KKKEEEVVVIIIINNNN - I love this. I LOVE THIS. SPOT ON.
"May you grow weary of every performance that keeps you from being known."
Okay sir. I receive.
And I am only calling you sir right now because that is how much I respect that BEAUTIFUL ONE LINER. That one liner is a novel, more like ten.
DUUUUDDDDE. Seriously. So good. I loved this. I have seen that I am becoming more and more me. I did a video the other day and I messed up and I used the same word a couple of times but I was like WHO CARES. People are going to love me for my mistakes, corkiness (I dont even know what the word means but it sounds good), vulnerability, and unpolished-ness.
Your writings have only validated that I can be me. I can make mistakes. I do not have to perform. AND. I. APPRECIATE. THAT. SO. MUCH.
First, I think the word may be quirkiness...but honestly, “corkiness” feels wonderfully unpolished and may now belong entirely to you.
What you described about leaving the imperfect video alone is exactly the freedom I hoped this piece would make visible. You did not need to correct every repetition or manage every possible impression before allowing yourself to be seen. You simply let the person who was actually there remain there.
And perhaps the deepest freedom is not the certainty that everyone will love our mistakes. Some people may not. It is discovering that we no longer have to control their response in order to remain ourselves.
I’m deeply grateful that my writing has offered validation, Ashley. But the courage to become more fully yourself has been yours. You are the one consenting to be seen without polishing away all the evidence that a living human being is there.
May the bright eyes, the mistakes, the vulnerability, the quirkiness...and yes, even the corkiness...all continue belonging to the same wonderfully unperformed person. Thank you, my friend. :-)
CORKINESS 🤣🤣🤣. Yep, that is my new word. LOL. Thanks Kevin. You are right.. the freedom of just being me, has been in front of me, this whole time. It’s just nice having big brothers like you validating!!
Spot on, Kevin! Performance brings acclaim, and that is a wonderful feeling. But as you so clearly explained in this prose piece, that does not bring balm for the hurting heart. Removing the performer’s mask is hard for the performer, yet the exposure must be borne if that starving heart is to be nourished and thus survive. M
Yes, Jim...acclaim can feed the mask while the heart beneath it continues to starve. And perhaps removing it feels so dangerous because performance may have once been how we learned to secure belonging.
But as you said, the heart cannot be nourished without being exposed. Love must be allowed to reach the person the applause never could.
Thank you for seeing the heart of this so clearly.
KKKEEEVVVIIIINNNN - I love this. I LOVE THIS. SPOT ON.
"May you grow weary of every performance that keeps you from being known."
Okay sir. I receive.
And I am only calling you sir right now because that is how much I respect that BEAUTIFUL ONE LINER. That one liner is a novel, more like ten.
DUUUUDDDDE. Seriously. So good. I loved this. I have seen that I am becoming more and more me. I did a video the other day and I messed up and I used the same word a couple of times but I was like WHO CARES. People are going to love me for my mistakes, corkiness (I dont even know what the word means but it sounds good), vulnerability, and unpolished-ness.
Your writings have only validated that I can be me. I can make mistakes. I do not have to perform. AND. I. APPRECIATE. THAT. SO. MUCH.
Thanks Kevin, Ashley :-)
AAASSHHHLLLEEEYYY...this made me smile. 😂
First, I think the word may be quirkiness...but honestly, “corkiness” feels wonderfully unpolished and may now belong entirely to you.
What you described about leaving the imperfect video alone is exactly the freedom I hoped this piece would make visible. You did not need to correct every repetition or manage every possible impression before allowing yourself to be seen. You simply let the person who was actually there remain there.
And perhaps the deepest freedom is not the certainty that everyone will love our mistakes. Some people may not. It is discovering that we no longer have to control their response in order to remain ourselves.
I’m deeply grateful that my writing has offered validation, Ashley. But the courage to become more fully yourself has been yours. You are the one consenting to be seen without polishing away all the evidence that a living human being is there.
May the bright eyes, the mistakes, the vulnerability, the quirkiness...and yes, even the corkiness...all continue belonging to the same wonderfully unperformed person. Thank you, my friend. :-)
CORKINESS 🤣🤣🤣. Yep, that is my new word. LOL. Thanks Kevin. You are right.. the freedom of just being me, has been in front of me, this whole time. It’s just nice having big brothers like you validating!!
Spot on, Kevin! Performance brings acclaim, and that is a wonderful feeling. But as you so clearly explained in this prose piece, that does not bring balm for the hurting heart. Removing the performer’s mask is hard for the performer, yet the exposure must be borne if that starving heart is to be nourished and thus survive. M
Yes, Jim...acclaim can feed the mask while the heart beneath it continues to starve. And perhaps removing it feels so dangerous because performance may have once been how we learned to secure belonging.
But as you said, the heart cannot be nourished without being exposed. Love must be allowed to reach the person the applause never could.
Thank you for seeing the heart of this so clearly.
Enjoying your unafraid exploration of complex moral and spiritual issues, based on your solid grounding in the great love-heart of God.
Thank you Jim! Stay tuned…you’re gonna like what is coming
Looking coward to that!