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Sky Sheridan's avatar

Not here to broadcast, here to connect. That is how the nextGen news is unfolding.

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Wendy Peterman's avatar

Areas where I haven’t taken “no” for an answer:

1) Parenting. You know about this one. Now that my children are all grown and living their own lives, I’m amazed and bewildered at my dedication and fortitude in having/getting them and fiercely loving each of them in their uniqueness and through their challenges to become adults who live their own truths no matter what. I can hardly relate to the me who did that.

2) Dancing. So so so many nos on this one. I was too tall, too curvy, too out of the box, too expressive. And yet, I did it for thirty years. It just came out of me. My choreography was mathematical, quirky, passionate, classical, and original. It moved people into new thoughts, ideas, and feelings. No matter how many nos I got from teachers, I couldn’t not do it.

3) Environmental advocacy. I’m twenty years in on this one. Again, I can’t not do it. After ten years in the US Forest Service, this administration told me I could no longer do it. I’m not needed or valued, and neither is the environment. I just found another organization that doesn’t agree to hire me to do it and moved to yet another state so I can keep giving what I have and know back to the land.

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Colin Beavan's avatar

I love this, Wendy! It sounds like you are “called” in those three ways. You refuse to accept no and move forward in those ways. All events are just information about how to move forward—like move to another state.

A cool thing is that you can actually generalize your ability to be in your stand. You just get to decide: I also don’t take no in this area. You are so far ahead of the game because you have experience not taking nos!! xoxo

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