One heartbeat at a time,

stories connect us all.

When we slow down to listen to another's most vulnerable story, something magical happens.  We connect heart to heart and soul to soul, as we each hold a sacred space of compassion for the moment at hand. 

“Now, here is my secret, a very simple secret. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”  Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

As I began my Life Refresh Coaching business, I knew there were stories that had to come out.  Ones that I just could not keep buried or hidden anymore.  The vulnerability of physically writing out the words and knowing they were out for the world to see forever, at first made me nauseous. Then, as I faced this old dread and fear with courage, something amazing began to happen within me.  I felt refreshed, aligned, and connected to my life purpose. 

My story became fuel for my own intuitive sacred fire. It gave me permission to dare boldly for the Sweet Life I desired. There was just one more thing. Now, that I wrote the story, I had to speak and share this vulnerable story so that others may be inspired to unmute their unique vulnerable voices too! 

Speaking on The Squeeze with Michelle Faust, gave me this opportunity. Check out the 30-minute show on ZondraTV.com. It’s fun, fresh, and entertaining… I even sing!

Watch.ZondraTV.com     

 Here is an excerpt from one of my favorite parts of Living The Sweet Life-The RV Edition in The Lemonade Stand 3:

On the first day of “our Christmas RV Road Trip,” my parents gave to me... 

Some comic books and origami...  

Okay, this was not the highlight of the twelve gifts, but it set the tone. My teenagers rolled their eyes at the goofy, silly items. We all laughed as I stood there, singing in my wild Christmas sweater and two dogs barking beside me in harmony. There was nowhere to go, so they browsed through their books, wondering what tomorrow might bring. 

We all needed some lightness. 2020 had some heavy moments. We were still grieving our dear neighbor, who had been a father of three, grandfather of two, and a beloved husband. He took his own life in May. 

My son, Jack, had been outside playing basketball when he heard the shot. He quickly ran from our backyard over the neighbor’s fence to see our neighbor’s son pulling his hysterical mother out through the front door. Immediately fire engines, police cars, and ambulances arrived on the scene as our street was closed with an intricate web of yellow crime scene tape. 

 As we ran out to find out what happened, our neighbor’s wife sat in the driveway, facing our home, wailing, lamenting, and screaming for her husband. The family was trying to comfort her to no avail. It was a sight and sound that shook your very soul. A moment of rawness and complete vulnerability connected us all to the loss of a world that no longer made sense. 

I had to do something, anything at all! I had to let them know we cared; we loved them. They were not alone in this Hell. So, my husband and I crossed the police tape. Screw the Covid mandate, screw the masks, and no touching. We walked up to the three grieving sons and hugged them mightily. The young men wept, and we wept along with them. Their dad was gone. He had taken his own life in his own house while his wife and son were in the kitchen. 

The loud wailing heartache of his wife went on into the early morning hours. I took her cries deep into my heart. It was like a million nails raking into my soul. Her beloved was dead. The preciousness of life is so short. Covid was killing thousands this year. The lockdowns, mandates, isolation, suicides, depression, addictions, and fear were doing so much more. They were maiming us for the long term—creating families without fathers, youth without hope, and neighbors afraid to touch each other when we needed them the most.  

The neighborhood felt like a cesspool of grief for the next few days. Trauma still lingered in the air. The remaining neighbors came together and prayed for the family. We listened to each other with deep compassionate hearts and cried as we shared stories of past joyful neighborhood memories. Life would continue even through the tears. 

I encourage you to connect and magnify your sacred fire.  The world needs you, your story, and your gifts now more than ever.  Check out the complimentary affirmations at LifeRefreshCoach.com or a session of Mapping Your Sweet Life to gain clarity to magnify your sacred fire. 

You were born to Live The Sweet Life, 

Laura Ann Garris

Life Refresh Coach, Author, and Speaker

www.LifeRefreshCoach.com
https://ztvbiz.com/LGarris
International Best-Selling Co-Author of
Written In Her Own Words: Wise Woman Wisdom
The Lemonade Stand 3