Award Season

I love award show season….

What do the winners have that allowed them to believe and persevere when others quit?

I love awards show season.  I mean, annoyingly, obsess about finding the schedule for all award shows and setting my DVR to ensure I don’t miss a moment.  This is my Super Bowl, and the entire day is mine. I get comfortable, pour a glass of wine, change in comfortable clothes, and settle in for the evening ceremonies.  I watch the pre-show coverage on the E Channel, as well as the coverage on whatever network is airing the show.  I don’t remember when I became obsessed, but I can’t remember not watching the Golden Globes, SAG awards, or the Oscars.

While I enjoy watching to see what people are wearing, what really moves me is watching the winners hear their names being called.  Years of auditions, rejections, hard work, and sacrifices culminate in that moment as the winner walks to the stage – many times in disbelief.  Some shake, some cry, some manically talk quickly.  But almost all of the winners begin to thank an army of people who they say helped them get to that stage, holding their award. They praise their fellow nominees, acknowledge their work, and are vulnerable in those few minutes.

Many thank their parents for believing in them, their partners and children for supporting them, and their teams for never giving up on them.  Those things are undeniably true, but what I want to know is what has allowed them to dream so big and believe so deeply in themselves.  And, when things weren’t easy, and the road was hard, how did they hold onto their dreams?  What do they have that allowed them to believe and persevere when others quit?

One factor for those who pursue their dreams and those who settle for something else is their support system.  Children who have supportive parents, teachers, or other loved ones who don’t discourage or try to re-direct their big, bold dreams have a fighting chance of actually believing their dreams are worthy of being pursued.  Merely believing in big dreams doesn’t guarantee that they will actually come to fruition, however, giving up on our dreams is a sure way of ensuring that they never will.

I believe that it’s possible to re-wire our brain and let go of fear, anxieties and lies that have kept us “stuck”.  Even if we’ve spent more than half of our lives playing it safe, there is still time.  

How to dream again:

• Lean on your support system and tribe to remind you of who you are

• Invest in self-care activities that help you recharge and bring you joy

• Spend time documenting your big, bold, audacious dreams

• Sow seeds in others who are pursing their dreams or passions

• Take action daily that keeps you on your path

I am choosing to believe that this will be my best decade ever. I don’t know what my life will look like in 1 year, 5 years, or in 10 years or beyond.  But, I do know that taking action every day in this new direction has brought new people into my life, and new creative ideas to pursue. So, I may not have an Academy award, or thousands of fans in a stadium shouting my name, but I have more hope and joy and peace than I’ve had in years.  And that is my reward.

Courage to be seen

Courage to be seen

There is power in listening and seeing another human being. And, there is freedom in allowing others to see us.

I just attended one of the best conferences I’ve ever been to.  As someone who has put on many conferences in my career, I say this knowing that these things don’t happen spontaneously.  They happen as a result of thoughtful planning, impeccable execution, great content, and dynamic speakers.  Yet, even these elements don’t always guarantee the results we sometimes hope for.  The Courage to Succeed conference put on by The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and Ratliffe & Taylor had something else - authentic connections, real dialogue, a masterful facilitator who wove the content together, creativity, and a little bit of magic from the 200+ participants in the room. 

The tone was set very early in the morning by the conference organizers when they asked that we “purposefully listen, deliberately engage, share our stories, and celebrate others’ stories of courage.”  We listened intently as Loretta Mester, the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve of Cleveland, humbly shared her own story and challenged us to be the best versions of ourselves, to make others who don’t fit in feel comfortable to contribute, and to surround ourselves with people who are smarter than we are so we can continuously learn and grow.  

We then broke for a table exercise where we were asked to answer “who are you?” Not, where do you work, what is your title, or how many degrees do you hold? So, we didn’t recite the words on our business cards, our resumes, or our LinkedIn profiles. Instead, we shared aspects of our real selves, and we were vulnerable and compassionate, and that built trust.  Our responses required us to drop our masks, take off our armor, and be authentic.  It’s amazing how quickly we can connect to another human being when we strip off all of the protective layers we wear. 

We listened intently to amazing women share from the stage their own stories of courage to be vulnerable, courage to be the only one, courage to declare their desire, courage to stay, and courage to be authentic. Throughout our time together we leveraged our newfound camaraderie and creativity to contribute to poems and pieces of art that will be displayed at the Federal Reserve building as a reminder of the time we spent together.

What I didn’t experience or see at this conference were forced conversations, painful networking, or people on their phones hiding in corners conducting “business”. I saw and experienced genuine connections, and that was so refreshing and energizing.

There is power in listening and seeing another human being.  And, there is freedom in allowing others to see us.  Imagine the impact we could each have in our personal relationships, our work environments, and our communities if we intentionally choose to live our lives this way.