Do More of What Makes You Awesome

I took out this t-shirt the other morning to go to the gym and it put a smile on my face. It wasn't because I thought I was an awesome runner, it was because it reminded me of the event, the people, and why we were there early on a July 4th morning. One thing that makes me feel awesome is being part of some event. I use to never think about things like this. Now as I am getting older, I realize what I had been missing out on. So a new perspective recently for me has been to take advantage of the opportunities there are to enjoy each and every day. How about you? What makes you awesome?

There are so many things that occupy our time as adults - work, children, house, etc. that we tend to lose touch with the world around us. Each part of our lives is an opportunity to do something that makes a difference. Ten or fifteen years ago I would have never thought about this. I was so buried in my career and crazy work schedule that I missed out on many things. At times, my life consisted of work, a little sleep, and more work. I tried though to make the best of the free time I had with my sons by coaching their baseball teams. By no means was I an expert in baseball. I had no college or high school experience in the game, but what I did have was the desire to learn and teach a group of fine, young men. I could have decided to never volunteer to be the coach. Many excuses come to mind such as "I didn't have the experience required". If I would have done that, I would have missed out on so many amazing times both on and off the field. I got to see these young men grow up, work together, and have a good time. Matter of fact, I was recently at an event where a lot of the parents of those boys were at and we talked, laughed, and enjoyed the memories of the good old days of the "Blaze".

Time is always a factor in our lives where we feel pressure that we are not able to get everything done and tend to lose ourselves. Another thing that tends to keep us on the sidelines is that we worry about not being good enough and embarrassing ourselves. This describes me for most of my young adult life. I had a passion to write but never really pursed it. At times I would grab a notebook and put together thoughts that grew into several pages, but I never shared them with anyone. Fear of what others would think kept me from taking any steps forward in pursuit of this passion. It was until recently that I took the risk and started writing on LinkedIn. You know what, to this day no one has made fun of the things I have written. Fear is a crazy thing that can keep us from exploring amazing opportunities. The best way for me to overcome this fear has been to find others that help support and show me that things aren't as daunting as they seem. Three gentleman come to mind that have helped me get out of my fear bubble. Jeff, Jess, and Gerard do awesome things all the time. The encouragement they have provided has been incredible. For example, without the guidance of Jess, I would have never engaged in social media. When I meet with them, I get so energized to go off and do the next awesome thing!

Having a support group of friends has made a huge difference for me. Another difference maker has been working in an organization in which the culture let's you be awesome everyday. I feel very lucky each day knowing that I get to go to a place where I can be creative, open, and respected for who I am. This has made an incredible difference in keeping myself outside of the "fear bubble". Feeling like you belong helps to encourage taking risks and allows yourself to do more awesome things. For example, I have always been very scared to present in front of groups of people. Now because of the environment I am end, that fear for the most part has been erased. Another big part of the work culture that I love is community. I have never been at a company that places so much emphasis on being a good partner in the community. Volunteer events now are something I look forward not try to avoid. Each event, I feel that the group I am with is making a difference. Helping others is a wonderful feeling!

I guess what I am trying to say is get out there and do more of what makes your awesome. Whether it is volunteering, coaching, mentoring, etc., there is a whole world out there that will appreciate you for what makes you awesome...

The views expressed are mine alone and do not reflect the views of Farm Credit Services of America or Frontier Farm Credit.