Last week, as one of my favorite events of the year was getting underway, I finally got to catch up with a dear friend of mine – we’ll call her K.  We have a long beautiful history (which will have to be another blog post), but during this conference every year we get a chance to catch up on each other’s happenings for the last year.

It didn’t take long for K to say something I didn’t expect.  “I used something you said last year with my class.  Thank you so much for that.  You actually said it to my sister, but I heard you and it made such an impact on me.”

Me ← jaw drop.

After picking up my jaw, my reply – “I hope it was something smart!” 🙂

At that point, K began to share with me that while I was supporting her sister in a career situation she was considering, she overheard my thoughts and those words went on to take on a life for themselves.  It was a conversation about presence, and the impact we have in any situation by just showing up and being in the room.  K has gone on to share this with her students in Melbourne, Australia in an effort to connect them to the power of their presence as they get ready to graduate and move into the working world.  What an incredible blessing that these words have gone on to another continent and are sparking other conversations in this massive beautiful web.

While I feel incredibly humbled at the power of that moment I got to share with K and her sister, I am also keenly aware at a beautiful (and also powerful) lesson here for me.  It moved me so much, I wanted to write to you about it!

So often, we work very hard to keep our words impeccable (one of The Four Agreements, from the toltec tradition as taught in the book of the same title).  I personally do this for my own benefit, as I’ve learned through my practice that my words are one of my tools for creating.  What this moment brought into focus, however, is that those same words can then create for others. (Take that in for a minute.)

I’ll use a different example to help you process this.  Let’s say this wasn’t my friend K, but it was an exchange in a grocery store with a clerk helping me.  That clerk then takes my words home and may use them with her daughter, who may then take them to her job as a nanny.  And so on, these words take on their life’s journey.

I say this for two reasons: 1) to encourage you.  You may not own the life your words take on, but the beautiful energy you put into them stays with them as they move through the world.  And 2) to motivate you.  Share your words.  I know that sometimes we hold back because of the prior lack of control over where those words will journey.  However, denying the journey is not the answer!  Give your words a chance to travel to far places and create magic where you would never have expected.

Now over to you!  Share with me a time when you realized your words were on their own journey.  You can find me at @behereandserve on both Facebook and Instagram!