* Janine Davis, Caitlyn Boyle, and Molly Barker above
On Friday, my Body Image class had the wonderful fortune of being visited by some amazing people doing really great work. Michelle Icard is the founder of Athena’s Path and Hero’s Pursuit. Janine Davis is the Founder of the Girl Talk Foundation. Molly Barker is the Founder and VisionKeeper of Girls on the Run International. Caitlin Boyle is the creator of the blog and project, Operation Beautiful, as well as the author of Operation Beautiful. Brian Foreman is the Founder of B4Man Consulting and has worked with young people in a faith-based setting for close to 20 years. Good people, I tell you, doing good work.
At one point during class, Molly was describing how it felt to discover what running did for her.
“After a run,” she said, “I felt like this.” And she stretched her body long, her arms extended over her head, the mouth lit in joy, her face bright with illumination. I am so disappointed that I did not have my camera (but here’s a shot of Happy doing something pretty similar to what Molly did for a visual effect).
Molly’s motion was one each one of us “got” just as soon as she made it.
“Find the thing that makes you go like this,” she said, stretching out again. And she’s absolutely right. It’s when we plug into our greatest gladness, when we are doing the thing we are most meant to be doing, that the world opens wide for us because it is saying, “you have found your key, now you can open every door meant to be opened by you; keep going.”
So, what is that thing that makes you extend into the perfect expression of lived joy? Haven’t figured it out yet? What’s getting you there?
I know for me, Rosie…one of those things that makes me ‘feel like this’ is spending time with you! Thank you, friend.