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(R) Remarkable and Real

Written by Katie Mehnert | Apr 29, 2014 1:38:11 PM

I love it when remarkable minds, real ideas and people connect to make remarkable things happen.

I chatter incessantly about this word remarkable because I enjoy using this corner of my world to spotlight remarkable people, their stories, lives, ideas, and dreams.

Not too long ago, I asked someone to guest write.  She got instantly got excited until she began reading some of the bios of others.  She felt intimidated, even scared that she could not compete with the high power positions she perceived these people held. Their experiences made hers seem dull in comparison.

When it comes to remarkable...we get scared.  We let our heads rule supreme.

We worry about how great we truly are because we compare ourselves with others.

It's okay.  This is real (and normal)

But when you're a blooming flower, your job is to keeping growing and nurture the other flowers around you.

So, my nervous friend sat back and read their words and instantly fell in love with the passion, dedication and purpose all these people had in what they wrote. It made her realize that this is what they all had in common: a passion to put themselves out there.

My definition of remarkable is someone who puts himself or herself 'out there'.

Because if you aren't out there, as my friend and a great mentor, Frank says, you're just a penguin.  (And penguins all look the same and sound the same.)

Remarkable minds not only create, but they bleed their art.

They open their souls and then in turn open the souls of others.

They let go of the need to be perfect and the need for control and are comfortable being who they truly are.

They know the world is open to many minds and ideas so there's no ego.   What you see is what you get.  Real.  Remarkable.  And sometimes, raw.  But the cool part about it all is that you realize how fragile we all are however, the power of remarkable makes us greater when we come together.

Remarkable ideas, when channeled together, can weave the most amazing things.

But minds and ideas are nothing without connection.

Because when you have connection between people, ideas and minds, you get action.  Ideas are just data points.  People are the ones who take action and make change happen.

There are some remarkable things happening in the next few days and weeks.

  • This Friday my team from the Center for Houston's Future presents our final learning journey we began 30 days ago.  We started out as 11 strangers. Together with two remarkable artists, Rocko Stedy and Tim Merlau, we will demonstrate the power of collaboration, trust and learning.  Because none of us knew each other but the cause of learning and our kids futures brought us together.  Stay tuned next week as I will share our work.
  • Tomorrow, I will be helping a school near and dear to my heart, Young Women's College Preparatory Academy.  The school has 6th-11th grade women studying a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) curriculum.  I'm heart-broken because this school is set to lose its funding this year and needs $300,000 to keep these programs moving.  Look more next week as I tell you how you can get involved.
  • Next week, I'll be relaunching this site with a cleaner easier look.   I'll be featuring more remarkable people including a host of men writers.  If you are an email subscriber, you will be able to pick how often you get your cup of remarkable - daily, weekly or monthly.

 Hang on to your hats.  It's about to get more remarkable and real. 

This post is a part of the ABC Series.