Daring to be Genuine | Others Over Self®

Hey friends, Shelley here, feeling excited to introduce you to two incredible kick-butt military women. Our studio is located on Selfridge Air National Guard Base where amazing things are happening every day, and a wonderful side effect from those experiences is that deep bonds are being made between those involved. Now yesterday we were gathered out here at the roundtable just chatting, and the conversation was so so pure that we decided to hit record and attempt to capture true friendship on camera. So here are two American heroes, my good friends, telling it like it is. Please enjoy this moment with Nancy and Laverne, and I'll see you soon.

Hi friends, Major Laverne back here and Nancy, two battle buddies with 53 years of military experience between us. The closer we grow in relationship to each other, the more dirt comes out. Is that true, Nancy? Do you feel like the more you know me, the more secrets you're learning?

No, I love everything about you, Laverne. I see no dirt.

Mm, okay. Today we're talking about being genuine in our relationships, owning up to the bad. Or are we hiding it and only posting the good stuff?

Well, there is pressure from social media to be happy and perfect all of the time. To go on lots of adventures, and you never see the bad— the fighting with the spouse, the hospital visits. That is the reality of life, and I feel like we're missing it as a society.

The truth is, is that life happens. Real friends love the whole of the person and genuinely want to share in it all.

And the shame in hiding it is that those are the moments that create depth in relationships. With my military friends, it was our forced time together, the shared experiences that built our deeper bonds. They are more accepting of my faults and imperfections. Mm-hmm.

We can all learn from the strength of military friends and lifelong friends. Mine know that I'm so much more than what they're seeing on social media. So there is power in being genuine in what we're presenting to the world. How do you feel about your friendship circles?

Well, you know, we have dirt, Laverne, and I love our dirt. And as we head out into the world, let's work on loving the dirt of others a bit more so that we can serve them with a genuine heart. So there's your mission. Now don't screw it up. See you soon.

Take care.