Bold Idea: Listen to Your Cheerleaders
The people who consistently show up for you actually know what's up.
This is a good one!
Last week Jenai and I were strategizing on an upcoming project she’s launching. She was feeling anxious but hopeful. I told her I was excited to see the response she received on a recent Facebook post, there was so much obvious enthusiasm for what she was building. And she said …
“I appreciate that. It was positive, you’re right. But most of the people who responded are always supportive.”
And then we both laughed. Because WTF? How does it serve us to compartmentalize positive feedback that way?
We discount the words and actions of our most avid supporters as if their genuine enthusiasm, taste, knowledge, etc., is somehow less credible. We bin it into our mental noise folder like junk mail, only to seek out other random sources of validation.
While in fact, our Cheerleaders know what’s up. They are paying attention. Most of our cheering section know us pretty well, have assessed the whole picture from their perspective, and they decided to bet on our success. We probably have others who believe in us too, but our cheerleaders are the ones who consistently show up with the good vibes. When they see something they say something!
Even better, our cheerleaders aren’t just there for the wins. When we fail, they pick us up, dust off the bad juju, and remind us that we’ve got what it takes to keep going. And they are RIGHT 100% of the time.
So tune back in to your personal cheering section. Listen for their hollers of support and take it all in. Use it as a cue to get on their wavelength: ask yourself, “what do they know that I am ignoring or invalidating?” When they tell you that you are amazing, believe them. They have great taste.