Hey Reader,

I learned a new word last week, courtesy of the brilliant Brene Brown. You're going to want to know it too!

Confabulation.

Confabulation: A lie, honestly told.

It's fascinating. I've been thinking and talking about this concept for years, focused on the lies we tell ourselves that we believe without question.

I've never had a word for it until this week. And now that I can name it, I see how often we confabulate. It's even more than I suspected!

Here are two examples from my life that happened yesterday:

Confabulation (said to Charlie while staring at the book, Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor on our book shelf): I've never seen that book before. You definitely brought it into the house.

Truth: 3 hours later as I cracked open my new read at the river, I got 6 pages in and realized, I have read this book cover-to-cover and had purchased it after hearing the author on NPR.

Confabulation: My long run is 8 miles this weekend.

Truth: After enjoying a lovely 8 miles with my friend Lauren, I looked at my schedule and saw I was supposed to run 10. Oops!

Both of these examples are harmless. And, really really good proof that we need to question everything we think. It's helpful to see how convinced we can be that we are right when we are completely full of it!

I know I'm not alone here. It's the human condition to confabulate.

Our brains like to have answers. And they'd rather make up an answer than to live in the unknown.

And if I can be completely convinced that I've never laid eyes on a book that I clearly spent hours reading cover to cover - it's easy to wonder, what else am I convinced is true that is complete bologna?

Maybe when my brain whispers, "You'll never get it all done", or "you're not smart enough"... maybe, just maybe, those are confabulations too.

Stay curious my friend! Your brain is spinning up lies and convincing you they are true all the time too.

Nope. They are just confabulations.

And you my friend have more power now that you can spot it and name it when it happens.

Have a great week, Reader! And if you're going to confabulate, tell yourself a lie that is worth believing!

XO,

Missy

Unofficial Connection Hub Happy Hour

Hey ladies! The next Hub happy hour is at Rustic Ritual Beauty on the South Slope. Wednesday the 22nd at 6:00 p.m. I'd love to see you there!

Get more info and register here: July Happy Hour!​