The HRart of It

So I don’t believe that this is a secret, or even an unknown fact…that coaches have coaches. I am no exception to this rule. I coach and consistently get coached. In fact, I have almost a team of coaches that help immensely with keeping me aligned with my path so I may do the work that I love. During one of my more recent coaching sessions, I was finally able to articulate in a few words how I describe my life before Leadership Arts Associates. It was one very productive but totally massive detour. Also, just a minor disclaimer for this episode – I share my religious beliefs. If that doesn’t float your boat, then this is probably not the episode for you.

One of the things I treasure most about our next guest on The Grateful Showcase is his ability to build relationships. Relationships and connection that run well below the surface. I have had some of the most warming and fulfilled lunch and coffee conversations with this gentleman. Although, it seems like our path to initial connection took an army. It took a series of a friend of a friend, a colleague of a colleague, insisting that we connect for it to finally happen.

If there is one thing that I learned about myself in college it was that I need people for things to make sense. While pursuing a business degree filled with classes on economics and operations management, I struggled to master the concepts surrounding widgets. My only saving grace was the introduction of HR Management Strategic Practices which essentially replaced widgets with people. It was this change that made all the difference, I got it when we were talking people. I also fully understood how the concepts expanded to take into account that we are dealing with people not widgets, something that doesn't always come so easy for operations driven individuals. DK was that for me and the non-profit sector.

There is no other way to say it, Tony is a beautiful soul, inside and out. He has become a professional colleague and close friend. Our relationship I value so immensely, for one reason, as Dr. Brené Brown would say, he shows up in the arena. Not only does he show up in his arena, he shows up in yours. He is along side you for the ride and when you fall down, because you will, he helps you get up.

In this episode, I'm talking about the internal and external critic. Recently, I've struggled with owning the authentic voice I have just found because of criticism. The outside influencers that say I should be one thing and the internal belief that tells me something else.

Sometimes we have this internal battle, that prevents us from allowing feedback to make us better.

I am a teacher and I am meant to teach. And those that are meant to be my students will appear because I am ready.

I think back to my childhood and how loosely, as a child, I would use this term about hating people, and there's some people who do some awful things. They do awful things, but to truly hate someone is bringing up an emotion within you that is just so dark and so heavy. When I see it being present in any form, my heart breaks and my heart breaks for the person who is feeling the hate and unable to see it through a lens of love. It makes me concerned and worried about where that path is going to take them.

But as I'm going through this and I'm getting real with the fact that I'm terrified about my dreams, about my goals, about my future, about discovering if I ... not if I, but accepting that I am worthy and my dreams are real and that I can make them happen. I started to realize that I'm not alone in this venture. Around me there's several people that are being held back by fear.

If you don't think you need one I would truly evaluate how could a tribe like this add value or add to your fulfillment for your life? And then on the flip side if your trying to get one and you feel like you can't find these relationships and you're getting dead ends. What assumptions are you making?