“…do anything she sets her mind to do!” At least that’s what my folks said when Don officially asked for my hand in marriage almost 20 years ago (ok, I was WELL past the age of consent, but that’s the way we roll in the South).
Despite that ringing endorsement, my drama queen visits late at night when I catalog the lengthy list of all the things I can’t do: I’m never going to be a doctor or a singer in a rock band or the president of anything other than perhaps fan clubs for my friends’ kids. It’s equally unlikely that I’m going to run a marathon or jump out of a plane willingly or climb a mountain peak.
But in brief moments of self-reflection, I realize that my passion lies in helping others achieve their dreams and celebrate victories, both big and small, personal and professional. Essentially, I’m an encourager. My community of faith calls it the “gift of exhortation” and it took me years to accept/embrace this fancy label. Yes, I might be seen (here comes the drama queen again) as a Pollyanna with a simplistic view of life who avoids confrontation. That’s probably true, at least part of the time, but you can imagine how excited I was to receive the HBR article, “Just because I’m nice, don’t assume I’m dumb,” from a trusted colleague.
I’m grateful that others bring an equal passion and a battle approach to thorny issues. If they’ll let me, it’s likely I’ll be in the background helping them work on those challenges. I’m quite pleased to encourage the doctor, singer, president and celebrate the accomplishments of the runner, sky diver, climber. I’ve enthusiastically applauded friends and colleagues who have all those accomplishments in their portfolios even though I don’t and likely never will.
Do anything I set my mind to? Not so much, but my parents are still right in a big picture sort of way. For today, my mind is set so that Cheryl can…help with:
- Practical advice based on proven experiences from working with a lot of really smart people;
- Behind-the-scenes consulting that keeps the spotlight on the people I work with instead of me;
- Access to information you don’t currently have in a format that makes sense to you;
- Help in specific (often obscure) areas since little things make the big difference.
Wherever my new adventure leads, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will be filled with opportunities to help and encourage. Stay tuned.
ccbehindthescenes.com
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