Home is an interesting word. When you look up the noun in a dictionary, the meanings of it are far more stripped of emotions than I would have thought. Home is described as one’s place of residence, a social unit formed by a family living together, a familiar or usual setting, a place of origin, an establishment proving residence and care for people with special needs or the objective in various games (from Merriam-Webster). Of course, this is all true, but it doesn’t resonate with me. To me ’Home’ is more than a place where one rests one’s head or a social unit you live with.

I have another plus week here at our family home in the south of Sweden, and my sister came out to spend the weekend. We had a really interesting conversation about how little we know of other people’s lives. What is actually going on behind people’s closed doors? Who are they really when they let their guards down? Because to me, that is what happens when you’re a family. You let your guard down and let yourself be vulnerable. That is what I want for my family. I want it to be a safe haven where everyone gets to be vulnerable, where we treat each other with love and respect, and where we are willing to grow, forgive and love. In some way home to me is the core of our existence. But to a lot of people, that’s not the case.

The conversation yesterday about what happens behind closed doors, led us into a conversation about people’s struggles, and how little we know about it. We usually just see the effects of people’s battles – how they are in the world tells a story about what they are and have been experiencing. Instead of seeing the battle we tend to judge people by their actions, and not being willing to learn the reasons behind them. Because most people hold their guards so tight we are unable to see their true soul, and we tend to push them away from us. Disabling the true connection.

This week I had the pleasure of meeting a bunch of students at a film school. I have a mission to help and inspire people to grow into the person they want to become in order for them to achieve their dreams. So I held a one-day workshop that I call ”Take charge of your career”, and the second day I had personal conversation with 9 students. I love this. Not only to see the joy in their eyes when they realize they have infinite possibilities, that they also start to see that it’s possible to grow beyond the limits we and other people have put on us, and  then have a conversation and dive deep into their lives, and help them find a way to get to where they dream of going. It’s absolutely amazing. And the interesting part is that we are more alike than we think. We all battle fears that tend to stand in our way. Our fears make us act in certain ways, they limit us, challenge us, and they will either make you or break you. It all comes down to your perspective of the situation and your willingness to change. Will you play small, will you quit or will you stand up and go after what you truly desire? To be of service in this space is for me a way to help people find and live their true self, to give them a space for a little while that could be called a home. A place where they get to go for a day or two to take their walls down, to be vulnerable, to dream big, reach far. T’s a place where they are able to go beyond their wildest dreams and not get judged for it. Isn’t that what we want for our home. A safe and loving place where everything is possible.

Tags: Home, Johanna, The bead movement, vulnerability