Inspired By: Glennon Melton
“…every day I remind myself that there is a chasm-wide gulf between peacekeeping and peacemaking.”
If you’re not already reading Momastery, then you don’t know how brilliant and unflinchingly optimistic Glennon Melton is. Get to know her in this short interview and we guarantee you’ll be a fan, too.
Q: Please share how your professional career began and how you ended up where you are today?
A: I started a blog called Momastery as a place to connect with women on a deep, true level. My essays began to go viral and eventually became the New York Times Bestseller – Carry On, Warrior, Thoughts on Life Unarmed. I now spend my days writing, traveling as a motivational/healing speaker and working for my non-profit organization, Monkee See — Monkee Do, which serves thousands of families every year.
Q: Who is a leader that you have great respect for and why?
A: Aung San Suu Kyi, the fierce pro-democracy leader from Burma. Her unyielding soft power proves that love wins.
Q: What is your best advice for Moms who want to both tackle career and create a happy home?
A: Be where you are. When you’re with your family, be present. When you’re working, be present. Don’t multi-task. One thing at a time.
Q: What are the top three tips you would offer to a woman looking to reinvent her life?
A: Trust your gut. Be brave. Be kind.
Q: What was the hardest career transition in your life and how did you grow from it?
A: I relearn everyday as a writer that I can’t please everyone and that no matter what I do or say, some will love me and others will hate me. This fact seems to be harder for women to accept and move on from, because many of us are people pleasers. So every day I remind myself that there is a chasm-wide gulf between peacekeeping and peacemaking.
Peacekeeping is holding your breath and refusing to rock the boat. Peacemaking is getting out your rusty tools each day and hammering and sweating and using whatever it is that you’ve got to make the boat stronger. Peacekeepers don’t make big mistakes, but they don’t make progress either. Peacemakers succeed and fail and love and keep working.
Q: What is the one thing you make time for in your daily life that helps keeps you refreshed and positive?
A: Liquids – Coffee, lemon water, tea, green juice. I’m 11 years sober and I still drink all day.