Yesterday as Josh Groban walked toward me I smiled and thought to myself, I wonder if he’ll pause look around the room and ask, “Whose writing all those mysilentscream posts about my songs?”

If you missed those posts, here they are:
Hidden Away
Our Hiding
Secrets & Hiding
Secrets: As If.

Josh Groban and TreeHouse
False Alarms by Josh Groban
Brave by Josh Groban
War At Home by Josh Groban
If I Walk Away by Josh Groban

Human Trafficking and The Prayer by Josh Groban
Believe by Josh Groban
You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban
You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up) by Josh Groban

Reader JenniferMacLeod[~= @JenMacAtlGA82 recommended that Josh Groban’s “You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)” be included in this series.

I had forgotten about the song, and when I watched the video I fought back tears.

Watch You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up) here. (Lyrics below)

I cannot begin to tell you how accurately this song describes what I have experienced at TreeHouse since 1989.
– Teens lost, lonely, and screaming-longingly to feel heard.
– Parents seeking, searching, and silently-longing to be encouraged.
– Friends hoping, hurting, and helping their friends limp along.
– Youth ministers, teachers, counselors, politicians and police officers looking for solutions.
Every week I see the looks on people’s faces when they feel heard and find hope.

I love Josh Groban’s song You Raise Me Up
Give it a listen:

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up… To more than I can be.

While watching footage of the recent Boston Marathon, I, like you, felt shock and awe watching brave people run toward the scared and injured. I felt humbled by their bravery. Josh Groban wrote a wonderful song about being brave.

Josh Groban – Brave

Wake up, wake up, the sun cannot wait for long
Reach out, reach out before it fades away
You will find the warmth when you surrender
Smile into the fear and let it play

Josh Groban’s song False Alarms is about a dating relationship, but the feelings he’s feeling can also apply to other relationships where there have been hurt feelings.

False Alarms

Far across this red horizon
I am walking down the line
I am picking up the pieces
That this storm has left behind

After all the clouds are fallen
I would breach the battered ground
Turn your darkness into light love
Turn your silence into sound

But I can’t cage you in my arms
When my heart is jumping forward
To avoid your false alarms
And you can’t tell me not to stay
When I opened up your window
And I watched you fly away

I gave out my cell phone number to a new friend this week.

As soon as I shared my number I felt obligated to explain a few things:
– I don’t answer very often
– I don’t text back very quickly
– I don’t answer when I’m busy
– I don’t respond to people who call or text repeatedly

A few years ago I decided it was easier to explain this list of annoyances when I share my number than to have to make apologies.

I love my family.
I love my friends.

I love spending time with them, most of the time.

Being an introvert with “a big heart” fills me with tension. 1

I Love People BUT…

I like working on projects alone.
I feel guilty when I would prefer not going to brainstorming meetings.

I like working “alone” in coffee shops…
… surrounded by people I don’t talk to.

I would rather tweet than chat.
I would rather text than talk on the phone.

I like empirical data, so one of my favorite parts of “Quiet” is the insights researchers and analysts provided that can help introverts take advantage of their unique traits and characteristics.

As an introvert with an extrovert’s job I know that there are times when I am jealous of my charismatic woo-filled colleagues.

On the other hand, “Quiet” helps remind people like me that we can thrive on our own terms, in our own way, in an extrovert-affirming world.

Can helps her readers to appreciate that attributes common to introverts (and extroverts) are assets in different settings. Cain advises introverts to recognize and embrace our own “sweet spot.”

Within twenty-four hours of publishing the two Dating Disaster “Date Rape” posts I took a phone call from a very scared family member whose loved one had just been served papers accusing him of rape.

This is not an isolated concern.

The possibility of date rape or an accusation of date rape is a real threat, for the safety of women, and for men. Let’s review:

Her Story
His Story

How To Protect Yourself If You’re A Man 1

It can be confusing to be a guy out there navigating the treacherous waters of the dating scene.

Within twenty-four hours of publishing the two Dating Disaster “Date Rape” posts I took a phone call from a very scared family member whose loved one had just been served papers accusing him of rape.

This is not an isolated concern.

The possibility of date rape or an accusation of date rape is a real threat, for the safety of women, and for men. Let’s review:

Her Story
His Story

How To Protect Yourself If You’re A Woman 1