Support
Thursday, March 13th, 2008 at 3:13 pmOne of the things I stress with my clients and in my classes is the importance of finding support when you are taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone. Whatever the step is that you are trying to make, it always feels better if you know that somebody has your back and is willing to cheer you on.
This is actually one of my areas of weakness and one that I am working on changing. In the past I have felt like I didn’t want to burden others with my often ugly and somewhat messy growth process. I told myself that they didn’t have time in their busy lives or that they wouldn’t be interested. Of course, this is a very limiting belief, both for myself and for the people I choose to have in my life. Not only does this kind of thinking not allow me to get the support that I desperately want and need, it also doesn’t allow my friends to love me in all the ways that they might be willing and able to do so.
Fortunately for me, I have some amazing women in my life who have chosen to give me their support even when I have not specifically asked for it.
In the past two weeks I have taught a class called Living Fearlessly several times at three different Borders bookstores in my area. This is a risk for me because I am less sure of myself when I am teaching adults (I’m more used to teenagers) and because the subject matter is very personal. When I only had one person show up for my very first class, I briefly fell into a hole of self-doubt. I asked myself if this is what I should be doing and if what I have to say is really of value to others?
Those questions were answered when I taught my second class a few days later. Standing there waiting for me when I arrived at the classroom in the Roseville store were two of my very good friends, Donna and Charr, who had come to take my class and lend me their support. The moment I saw them, a sense of relief washed over me and my confidence rose. Not only did I already have twice as many people as my first class, I also knew that no matter what I did or said I was going to be loved and supported. And I was. They both told me several times how much they had enjoyed my class, and I choose to believe them. The best part is that their feedback was icing on the cake since I also got positive feedback from the three other people who I didn’t know who also attended that session.
With growing confidence, I went to the Fair Oaks store to teach the class for a third time yesterday. This time my dear friend Susan was there cheering me on from the front row. She has heard me speak on this topic before, so she didn’t really need to be there, but she came just the same. And this time my questions were answered for good. This time more than 20 people showed up for my class. So no, these classes are not a waste of my time and yes, I really do have something of value to say that can benefit others.
I am deeply grateful for the love, support, encouragement and acknowledgments I have gotten from my friends Donna, Charr and Susan these past two weeks. They reminded me of something that I already knew to be true but that I’m not always good at putting into practice. They showed me what a beautiful gift it is to choose to support those you love in their endeavors. More importantly though, I learned how beautiful it is to accept the support that others are willing to give. Namaste





