The Kindness of Strangers
Core Article: The Kindness of Strangers
Paragraph I’m Pondering: “…being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection.”
Powerful Affirmations to Inspire: “Opportunities flow to me…”
Book Review: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Cool Stuff: I’m all about cool photos – check out these nature ones!
AI Info & Resources: Is your AI hallucinating? Here’s why…
The Kindness of Strangers
Sometimes, the moments that shift us don’t happen in a big room with a spotlight. They happen on a quiet beach… or in a hospital hallway, hoping someone sees us. Below is a story I’ve carried for decades. I didn’t write it to teach anything.
I wrote it because it taught me everything—about presence and forgiveness. And about how being truly seen changes who we become in life, work, and even when we’re marketing our businesses.
The beach glistened with its white sugar-like sand as I put my bare feet through it. I could feel the heat and the coolness underneath as I made way to the umbrella with two chairs.
The water was a stunning blue, and the sound of the waves was so calming. And the sun was creeping up beyond the horizon.
As I made my way to the umbrella, I put my backpack down and said hey to my Dad, who was sitting in the other chair. His nose was already buried in his book.
He looked up, smiled, and said he was glad I could be here. He’d brought down a small ice chest from the condo, so we wouldn’t have to go back up for cold drinks or snacks.
Once I got settled in the beach chair, I took a moment to breathe and get acclimated. I had just arrived a few days ago. My dad and I had just been making the rounds with his doctor friends, helping me get ready for my 14-day trip to Peru and the Andes mountains, which was about three weeks away.
Yet, this time, on the beach, just my dad and me was sacred. We’d never done anything like this before since I was an adult. Spending time with him alone, without any of my other siblings, was a rarity and something I really needed right now.
There were so many things I wanted to say and share with him. I was fresh off my therapist’s and my executive coach’s appointment, who had suggested I take this time to make my amends to him about my past behavior as an adolescent. My siblings and I were horrible throughout the divorce. My mom helped turn us all against him, and none of us went to his wedding with his second wife.
Then there was the not-so-small fact of wanting to come out of the closet to my dad. And totally freaking out inside about what he’d say or how he’s be…
At that moment, sitting on the beach with him, I was amazed at how relaxed I was and my nonchalance about so much I had to share with him.
What I didn’t realize was how simple it would be, just being with my Dad, we didn’t even have to talk. We just sat there both reading and would talk every once in a while, grab a soda. Or at one point, we simply needed to get up, so we went for a walk along the beach…
Later in the day, as the sun started coming down… We got into a conversation, and I felt that it was the perfect opening to apologize for my adolescent behavior.
It was one of those heartfelt apologies, more like making amends. He listened intently, and his face was so kind. I remember how thoughtful he was and how he responded with so much love and forgiveness for his own part in the madness of their divorce, too.
We had this beautiful exchange with not as many words as I thought I needed. And being there with his kind blue eyes and that half smile…
When I came out to him, all he wanted was to protect me from society because there were no laws in place then to protect me. And I was forgiven and loved by my dad with so much compassion and kindness. This was something I only saw a glimpse of a few times with his patients, when I worked in his office one summer … I had not often seen this side of him with me…
It was almost as if I came to the beach with a stranger, who happened to be my dad, and we both left together, knowing other parts of each other that we hadn’t shared before…
The kindness of this stranger, who was my dad, and after those few days on the beach, he wasn’t a stranger anymore… We had this wonderful deep exchange and a knowing where we both felt loved and listened to.
Eight years later, when he developed Alzheimer’s, I went to help my stepmother care for him. It was heartbreaking. He’d know me for only a fleeting moment, and then he was gone.
Then he’d say, “Why aren’t you taking care of your parents. Why are you here with me? It was always said with such earnestness and concern.
Every once in a while, I’d get a glimpse of him. He’d turn to me and say, “Shan, when did you get here. I’ve missed you. I’m so glad you’re here. You are the best for being here and taking care of me.”
And then he was gone… I lived for those short, sweet moments…
When it was time for me to leave, I hugged him goodbye, and he didn’t know who I was. I started to cry. He was a stranger now.
Then, having no idea what he meant, or maybe some deep part of him did, he looked at me and said:
“All you need is right here,” and he pointed to my heart.
Then he kissed me on the cheek, and I headed to the airport.
That one sentence broke me open in the best way.
When people ask me what Soulful Marketing really is, I sometimes struggle to give them the essence of what it really is…
It’s not a formula or about click rates or clever marketing tricks.
It’s about how we show up in the world. How we sit beside someone—whether it’s a client or a loved one—and choose presence over persuasion or manipulation.
It’s about telling the truth. Letting yourself be seen.
And trusting that who you are is the most powerful message you could ever share.
That moment on the beach with my dad changed how I see everything.
Including how I built my business, how I teach visibility, and how I help mindful, purpose-driven entrepreneurs speak their truth without performing it.
And if you’ve ever felt like your work, your voice, or your story didn’t matter… I hope this reminds you:
You don’t have to:
Earn your place.
Prove your value.
Convince anyone of anything.
You just have to show up, be you, and let someone feel and know you’re there, you’re listening with your whole body. You are present to witness and be with them and discover their truth.
Because when you’re seen (and they’re seen)—for who you are—not for what you do…
That’s when real connection begins.
Paragraph I’m Pondering
“Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement. Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose; the level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection.”
― Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
Powerful Affirmations to Inspire
- “Opportunities flow to me in perfect timing—I am a magnet for innovative ideas and high-value clients.”
- “Abundance is my birthright. I claim it now with bold faith and loving intention.”
- I honor my mind, body, and spirit by nurturing myself daily.”
Book Review
Daring Greatly:
How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
by Brene Brown
Cool Stuff
- This was an interesting article about the best science images in 2024, selected by Nature’s photo team. If you haven’t seen these, some are really cool. It’s definitely worth a peek.
- Interested in the current data on the best and worst states to raise a family? WalletHub did all the research for you—interesting…
- I have to admit I do love “Monkey Bread,” especially during the holidays. Something about that sweet, sugary cinnamon dough that gets me every time. Hmmmm. And if you’re wondering HOW it got its name? The mystery is solved right here.
AI Info and Resources
- If you’ve been using AI like I have for a while, you might notice how it can sometimes, or often, start to hallucinate. Here’s an interesting article that talks about “How do AI hallucinations occur?
- Now that Google has its AI search in high gear, here’s how you can create content it can find. Hmmm….
- If you’re wondering where or how AI is impacting the workforce, Entrepreneur just published this insightful article.
Weekly Photos
- Here’s Emma’s close-up. She jumped on top of the couch and is all casual like “no big deal, mom, I can jump high.”
- Here’s the wider lens so you can see her leg relaxing and how she’s just hanging on the back of the couch.
- Took a pic of the whole boatload of daisies – they are so perfect and happy.
- This was definitely a “woo woo” moment. As I believe there are no coincidences. Since I’ve been back full-time in my business, fully recovered from Pneumonia, I realized I hadn’t found any change in the neighborhood. So right after I finished this email about my Dad, I went for a walk with Emma, and there was a dime! This is “woo woo” to me cuz my Grandmother died at 74, the same age as my Dad did, and she left me her crystal containers that all had dimes in them. (That’s a whole other story.) The gist is whenever I find a dime unexpectedly, and I find them a lot, it’s just them letting me know they’re thinking about me. And they’re always there for me… 🙂
- This is an old picture I took of my dad on the beach with my B/W film camera. It’s nostalgic to me cuz, this was the moment I talked about in my story above. It’s pretty beat up, so…
- I asked ChatGPT if it could create a graphic from that pic and add color to it. I think it came out way cool. 🙂
- Apologies, this is blurry. Here’s the story – we were riding in the car on the way home last weekend, and we passed over Lake Shasta. When you’re going across the bridge, you can’t get a good shot cuz of the bridge railings. This shot is taken between the railings from my iPhone. I thought, for being a bit blurry, it’s still kind of cool so I wanted to share with you. 🙂 You can see the mountain trails in the background.
NEW: P.S. This is me being bold and giving you an invitation. 🙂 I’m going to run the Soulful Marketing Accelerator Cohort again. If you’re longing for like-minded community and ready to move through your fears to grow a purpose-driven business rooted in authenticity and aligned with your dream clients…
Welllll. Go here to be first in line when I open the doors again. Would love to have you.
- Want more information? I’ve created a Word doc. You can access the doc here.
- Questions or Want to Connect? If you’d like to connect over Zoom to see if it’s the right fit, please leave a comment and let me know. Or schedule a call on my calendar.
P.S.S. Whenever You’re Ready: Here are 3 Ways I can make an impact on creating greater success in your business using marketing that’s aligned with your mission and values without feeling like you’re selling your soul.
1. Make Money Now Sheet – It’s one of the bonuses in my 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. I wanted to give it to you for free to help you create more success.
2. Love Books Like I Do? – I’m always reviewing the best nonfiction books – Where Buddha Meets Business.
3. Get my proven 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. It gives you the framework you need to implement authentic and connected marketing using online customer experiences and launching your products, services, or courses. It will help you create greater success.
It’s a simple system, especially if you love to read like me. There’s no video or audio. Plus, you get my proven templates, tools, and worksheets, all with tremendous value. And I’m pricing it incredibly low so it can be more accessible to more people. 🙂
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