“Moms Can” – Jon Acuff: Episode 14

I (April) met Jon Acuff at the Blissdom blog conference, and it was there I received a copy of his book Start.

Well, Start has now become one of my favorite books.  I’ve read it cover to cover, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for motivation to “punch fear in the face, escape average, and do work that matters.”

I know that everyone has fears, and if you’re interested in taking a peek into my life, here are some of mine:

• I worry that when I write about motherhood, I’m somehow saying that living motherhood isn’t “enough.”

• I’m afraid that I have to be perfect . . . at everything . . . all the time.

• I convince myself that I will be forced to “go bigger” if I do succeed–which will take too much focus off of the family life I’m writing about in the first place.

• I’m fearful that I’ll start something (like a project, a book, or a major undertaking), but I won’t be able to finish (because goodness knows that family life is anything but predictable).

But Start has shifted my perspective.  My husband and I read the book together, and the ideas in each chapter have ignited some powerful discussions (and more importantly, some powerful actions).

It is possible to pursue meaningful projects and still be a great parent.  Being “awesome” doesn’t mean we have to be perfect. We get to decide how big we want our projects to become, and sure, we might start something that we don’t quite finish, but that’s okay.  We’ll never get anywhere if we let our fears stop us.

In this digital age, endless possibilities have opened for women and men everywhere, but as we pursue these opportunities, we have to be incredibly deliberate about how we spend our time.  Have you noticed how tricky that can be?

Jon believes in the power of mothers, and he said if he had to pick one phrase to encapsulate his advice to us, he would say, “Moms Can.”  I love that.

Here are some of the questions we discussed:

(1) How do you recommend that mothers balance the desire to do something “big” with their desires to be present in their mothering?

(2) What is the main thing you would want mothers to know about “punching fear in the face”? How does it help to know that other people are experiencing fear, as well?

(3) What if there are mothers in our audience who really don’t think they have anything to share or anything to offer?

(4) Where does “joy” fit into this desire to “start”? What would you say to mothers who feel like they need to fit others’ expectations of the perfect mom?

I absolutely loved this conversation, and I’m excited to share it with you! Your comments are welcome below.

 

Show Notes:

Jon’s Website (Read the first chapter of Start forfree!)

Meet Jon in person at the Start Conference – Use the code PowerofMoms for $25 off your registration

Purchase Start on Amazon.

April’s personal blog post about Start.

Click here for a PDF Summary of the Podcast

Music from Creations by Michael R. Hicks.

 

 

About Power of Moms

Power of Moms is all about moms helping other moms become the mothers and people they really want to be. We're a gathering place for deliberate mothers interested in growing through motherhood – not just going through motherhood. Our overall vision is to offer moms around the world the chance to “network” with other moms who share their same values, motivations, hopes and dreams. We aim to help moms take care of the person inside the mom, while taking care of their families.