Now She’s Doing her Part - Part 2 (episode 279-2)
Are you listening?
What if embracing your worth started with simply listening — to others, to God, and to your own heart? In this episode I’m joined by Carroll Patrizi, the voice behind the inspiring “Dear Carol” series, where she blends humor, wisdom, and heart much like a modern-day “Dear Abby.” (Her podcast is called Conversations with Carroll.)
Growing up as one of eleven children in Beaumont, Texas, Carroll learned early on the beauty of connection and the power of stories. Today, she shares how active listening, surrender, and self-care have become her spiritual tools for living a full, joyful life. Tune in as we talk about faith, family, and finding grace in every step of the journey.
Carroll is our guest this week for Spicy Christian Women - Becoming All that and a Bag of Chips. This is part two.
You can find Carroll at Carroll Patrizi.
I witnessed, often, the impossible take place.
— Carroll Patrizi
How Do You Show Up?
Thoughts from Now She’s Doing her Part - Part 2
Where you begin informs your life greatly.
If you have a lot of siblings you learn about resilience whether you like it or not. You learn about caring and tolerance, about responsibility and sharing. Again whether you like it or not. Carroll was clearly shaped by being one of eleven siblings.
What if you’re an only child? It was less common decades ago but we see that more and more families now opt to have one. Only children tend to be independent, confident and are comfortable being alone. Sometimes they are more mature if they spend the bulk of their time around adults.
What if you are raised by only one parent? Here you can become proficient in responsibility, adaptability and problem-solving with a close parent-child bond. I belong in this camp.
But guess what? For every plus there is a minus.
In families with lots of kids, some of those kiddos can feel that they didn’t get enough attention or direction. In families with only one child, those kids can grow up to be selfish and entitled. Kids from broken families can develop trust issues and have to ‘do without’ due to financial hardships.
Even in a traditional nuclear family there are the pros and cons.
It doesn’t really matter in that sense how you began. What did you make of where you started? Are you stuck in the story of your beginning or did you rise above? Did you settle in to how you started or did you take the good and find the rest of what you needed?
I’m sure you can think of people who stay in the ‘woe is me’ category, years later. There must be some kind of payoff in their pain otherwise they would be bursting at the seams to be more. Being more is growing. It’s evolving. It’s perpetual motion forward. It’s got very little to do with status, relationship or job category but everything to do with how you show up in every facet of your own life.
Show up full, with plenty to share.
Show up humble, ready to learn.
Show up understanding, with love to give.
Show up with compassion, ready to listen.
Show up eager, wanting to grow.
What happens to a plant that isn’t stretching every day toward the sun with all that it has, all that it is? If it’s not fed and watered, if it doesn’t want to blossom, if it doesn’t care to bloom, to unfold into all its glory? It dies. And so do we. So show up better today than yesterday.
Show up eager, wanting to grow.
—She planted this sunflower as a seed. Growth is joyous.
