Beautiful People

Surround yourself with people. All kinds of people. People who challenge you, who have the same aspirations, who are completely different, who have paved the path before you, and who inspire you. Last night, I went for a glass of wine with one of my mentors, a friend who inspires me and who supports me no matter what. Always, I leave with renewed energy and focus. She is so important to me and I am so grateful that our paths have crossed.

This visit had me thinking about my own Board of Directors – the friends and mentors whom I have seated at my table (whether they know it or not)! Each person has been a hero of mine and someone who has pushed me out of my comfort zone in order to build me up or even challenge me to be more succinct with my aspirations.

Looking around at whom I have chosen to surround myself, I realize how blessed I am. I have learned so much from these beautiful people. It is because of them that I have grown and taken risks. As a leader, I believe having mentors is a must. Just recently, I reached out to someone that I had only just met. He had come to our school twice to lead some professional development. I had been studying his work for a long time and he was a well known author. While he was visiting our school, I had the chance to spend two days with him. During that time, my mind was whirring with how I would approach him with my work. I was in awe with all that he had accomplished and with how passionate he was about his vocation. I never did share my ideas with him. After he left, one of my mentors challenged me and pummeled me with questions like, “why didn’t you share your ideas? What are you waiting for?, etc.” The truth was, I was scared he would think my ideas weren’t good enough. I am sure we all have felt that way at some point. I realized that I had told myself a story in my own head and I had talked myself right out of an opportunity. I did that to myself. No one else was saying the things that I was telling myself in my own mind. My walls were up and they were stifling my dreams.

After the frank conversation that I had with one of my board of directors, I decided to take the risk anyway and contact him with my ideas. I am so glad I did. He was an amazing resource and mentor and gave me all sorts of ideas of how to get my work out there. I am so thankful for the people whom I have chosen to rise up to because I never would have reached out without them. I now have another friend on my board of directors.

You see, if we don’t try, we will never know. Period. Get out of your own way. Lose your excuses, please! We are sabotaging our own happiness because we build up the wall of excuses. Transform those excuses into goals and then knock them off one at a time. See what happens…It’s hard but that just means it’s worth it.

I have realized the importance of people who make things happen for themselves and it inspires the heck out of me. I am so motivated when I am around these people and hear their own stories about what they are doing and how they overcame their fear to do it anyway….even if they miss. The power of modeling can be the key to it all. So be the example and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. We are all human, aren’t we?

Connection is paramount. I recently read Jody Carrington’s book, Kids These Days, and she states this idea so beautifully. We need each other no matter what. So I guess, what I am trying to say is, I am here for you. I got you! We have each other and we will continue to build each other up, rise, and support each other when we fall. How exciting is that!