HOW WOULD IT FEEL TO MOVE 78,000 PEOPLE? TO FEEL INSPIRED TO BE AUTHENTIC, EVEN IF IT’S LITTLE CONFRONTING. TO MAKE AN IMPACT LIKE THAT, YOU NEED TO NOT ONLY LET GO OF FEAR BUT JUDGMENT AS WELL.
I was recently impacted by a beautiful story shared by a mum on facebook. She wanted to impart an important lesson to her children, that small actions can create big results, that if you’re going to give something a go, persist, keep going and make your vision large.
This mum was at an Ed Sheeran concert with her two young daughters, their first ever concert. Imagine the excitement, the atmosphere, the anticipation. They knew what a Mexican wave was, but had never experienced one, let alone start one.
Their Mum turned to them and said, “Let’s start a wave!”. They looked at her in disbelief.
The mum stood up and cat whistled to her section, rallying their support. “On the count of 3, 2, 1….”
It didn’t go far. But she didn’t give up.
She stayed on her feet and whistled over to the next section, “Hey, catch this!” she called out, then immediately turned to her section again to rally them. “Ready? 3, 2, 1..”
Gradually it started to catch and just by the fourth start it had taken off. The wave extended right across the stadium, up and down the tiers, across the standing crowd right back to them.
And around it went again and again.
This mum knew in her heart that everyone in that section felt responsible for the wave. She said in her Facebook post “They were all superstars in that moment”.
She didn’t think her girls would remember Ed Sheeran as much as they would remember the very real example of the power of one, and the courage of few.
I sometimes work with clients who feel a sense of stress exacerbated by unfulfilled goals. They find themselves sitting in a heap, saying something like “It’s 12 months on and I haven’t even started.”. Our goals can stall because:
- We are sometimes distracted by things that pose a greater value,
- these goals never aligned with our true values (rather those imposed upon us by other’s expectations); or
- the goal seems too big and we don’t know where to start.
This beautiful mother was not daunted by the task, determined to be a positive role model to her daughters.
If you want to be braver, to make a difference in the world around you and be an inspiration to others, consider these tips:
DO:
- Be clear about your end goal and what it should look like.
- Be accountable to others.
- Rally the support of others when those closest to you don’t get on board immediately.
- Ensure others see the vision of where you’re heading.
DON’T:
- Give up after the first attempt.
- Be put off by other’s judgement or fear of rejection
- Become overwhelmed by the enormity of the goal, break it down into chunks
If you want to feel more aligned, procrastinate less and feel like you’re performing at you best, then let’s chat.
THIS IS NOT A SALES CALL!
Stress management or time management coaching is affordable and provides you with some instant solutions or strategies to apply. My advice? Book in a time for a chat. I can’t promise I can fix everything, but the next best thing I can do is to chat with you.
Make a time that suits you for a 15-minute chat. Once I know you better (and you know me) we can decide if you want to dig a little deeper into the issues and we can organize a Free Stress Management Strategy Session
About the Author:
Barbara Clifford (The Time Tamer) is a time management & stress management enthusiast based in Alice Springs, Australia. She has spent over 20 years working in time precious and stressful industries such as film, hospitality and marketing. She has always had a burning passion for creating order and making sense of things. She is sought after like a beacon in a sea of chaos to provide professional development in the business environment through workshop training, coaching, mentoring, online training programs, webinars and as a guest speaker around Australia. Her professional experience has included contracts with small business, Not For Profits, Aboriginal Organisations, Media, Marketing, Aged Care, Universities, Health Services and Cruise Ships. Follow Barbara on Twitter @barbclifford.
