Over the weekend I attended the first live event, “AWAKE,” sponsored by SHFT. Before last Saturday, SHFT had done all of their work through online communities supporting people to wellness through Tribes, Catalyst courses and 1:1 coaching. The in-person event was a pretty big deal, and it was a huge success with a large turn out.
During the event, I had a rare moment to chat with John Kim, a co-founder of SHFT. He was telling me about his new book deal with Penguin Random House. He said to me, “You know, I never really considered myself a writer, so having a book deal is a pretty big deal.” I looked at him kind of funny and replied, “That’s how all this started, right? My Fucking Feelings.” He shrugged and said “Yeah,” as if 200 people doing yoga in front of him was no big deal.
You see, several years ago, a frustrated and maybe “Angry” Therapist wrote a blog post titled, “My Fucking Feelings.” He kept writing and the words he wrote resonated with people. If you’ve ever read John’s work as The Angry Therapist, you know that feelings aren’t always pretty. Guess what else? He swears. Oh my!
You know what? Most people’s lives aren’t always pretty and a lot of people I know swear. Honest, hard working, lovely people (myself included). Being real and transparent (even when it’s dark) is something people can relate to. By putting himself out there and dare I say, being vulnerable, he developed a following as The Angry Therapist. Today, that following has become a SHFT community that we’re all proud to be a part of.
I joined this community a couple of years ago and became a Catalyst last year. The quote of John’s that always stood out to me was, “Your Story is Your Gold.”
Guess what, Mr. Kim?
Your Story IS Gold.
I for one, am proud to be a part of your community, as are all the other members of the tribe. Thank you for putting yourself out there and sharing your story. May your example encourage others to share their story as well.
Photo courtesy of Author