strengths — Executive Coaching & Leadership Training Blog

Snack-Sized Coaching

My new t-shirt says: I’m not for everyone. I bought this t-shirt as a reminder that, if the goal is to “be for everyone,” then I am probably watering down who I am. How often am I trying to make it easy for other people by not sharing a strong opinion, an expectation or a preference? This shirt reminds me that it’s ok not to be chosen. It doesn’t mean that the sting of rejection doesn’t hurt, but it’s a whole lot easier than trying to fit into something that I probably never really wanted anyways. How about you? In what areas of your life are you trying too hard to “be for everyone”? What are you giving up by not fully expressing yourself?

Answering The Question That Has Fueled The Self-Help Industry

I told one of my first coaches that I wanted to ‘reach my potential’ and in her characteristic bluntness, she said that sounded ambitious. I didn’t like her response. Ambitious or not, I wanted to unlock my stuckness. I was tired of myself and of the same situations happening to me over and over again.

I also wanted something that would accelerate my growth. I wanted to see what exactly I was capable of.

The Least Inspiring Advice You’ll Ever Hear

“There will always be people who are smarter and more talented than you are.”

In terms of parental pep talks, this isn’t the stuff of inspiration. My mom first said this to me when I was in junior high and feeling ‘less than.’ She could have taken a lot of angles to soothe her frizzy haired, slightly odd daughter, but instead she chose clear-eyed honesty that didn’t do much for me in the moment, but has come to serve as somewhat of a mantra for me…

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