mostly, I needed to remind myself that it wasn’t about me or what people thought about my “performance.” I believed that I had important and relevant things to share. I just had to move beyond my own natural shyness in order to let my enthusiasm and my passion shine through.

One day I took a different kind of leap of faith and began to publicly share my poetry, which I had kept hidden in a shoebox until then. Since that personally courageous breakthrough, I have self-published four books, have had two more books that include poetry published by Blue Mountain Arts, and my poems have been included in anthologies as well as in the books of others. I’ve taken on leadership roles that were a real reach and stretch for me and then did whatever I needed to do to get the job done well. To this day, every time I reach and stretch, I inwardly thank Annemarie with all my heart for that unexpected jumpstart into a brave new way of being and doing which I didn’t think I was capable of handling.

When we enter into the wisdom years, it becomes more apparent than ever that the world is in too much trouble for any of us to shrink back and not offer our sagacity.

The world needs our ideas, our words, our gifts, our talents, and our willingness to be fully involved in our communities. We know what we know, and the world benefits from all that we have discovered over the years.

I still suffer from what I label as the I-don’t-know-enough syndrome. I am aware that I am not the only one. I don’t know why this is so. But I have befriended enough people and coached enough clients to recognize that we all have these nasty little voices in our heads whispering about our not-good-enoughness. Still, at some point, we each need to come to terms with that inner chattering. We each need to stop thinking that someday maybe we will finally be (smart, informed, intelligent, talented) enough. I had to learn to let go of my ongoing belief that when I read one more book, go to one more lecture, or take one more course, then I will finally know enough to be worthy of sharing both information gleaned and my perspective. Life is a share-as-we-go journey. Something else I learned from Annemarie is that, “We teach what we want to learn.” If we really want to learn, do, and be more, it is essential to step way out of our comfy corners and—thank you Nike for this brilliant catchphrase—just do it, gaining expertise and skill as we go.

I vowed then and there that I would never not be the first person to stand up and cheer when there was something or someone worth cheering about or for.

In his beautiful and moving book, The River, author Michael Neale talks about the place where we each confront our grief and fear in order to step into the fullness of our life and purpose. “The River” is the place where we finally stop playing small. There comes a time, actually many times, when it is quite simply my turn—or yours—to jump into the great big river of life, to play the music or to sing the song or to make a joyful noise that can be heard loud and clear. Sometimes it is without a doubt my time—or yours—to take a stance or a stand or maybe just jump up and be the first to dance or to confront a naysayer or to applaud. Years ago, I went to hear Buckminster Fuller speak. His talk was brilliant, and at the end, I wanted to jump to my feet and clap loudly to show my appreciation. But no one else was getting up, and so I stayed demurely seated. After the modest applause stopped, he remarked that perhaps he had not done such a good job in presenting his ideas this time because usually he is rewarded with a standing ovation. I had so wanted to stand up, but my discomfort held me back. I vowed then and there that I would never not be the first person to stand up and cheer when there was something or someone worth cheering about or for. Again and again, I am learning to step up and step out of my comfort zone and claim my place at the top or in the circle—or wherever life is beckoning me to show up. My hope is that by sharing my stories I am encouraging you to do the same.

By the way, a corollary to all this is that I’ve learned that I cannot simply wait to be discovered. I have to be willing to talk about what I have done and created as well as what I am capable of doing and creating. We need to do what it takes so that people can find us, give us or ask for our guidance, and hire us or put us in front of the right audience. I have been an entrepreneur for a very long time, and my biggest discomfort has always been marketing and promoting myself. It has required a whole lot of boldness for me to take steps to make it over that particular hurdle. Through the years I have also become clever enough to hire various public relations experts, marketing gurus, and savvy social media specialists to promote me and what in the world I do.

I’ve learned that to live fully and courageously, my gaze must shift to something bigger. I have to move past the thought that it is all about me. Annemarie taught me to go into the tiny bathroom at the cooking school before each class and go through a ritual of leaving my ego there, high up on a shelf, offering my ego-self assurances that I would come back to retrieve her after class. If what we know and what we have to share are to come through us and make a difference in the lives of others, we cannot be worried about how we look or what people think about us. We have to become focused on something larger and more significant than just ourselves, something more purposeful and meaningful. We must each remember that it’s not about ME. It’s about how we can serve.

Is there some way you have perhaps allowed yourself to stay small? How might you now choose to step into your most courageous self?

Excerpt from Decades of Gratitude, Gusto, Grit, and Grace by Minx Boren MCC

Minx Boren
Minx Borenhttps://coachminx.com/
Minx Boren is a Master Certified Coach, credentialed through the International Coach Federation, as well as a motivational speaker and workshop/webinar facilitator. She is author/co-author of sixteen books, including Friendship Is a Journey, Healing Is a Journey, and, most recently, Decades of Gratitude, Gusto, Grit & Grace. Minx is a longtime community leader and activist and has served as president of Executive Women of the Palm Beaches 2013-14 and as a member of the Board of Directors of The Women’s Foundation of Florida since 2007. She is the 2013 recipient of the Giraffe Project, presented by Women’s Chamber of Commerce to women who “stick their neck out for others. ”Her current focus is on exploring with olders what it means to grow into our later years with gratitude, grace, and gusto. As an adjunct professor at FAU Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, she offers courses on such topics as Navigating by Values, Resilience in Stressful Times, and Healthwise Living. As an author, Coach Minx leads workshops at spas and wellness centers as well as for the Women’s Foundation of Florida for those who want to write a book or articles for publication or simply want to learn to journal their personal reflections more effectively. Minx is the CJO – Chief Journaling Officer – for Purpose Journals, a company that offers unique journals, webinars, tools, an active writing community along with significant support for anyone who wants to “discover yourself on the page.” Minx is involved with developing and presenting local Sustainable Living initiatives including, because of her background in nutrition and wellness, programs on Food Glorious Food – A Sustainable Perspective. For the past 10 years, she has been sending out a Balance Point Newsletter every other week – thought-provoking ideas, questions, and action challenges - along with selections of poetry from her poem-a-day practice – all from a coach perspective. You can sign up to receive them on her website.

DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE


13 CONVERSATIONS

  1. Minx, I really enjoyed this inspiring article, I am in my twilight years and I have backed away from the world a bit. I live in the country and in truth I have very little interaction with people. That being said I have a focus in how I help others. So for me it is not so much an assignment but a way of being. A lot of the people I grew up with have chosen to live and a quiet simple life. We may not be silent rather we are quiet and focused on living a good and giving life Thank you again and I am sharing this.

    • Hi Larry Tyler Don’t negate the value of being a calm and centering presence in the Universe. Someone wise said, “I wake up every morning uncertain as to whether to spend my time saving the world or enjoying the world. It makes it difficult to plan my day!” I agree. AND so I am always seeking the balance of BOTH. The other thing I believe is that meditating/simply being present/finding joy in the moment are all absolutely essential to the health of not just us but also Mother Earth.

  2. When I read one of the comments on Linkedin relating to your article, it more than prompted me to read it through…thoroughly. Describing life’s downs and ups, and opening up your inner thoughts and experiences is quite something and epitomizes who you are.

    To quote the last line of your article, ‘We must each remember that it’s not about ME. It’s about how we can serve’.

    Thought provoking to say the least.

    To answer your question, I was considered to be not exactly the brightest kid on the block. Later in life I found the basic reason was being shoved from being left-handed to being ‘normal’ right-handed. I know it sounds a bit ‘ME’, but in those days, anorexia and equivalent numerical dyslexia did me now favors! I do engage with people and try to ‘make a difference’; listening. The supreme lack of self confidence gradually went away. Now I write; not only for my own enjoyment but to spread positivity.

    Being retired can mean being isolated from the buzz of European business and being with many different nationalities. I have ‘replaced’ this with greeting people from around the world and helping to guide them round the award winning exhibition ‘Kinds and Scribes…..Birth of a Nation’ at Winchester Cathedral.

    So it does sound very ‘ME’ but I do endeavor to give something back.

    A truly wonderful article, Minx. Thank you for sharing.

    • OMG Simon Lever, I am left-handed and my parents (blessedly) took me out of public school and put me into Ethical Culture School (all about values and principles and honoring individuality) in the third grade. This saved my (emotional and mental) life and allowed me to SLOWLY forge a sense of self and self-confidence). Yes, I am dyslexic and, even though that word was not even known 65 years ago (when I was 10). It has been a journey learning to accept all the ways my brain does not compute like others. I have learned to be patient with myself and BREATHE to get centered and find my own way. I love that you “write for my own enjoyment and to spread positivity.” YES. EXACTLY. For many years I have been sending out a Balance Point newsletter every other week with that in mind. And my book “Decades” came from all the AHAS! I have discovered along the way. AND good for you for finding a way to serve by guiding people on an inspiring “journey.” One of my dear retired friends is a docent at our local museum, a very rewarding use of his time.

  3. Minx, this is such a powerful article, and I share in celebration of ALL of us who are being guided to step more boldly into the unknown, to walk the brave path of our Souls. Thank you.

    A special WOW to these lines that leaped into my heart:

    “When we enter into the wisdom years, it becomes more apparent than ever that the world is in too much trouble for any of us to shrink back and not offer our sagacity.”
    *
    “The River” is the place where we finally stop playing small. There comes a time, actually many times, when it is quite simply my turn—or yours—to jump into the great big river of life, to play the music or to sing the song or to make a joyful noise that can be heard loud and clear.
    *
    “We have to become focused on something larger and more significant than just ourselves, something more purposeful and meaningful. We must each remember that it’s not about ME. It’s about how we can serve.”
    *
    Yes Yes Yes! (Standing ovation.)

    • Thank you Sora Garrett. I appreciate the standing ovation. I once heard Buckminster Fuller speak (brilliantly) at a conference. At the end, I wanted to not just applaud but to jump out of my seat with enthusiasm. But it was a staid audience and so, shy soul that I was back then, I remained seated. When the applause stopped, BF said, “I apologize. I must not have done a good enough job because I usually get a standing ovation.” I was so disappointed with myself for not following my gut that now I stand up and cheer every chance I get. Thank YOU for cheering me on.

  4. Ah yes, the chattering of what I call the “monkey brain.” You express so well, Minx, the odyssey we embark on — as soon as we begin to still our own chattering as well as censor the chattering of carefully identified others. Especially crucial right now that we step up to shore up the values that make us truly human and humane. Thank you for your insights!

    • Thank you Susan Strong. Yes. When my monkey brain starts swinging wildly from branch to branch, I am learning to respond by saying, “Thanks so much for sharing AND I am choosing to kick you out of my flourishing tree, so go munch a banana somewhere else!” (This makes me smile inside…always a good thing.) AND I love your words about shoring up the values that make us truly human and humane. BINGO! We all need to be navigating by our Highest Values Compass, now more than ever. I appreciate your response. Gracias/Grace.

  5. I LOVE this article, Minx. I am, yet again, at the edge of a cliff jumping into the wild unknown because God has prompted me to say “yes” to his next assignment for me (even though I have NO idea of what it will entail). Thank you for a beautiful story of getting beyond yourself. I stand up and applaud you and it gives me hope that all will be well, amazing, and worth it.

TAKE STROLL INSIDE 360° NATION

TIME FOR A "JUST BE." MOMENT?

ENJOY OUR FREE EVENTS

BECAUSE WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER