The Unspoken Truth: You are Enough

Over the past year I have been asked to speak at all sorts of different types of conferences and other uplifting gatherings. I have had the privilege to meet people from all walks of life—young and old, male and female, single and married.

In all of these settings I have found one thing to be true—I am not alone! For the first time in my journey I have been surrounded by the love of others in pain. 

So many people are hurting. Everyone I have been blessed to meet has a completely unique story, yet each one has been paved with rocky roads. I have heard thousands of stories of different struggles, and overwhelming fears of how scary the future can seem. Some struggle silently—completely alone. Others are surrounded by support, but have never felt more abandoned in their lives. 

We all have something in our stories that has tried to break us. Each of us know what it is like to hold our hands to heaven and pray for an answer, a way out, or a path back. 

The last few months I have been reaching my hands toward heaven for an answer for every broken soul who has come to me seeking hope. Many nights I have sat on my bed crying tears for complete strangers—I have begged Heavenly Father to help me save just one.

Today I am humbled to be part of a new journey. I have been given the opportunity to put into action the pleadings of my heart.  I am pleased to announce A Reason to Stand. A conference of healing for anyone who has ever felt broken, alone, or not enough. This years theme is going to be The Unspoken Truth: You are enough.

Starting in my own community on May 9th, 2015 at the Boise Center on the Grove, I will be holding a healing conference for men and women from 8am to 6pm.

The day will be an uplifting array of personal stories, motivational speakers, therapists, and counselors. It will be faith based, but no specific religion. We will have an hour and a half break for lunch and light snacks will be served during smaller breaks. We will have keynote speakers, and many break out sessions throughout the day. Each person will even have the opportunity, if they wish, to have some time in small group sessions with some of the most amazing therapists I know. 

My goal is to have everyone who gets to participate in this conference to walk away with tools—to not only be motivated to make changes in their lives—but to understand how. 

I have written so many times on my blog about asking why. At different times in our lives, we all ask why. Why did this have to happen to me? Why have I had to give up the dreams I always thought I would live? Why haven’t I been able to find happiness? Why am I not enough? 

In this conference we are not going to spend much time on why. Many of the speakers are going to share experiences on times in their life when they were humbled to ask why—but will focus on the tools that lifted them higher and showed them how to keep moving forward. 

I am excited to be part of this amazing group preparing for May 9th

Some of the break out classes will be geared to personalized struggles, and others will be less specified, personal self betterment. Each hour of the break out classes will have a few topics to choose from—but there will not be a bad seat in the house. All of these people I am inviting have something amazing to offer and I can’t wait to learn from each of them. 

At the end of the conference I am going to take the last hour and wrap up the day. I am going to tell some of the stories of my past that have pulled me out of the trenches, and share some of my personal experiences on finding myself, seeking hope, reaching for faith, and learning to love again—and how I have learned to love myself, broken and all. 

We are all broken. We have all been victimized by something. The world has given us a million reasons why we aren’t enough. On May 9th, I hope everyone who joins us will walk away remembering all the reasons why they are. Truth is: you are enough. We are not victims . . . we are survivors! 

The Boise Center on the Grove is excited to have us, and they are making an extra special effort to make this a beautiful day.

I have been given so much from this community. The love and support, and rally of hands who have been by my side still continue to amaze me. Thank you for helping my family when we could not stand on our own four years ago, and every day since. It feels good to finally take my turn to contribute something in return.

Thank you to everyone who has been so willing to help me pull this together. I look forward to healing along with you.

The proceeds from this event will be used to fund taking A Reason to Stand to another community this year. Thank you!

Ashlee Birk
The Moments We Stand