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Five Minute Friday: Brave

Have No Fear of Perfection
Hand-Drawn Typography by BFrancesi

Would you believe that I wrote my blog content for today in five-minutes?  I almost don’t believe it myself.  I am slower than a tortoise when it comes to writing.  I write and re-write and re-write some more.  Forget about it when it comes to a tutorial with photos of each step that need editing and watermarking.  And to thicken the plot, I have this problem where I can’t do anything halfway…so I tend to go overboard sometimes.  I over-prepare.  I work harder than I probably need to.  And while I pride myself on being thorough, I’m not proud to be a perfectionist.  It can be crippling at times…and it’s something I’m working on.

So, when I first happed upon a Five Minute Friday post on My Little Bird, my brain started to get that tingly feeling inside also known as “intrigue.”  I learned from Heather that there are bloggers all over the internet who write Five Minute Friday posts…posts written in, you guessed it, five minutes…and I decided to break my own slowpoke writing stereotypes and join them this week!

Here’s how it works:

  • Five Minute Friday was started by blogger, Lisa-Jo Baker, and each week, she provides a new topic on which to write.  This week’s topic is brave.
  • You set a timer and write for five minutes only.  No more.  No less.
  • This is freewriting, which means there’s no stopping, no going back, no editing.  Scary, I know.
  • She invites you (yes, you!) to participate and then link up your post at her blog.  You can read all about it by visiting here.

I see such value in freewriting.  Some of you may remember from my post on How to Revamp Your “About” Page, I encouraged you to freewrite as a way to silence your inner critic and write without judgment.  I’m often amazed by the gems that spill out when my students freewrite.  Some of my best writing has been birthed from my own freewriting sessions.

So, I’m giving this a go, even though it feels a bit foreign and uncomfortable to share unedited text with you (unedited except for grammar, punctuation, and spelling because I’m anal like that).

But I’m doing this because I think it’s good for me.  I think it’s good for us!  Good for us to put ourselves out there sometimes without the extra protection of hours of editing or over-thinking.  Good to be raw.  Can I get an “Amen?”

This is my five-minute story.

Brave

GO.

God has a sense of humor.  The fact that I became a teacher is evidence of that.  And not just any teacher, but a theatre teacher at that.  It only adds to the hilarity.

Growing up, I was the shy kid in class…the one who always had a quiver in her voice when it was time to stand up and give a speech.  I remember the terror that rushed through my frame when Mrs. Maurer told me to put the note card down and speak from my memory.  My mind went blank.  I couldn’t go on.

But there was always something about being under the hot lights of the stage that showed the shy girl that she could be loud if she wanted.  And silly.  And she could even play someone else for a while.  And those quivers and shakes were no longer paralyzing, but they were signs of energy and life.  Mark Lewis, my college theatre professor, even told us that we earned extra points for shaking.  Shaking shows that the work is important to you.  It shows that you’re present with what’s happening.  And it’s not to be feared.

When I graduated from college, I never planned to be a teacher.  (Isn’t that the way it goes?)  But I found myself teaching theatre at every turn.  Directing the church Christmas pageant.  Assistant directing back at my old high school, on the same stage where it all began for me.  So, I rushed to turn in that application to N.Y.U.’s Educational Theatre program…and the rest is history.

And though it has never been easy for me to get up in front of a room of eyes and speak, I do it nonetheless.  I do it because I want to be the voice for my students that tells them to be brave.  That tells them to embrace the shaking.  To put themselves out there because their story is important and needs to be heard.

STOP.

And because I wanted to share a quote with you on bravery, here’s a snapshot of my old theatre classroom from when we were living in Ohio.  Don’t William Shedd’s words you goosebumps?

Classroom Quote | The Thinking Closet

What about you, dear reader?  Do you struggle with perfectionism?  Do you enjoy freewriting?  How about public speaking?  How do you see God’s sense of humor in your life?  I can keep going….  {Smile.}

And if any of you decide to jump on the “Five Minute Friday” train and link up at Lisa-Jo Baker.com, let me know!  I’d love to read your brave story.

This is Lauren, signing off.

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79 Comments

  1. I see why you recommended that I check out your freewrite! It seems like we have a very similar issue with over-preparing and perfectionism.

    Do you oscillate between two differently wordings or minute details as well?
    I’m also almost always over-prepared. The word-minimum rarely scared me, it was almost always the word maximum. I need to work on saying more with less. On the scale of Faulkner to Hemingway, I’m definitely towards the former.

  2. I love love love this post, my sis. Thanks for sharing your free-writing with us. It is beautiful! God does have a sense of humor doesn’t he? A shy little girl blossoming into a vibrant, boisterous theater teacher?!?! You are so gifted and have blessed so many people and will CONTINUE to do so through your teaching and blogging. You are my brave sister and you spur me on to follow in the same way. I love you soo much!

    1. Ha ha. “Boisterous” I can be! Especially when my sistah is nearby to egg me on. 🙂

      We can help each other be brave! (You inspire me with your courage to kayak over sunken ship wrecks and photograph alligators in the rain.) I love you to Reese’s pieces!

        1. True story! He is definitely one who embraces new experiences with reckless abandon…and emboldens others to do the same!

  3. I thought this was excellent! It gives me confidence that my routine of researching, writing, formatting, editing, finding images, posting, linking, and sharing, which usually runs me 2 hours from start to finish, ain’t all that bad! I struggled more in the beginning with over collecting information and finding the right words, but now I just write like I talk, and boy do I love to talk! It also helped to realize that my personal opinion matters and writing about what I think and feel has value for others. Keep posting these great tips and I will keep commenting!

    1. I think that’s great, Karen, that you’re finding your groove as an author and writing more in your own voice. That’s what we all want to read, anyway! Also, I’m glad that you found some take-aways in this post, Karen. I look forward to connecting with you through comments here in the future.

  4. sorry Lauren to be reading your posts so late, I’m behind my e-mails because it’s so beautiful outside! 🙂 Love the 5 minute concept, I don’t know if I would be able to do it, sometimes it takes me 30 minutes to write the first sentence 😉 ha!ha! I really enjoyed reading your post today, I wish I could’ve read this years ago when me too I used to shake in front of the class too shy to say anything! I was an analyst and my job required for me to present my reports and analysis to directors, executives, vp’s etc… and I was still very shy but sometimes I would just let it go and gave the best presentations I could give! (still shaking!) can’t wait to read your next 5 min 🙂

    1. No apologies necessary, Ingrid! I’m perpetually behind on my bloggy reading, it seems. 🙂 But I know my bloggy buddies like you are understanding.

      Ha ha, and I can totally relate to taking 30 minutes on one sentence. I can hit a brick wall sometimes with my writing…but I suppose that’s why freewriting is so FREEING. You just plow full steam ahead because you have to! I really think I need to set a timer with my writing more often.

      And I love that you could relate to my story and find so many connections to your own story. I bet your presentations were awesome, Ingrid! You always do everything with such excellence. One thing that I’ve learned about shaking is that it’s never as visible to the audience as it feels to you. I remember giving a speech at my DARE graduation in 5th grade and feeling like a fool because I thought my voice sounded like it was quivering the entire time. But when I talked to my classmates, they said they couldn’t hear any shaking in my voice…none at all! That always stuck with me and gave me some reassurance when the shakes did crop up! 😉

  5. I love this post of yours. What I love about free writing is just how honest it keeps us and I loved seeing another side of Lauren in that honesty, in that freedom. Gosh do I love to free write. 🙂

  6. Oh, Lauren…your story brought tears to my eyes! One can tell that every word you wrote came from your heart. And your voice is strong and clear! I’ve found with my own writing that all the re-reading and editing strips away what makes the blog post “me” and all attempts to add the “me” bit back in ends up coming across as stilted. Speak (well, write) from the heart, I say!:)

    1. Wow. Thank you for taking the time to read this and opening your heart to be impacted, Cindy. You are naturally such an open-hearted person, though, so I’m not surprised!

      And I think you hit the nail on the head with what you wrote about how easily we lose our authentic writer’s voice when we over-edit. This freewriting exercise brought me back to the basics in a really refreshing way…thanks for encouraging me in that!

  7. Great post, Lauren! Thanks for suggesting the “Five Minute Friday” to me. I’m definitely going to check it out – I think it would be fun (and probably challenging – I like to process and edit and rewrite way too much). The whole no editing is the most scary part 🙂

    1. Believe me, I know, Lauren. The idea of leaving text unedited feels oh so scary…but I did give myself permission not to post whatever I churned out in case it wasn’t up to par. Lo and behold, I surprised myself with what spilled out in those 5 minutes, and I figured it’d be a healthy risk to share it in blogland. And three days later, I have no regrets! 😉

  8. Such an inspiring and great post on your thoughts about the word BRAVE! I respect that you want to be brave to be the voice of your students. I am beginning to tell my students that I am quiet and not an extrovert (or just on the border between introvert and extrovert) hoping it will inspire them to speak out. It is so neat how the Lord has moved you from never speaking up in class (2nd grade feedback from your teacher) to being comfortable teaching students, performing on stage, leading worship nights, and writing a blog about speaking up and being brave! WOW!!

    Have you heard the new Amy Grant and James Taylor song, Don’t Try So Hard. It’s about perfectionism, grace that can’t be earned, and that we are lovely with our scars….I think you’d like it if you haven’t heard it yet. xxooooxxxooo

    1. From all that I’ve heard about your teaching this semester, it sounds like your class has become a safe haven for students who have struggled in learning environments in the past or with the subject matter. And I know that you encourage your students to speak up and ask questions. I only wish I could be one of your students to learn even more from you than I already have.

      Ha ha, and I had forgotten that about my 2nd grade report card. My how things have changed. Now, you can’t get me to shut up! 😉

      Thanks for the tip on the Amy Grant and James Taylor song. What a great artist combination! It’s playing in the background right now….

      1. The song kind of grew on me…so listen a few times.

        Well, we’d have to do an exchange program because even though I sat in on your classes that one day, I would love to do it on an on-going basis and learn more from you, too!! And while you do speak up these days, you are also very good at listening! I can tell you are listening to your readers. I really enjoy seeing all the comments and your responses; this time I especially enjoyed the exchange between Mark and you.

        For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
        II Timothy 1:7

        1. Thanks for these encouraging words and the soul-nourishing verse. I never thought of reading comments before as listening, but it really is! And I love engaging with readers (like you! & Mark!) in this way…it’s “active” listening. Although I may not have scored high on the “listening” portion of those standardized tests in elementary school, I’d like to think I’m getting better and better at listening as I age. Happy Monday to you, Mama!

          1. Well, I never understood about those listening scores and don’t love standardized tests, but you are definitely growing as a listener and as someone with so many important things to say!

  9. What a brilliant post, I love hearing about your life, you are so passionate in the way you speak (write) of it… and I love the five minute idea too!
    Although, if you really expect me to believe you were ever shy, then you are having a laugh 😀

    You are speaking to a fellow perfectionist who has spent YEARS trying to get it under control. And do you know what has helped me to tackle it the most…. blogging! I think it is something to do with being able to share your ideas and creations with the big wide world, open to criticism and scrutiny, yet receiving nothing but positive feedback and a warm welcome, but at the same time always coming across AMAZING projects by so many creative sewers and crafters that it makes you realise it doesn’t matter how good you are, there is always someone so much better… but that is ok because you can get to know them and learn from them and just have fun. It has done wonders for my self esteem. If I were to have done a five minute post on the topic of brave I think that I would have written about blogging.

    xxx

    1. It’s so funny, Thalita from The Learner Observer had the same suspicion about me actually being shy. It’s true, though! I promise! 🙂 That shy little girl still makes an appearance sometimes, especially when I’m in a large group of people I don’t know. But get me in a small group of friends, and I’ll be hamming it up with SNL impressions faster than you can say, “Jiminy Cricket.”

      After getting to know you these past few months, Hannah, and seeing the impeccable work that you do on your dresses, it’s no surprise to me that you’ve been plagued with perfectionism, too. Although I take back the word, “plagued.” Perfectionism can be a good thing and can lead to a solid work ethic; but all to often I have felt its negatives.

      And you articulated so beautifully some of the exact same sentiments I have felt about blogging…I just haven’t voiced it yet. But you’re so right about the power of positive feedback through reader comments being a force for battling perfectionism. The warm welcome you speak of has definitely been one of the most unexpected and pleasant surprises for me about blogging. And the fact that so many others are out there doing quality work really puts it all in perspective, doesn’t it? It keeps us humble and keeps us from establishing false expectations of greatness.

      Brilliant! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Hannah. I’m uplifted as I always am after reading a comment from you.

  10. Dear Lauren,
    I’m pretty convinced we’re the same person, just states away. So so glad that we got connected 😉 You did an AWESOME job letting go of your perfectionism, and I love the way your five minute post turned out! I used to be that same shaky, shy, quiet girl until I discovered the way I could light up and pretend and play onstage. Being involved with theatre gave me so much confidence, and I’m so glad that you get to instill that confidence and creativity into your students today. I love the concept you shared from your theatre professor too (about shaking!). I’ll have to remember that one. Glad you joined FMF this weekend, and looking forward to some more of (us both) letting go of that perfectionism every once in a while with our blogging!
    -Heather

    1. Ha ha. You cracked me up with your first line there, Heather. I’m delighted to learn about how very much we share in common. I remembering sensing that when I first visited your blog and read your “About” page (during the Silhouette Giveaway), and it was a no-brainer to start following you in bloglovin’…and I’m so glad I did. FMF has been such a worthwhile exercise for me, and I’m definitely going to participate in the future.

      Here’s to our joint effort to surrendering our perfectionism, so that we can blog more freely and thus live more freely. Let grace abound!

      Hugs!
      -Lauren

  11. I am so thankful I was able to hop on your blog on Friday that I was able to learn about this Five Minute Friday. I am not a good writer so I tend to spend hours in writing even a short blog post. I even had to revise a lot of times before I click the Publish button. I would like to try this too though I am afraid I might just stare at my keyboard for five minutes. Hahaha.

    Sometimes we just really had to go out of our shell to try something new. Bravery is one thing we should have to be able to do that. I admire how you transformed from being a shy kid to a person who is now in front of the class. I wish I could also stand confidently in front of a crowd. I am also a shy kid and not even confident with myself. Thanks for the meaningful story you shared, especially the quote. I see the meaning behind it and even Wow-ed to it. 🙂

    Have a nice day! 🙂

    1. Mei! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed my Five Minute Friday post…and as someone who also tends to belabor the writing process, I have got to just reiterate how very FREEING it felt to complete this exercise. In fact, I really want to encourage you to try it (even if you don’t end up publishing what you write). I think it really hones our skills as writers, and I almost felt like I was able to think more clearly than usual because of the time stricture.

      Ha ha, and I can understand that fear about staring at your keyboard for five minutes. When I taught freewriting, I told my students, “Keep your pen moving at all times, even if you write ‘blah blah blah…I can’t think what to write…I’m bored,’ that’s okay. Keep writing until a new thought appears.” It really does work!

      And Mei, thanks for opening up about your shyness. Shyness is really so common, and I have found that small steps, small acts of bravery over time make a huge difference in confidence and courage. Even if it’s just initiating ONE casual conversation a day with someone with whom you have an interaction, before you know it, you’ll be taking bigger risks and making bolder moves. Soon enough, your new nickname will be Brave Mei! You can do it, girl.

  12. your fifth paragraph gave me goosebumps. then re-reading the quote about ships gave my goosebumps goosebumps. really amazing, Lauren. you are just cut out to be a theatre teacher, even though you didn’t necessarily know it while you were being ‘cut out’… but I can tell you that you are “the voice for your students that tells them to be brave”. you are already! saw more evidence of that fact last weekend at the stage in speaks auditorium where you breathed life into a space and created a culture that gave your students lots to laugh about, and a few things to cry about. bravery is contagious, isn’t it?

    1. Markus, I already told you how much this comment meant to me, but I’ll say it here again for the world to see. Thank you for reading my blog, for affirming me in my career, for celebrating my writing, and for celebrating the work WE did in Ohio. I am so thankful for a life buddy in you!

      (And yes, bravery sure IS contagious. I think we’ve both caught the bug…you pass it onto your patients and I to my students.)

  13. So glad I stopped by from FMF! I love the idea that the shakiness shows that the work is important to you–what a gem of wisdom to pass on. Thank you! What a beautiful job to have: to help others find their voices and tell their stories.

    1. I’m delighted that you enjoyed my post, Elizabeth, and that you found a “gem of wisdom” to take with you when you left. And yes, I am so thankful to have felt the call to teach. It sounds like you have, as well? (With your ESL class?) Great to “meet” you, Elizabeth, and to connect through FMF!

  14. Beautiful post, Lauren! I think you have suddenly found yourself some extra time in life, my friend, for clearly you do not need to spend hours editing and rewriting. Your natural, unedited flow is inspiring and delightful. Way to go! I look forward to more of these 5 minute Fridays.

    1. It’s true, Jessica (about finding some extra time). It really was an “ah-ha” moment for me to realize that maybe I don’t have to spend such a high quantity of time writing posts in order for me create quality content and connect with my readers. I appreciate your affirmation of my unedited writing, friend, and your charge to press on with Five Minute Fridays. I think I shall!

  15. Awesome post. With the weather getting nicer, 5 min posts sound fabulous (I too can spend hours and still have anxiety when I push publish). I’ll definitely be joining you since we’ve already discussed the benefits of freewriting!

    1. I’m glad you’re a fan of FMF, too, Beth! (And hooray for our shared love of freewriting!) It really was so liberating to just set a timer and stick to the rules Lisa-Jo Baker laid out for us. It actually made me see value in setting more time limits for myself in general with blogging. We perfectionists need limits sometimes! Can I get an “Amen”?

  16. I have a hard time imagining you as shy and quiet, but I was always that girl, and the first thing my Teacher’s College instructor said to me after watching me teach my first lesson to a Grade 6 class was: “You’re a natural teacher – you take control of the class and connect with the students.” Last words I ever expected to hear in life – I half expected to fail Teacher’s College for lack of confidence! This was such a cool post and I hope you make this a regular thing – your writing style is awesome, whether edited or not at all!

    1. Ha ha. It often does surprise people when I tell them what a wallflower I was…I’ve definitely “come out of my shell,” so to speak, but I’m still an introvert. Just an outgoing introvert!

      And I loved hearing what your instructor said to you and how you really allowed those words of truth to power you through to achiever your goals…and then some. I remember feeling that lack of confidence, too, when I was first student teaching. Thankfully, neither of us let fear of failure or lack of confidence keep us down!

      And thanks for the encouragement about my unedited Five Minute Friday text! I enjoyed it so much, I definitely plan to give it a go again in the coming weeks…and maybe I can even entice some of my blogger friends to join me one of these times (wink wink).

    1. It actually took me a long time to discover who that quote has been attributed to…I remember doing a fair amount of google searching to be able to say with authority that it was indeed William Shedd! I can tell from your post that history intrigues you, too. Glad to have “met” you today, Sharon!

  17. Hello Lauren, thank you for such a great post! You inspired me to participate in this wonderful exercise (I gave you credit in my post) and I enjoyed every minute of it. (all 5 minutes, that is, lol)
    Very glad to have found your blog. It makes me smile. 🙂 Have a lovely weekend! xx

    1. I’m so glad that you joined in on the fun, Mish! Your text turned out so beautifully…it’s a wonder we don’t blog this way more often! Happy weekend to you, too.

  18. Oh, I love this idea. You and I are so much the same with regard to perfection. It can be disabling at times. I also echo your childhood shyness. I was so shy, I really never spoke, nor acknowledged other – even my Kindergarten teacher. I was so shy that it was thought for a time that I could not hear well. That is a story for another day.

    1. That story from your childhood is intriguing! I’d love to hear more about that sometime….

      I was a goofball at home with my family, but get me out and about with strangers and forget it. I remember being 8 or 9 and too shy to even go up to the pizza counter by myself and pick up the pizza for our family dinner. Now-a-days, nothing gets in the way of me and my pizza. Not even rowdy Italian men. Ha ha.

  19. First I think deciding to do this is crazy brave! I triple check everything I write, reworking until I’m satisfied and ask my husband to proof read. Then I go back and proof his proof read 😉

    I love the idea. Your post is so honest and real. I’m amazed you wrote that in five minutes!

    1. Ha ha. You cracked me up with, “Then I go back and proof his proof read.” Believe me, I get that! It was definitely out of my comfort zone to share something so raw, but it was strangely so freeing at the same time! I dare you to try it sometime, Berennisse. Double dog dare you! 😉

  20. Love this. I was the shy, quiet kid too. So I definitely relate. Years later when my job required public speaking, I had to laugh at God’s sense of humor as well. Your website is really lovely.

    1. Isn’t He funny sometimes? I can’t help but think back how Moses didn’t feel like a gifted orator, and yet he was called to lead God’s people out of Egypt. When we’re weak, He is mostly definitely strong! Thanks for stopping by. Just came back from your lovely blog. I can’t even begin to share how wonderful it has been connecting with other participants in “Five Minute Friday.”

    1. Sarah, isn’t it so powerful? As a person who can be fearful at times, it’s a wonderful reminder to me, too. What kind of life is it if we spend all of our time playing it safe? No life I want to live.

    1. Danielle I’m so glad the timing of this post was just right and that it lifted your spirits! Sending you a big hug and wishing you a weekend with a few more aptly-timed spirit-lifters.

    1. Thanks, Amy! Was so touched by your “Five Minute Friday” post…I still have “It’s Not Easy Being Green” playing in the background right now. Thanks for helping me hear that song afresh tonight!

  21. I was the queen of trying to be perfect. I love that quote at the top of your post..it’s very true. Great post! Thanks for sharing. It’s amazing what words flow when you don’t have a lot of time.

    1. It’s an encouragement to know I’m not alone in my struggle with perfectionism, Darcel. Do you find that you struggle with it less than you used to? If so, what has helped? I could stand to re-read that Dali quote every day as a reminder. Maybe tattoo it to my face! 😉

  22. Lauren, this is a very cool idea and a very cool way to share stuff that is out of the box or away from general blog posts to get more personal with the readers (even though you already manage to do that with regular blog post anyhow) I think I will give this a try one of these days….when I was in Boston, I took some free writing classes and loved them. I tended to write about kids storied and dogs and things from a younger perspective…this is cool! thanks and have a good one!

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kelly. I actually had a different post in store for today, a quick tutorial related to creating a blog signature, but this was so much more fun and so much more “quick!” I do find that posts where I share more personal things and write from the heart are so very life-giving for me and often generate such a positive response from readers…not sure why I don’t do it more often. Five Minute Fridays may become a regular thing in these parts…we shall see!

      And how wonderful that you got to take classes devoted to freewriting. I would have loved to have taken that with you and heard some of your tales. It is so true that when we don’t censor ourselves, our pen often wanders into stories from the past. Happy weekend to you!

  23. There are so many reasons why I have to save this post. I was also the shy one in the class and my daughter is following in my foot steps. I want her to hear about your wonderful teacher who gave extra points for shaking. Also at 46 I just quit my job because I need a change. I am scared out of my mind but I am the ship who was safe in the harbour, and as the quote says that is not what ships are for. I am going to put that quote in my and my daughter’s craft/office room. Thank you, thank you so much your timing was perfect!

    1. Wendy, it warms my heart to know that my words and the quote were an encouragement to you! That just goes to show that you don’t need to belabor over a text for it to carry weight!

      I’m so happy that you want to share with your daughter about “extra points for shaking.” I remember that when we’d be performing in class, my professor would stop us sometimes to have us hold out our hand and acknowledge the shaking. He encouraged us to notice it, take deep breaths, and move on…and it always led to a stronger performance. But when we try to shove those feelings down and ignore them, that’s when they get the best of us. That’s when fear controls us. Theatre was definitely so therapeutic for me in that regard and in helping me with anxiety.

      And I’m so excited for what lies ahead for you, Wendy! It sounds like you have take a huge leap in leaving the safe harbor of your old job, but I know that huge potential lies ahead. Good for you for listening to your heart and taking a risk. Some people would never be so brave.

  24. This is lovely, Lauren! Your writing style is so easy to read. 🙂 Where in Ohio did you used to live? That’s where I grew up! I NE Ohio, outside of Akron. Have a great weekend!

    1. Thank you for the kind compliment, Emily! And to answer your question, we used to live in Columbus, and very much treasured our time there! I was there for 3 years and Mark was there for 5. We met so many wonderful people and recently went back to visit and reconnect. I’ve determined that a piece of my heart will always be in Ohio. Happy weekend to you, Emily.

    1. I’m glad that you enjoyed it Kenley. There really was something so freeing about setting a time limit and committing to not going back and editing. Don’t get me wrong, it was terrifying, too, but mostly freeing! You should try it sometime. I’d love to read what you come up with!

    1. So happy to have discovered you, too! Wow, you blew me away with your poetic “Five Minute Friday” post, and I just sent the link along to my sister who is in training to be a counselor. What a serendipitous connection!

    1. Thanks, Denise! Heading over to your place now to read your FMF post…can’t wait!

    1. You know how to bolster up a girl’s self-esteem. Thanks, Katherine! The feeling is so mutual. I might as well start calling you Ms. Inspiration!

  25. First of all I love this concept. Free writing is so fun, but like you said, something I don’t do often enough. Not sure if I will join this week, but I am excited to do it in the future! But your story totally made me tear up and I loved loved what your professor said about getting more points if you’re shaking because that means it matters to you. What a simple, but beautiful thought. I think we can all be very scared at times to do certain things, especially because other people might see our fear. But if we can rearrange our perspective on fear and not see it so much as an embarrassment, but as a signal that we really, truly care about something, then I think we’d all be a little more courageous. Thank you for sharing this post today, I’m so glad you participated.

    1. Oh Melyssa, you’d thrive with one of these prompts, I just know it! Though I know you’ve got writing prompts of your own this May, sometime I encourage you to give it a go. It’s interesting to me how freewriting can give our writing wings to fly….

      And I’m so glad you honed in on the “extra points for shaking” concept. He said it enough times to us that it really sunk in, and I later would say it to my students. So many of them confessed fears of public speaking, especially in English class, and it was one of those great moments where I could take something that was a struggle of my own growing up and use it to speak words of encouragement and empowerment to them. While I may not have successfully taught them how to use a comma properly, I do feel like most of my students came away with more confidence and coping skills when it comes to standing up and speaking in front of their peers. And I can live with that!

  26. Lauren I am so thankful you wrote today, and that I linked up right after yours. I have a “shy girl” daughter who is just now discovering that she can be whoever she wants on the stage. The transformation is remarkable. I loved reading your transformation as a reminder that God will bring her gifts out the way he planned them. Thanks for sharing.

    1. How wonderful that found such encouragement in my post, Miriam! That’s what my Dad would called a “God-incidence.” (Not a coincidence at all!) It makes me smile from ear to ear to hear how your daughter has been finding her voice on the theatre stage. I’ve seen time and time again how the theatrical arts empower students to be on the outside who they are on the inside…which is true to my story and it sounds like your daughter’s, too. I also love how students discover strengths and gifting within themselves they never knew they had. So excited for you both!

  27. Hey Lauren, I just love this post. An amazing story, written so succinctly and interestingly in only five minutes! It’s amazing what you can actually do in that time, as I have found doing Five Minute Friday in recent weeks. It pushes you as a writer, and aptly enough, challenges you to be brave.

    Thanks for sharing this, really encouraging & inspiring!

    1. You’re so right about my first “Five Minute Friday” post being an act of bravery in and of itself! It really felt exhilarating to set the timer on my phone, take a deep breath, click start and let my typing fingers whir away. I really do see such value in it from a writing standpoint; I’m only kicking myself for not trying it sooner!

      Glad to have “met” you through this exercise, James!

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