Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Who Is On Your Personal Board of Directors?

I was lucky to be invited to a charity function a couple of weeks back in Beverly Hills.  It was everything the mere location might suggest to you, with perfectly put-together people, tons of beautiful things I can ill afford but drooled over just the same (serpent gold ring, I am talking to you!), and the prerequisite luxury vehicles crowding the valet area as my underwhelming family minivan was brought around.  But, there was one shining exception: the guest speaker.

I did not expect to be as moved as I was.  Charities are amazing, awesome things and it's easy to be swept up in the humanitarianism of it, yet, somehow miss the grand message.  Thank goodness I didn't.  The speaker brought the room to life with two simple messages about life and living it.  The first is this:  You are enough.

The stark simplicity of this stunned me.  She told the room that we did not need to gain weight or lose weight or change our hair color or get a better job or different job or any of those things because whatever we were, right at that moment, was enough. It was an illuminating moment.  I thought about all the books I had written and where I thought I wanted to be versus where I actually am, and I decided, right then and there, I was satisfied.  Writing and being published was enough.  Sharing my work the way I do, it's enough.  The thought washed over me like calm, warm water and I knew she was right.  I am enough.

Her second message was even more profound to me.  She asked us to think of our lives as businesses.  With departments.  Like the Billing and Accounting Department, the Fashion and Style Department, the Family and Kids Department, the Important Decisions Department.  And she asked us to envision the people in our lives that are important to us, the ones that help us make the critical changes our lives need or that convince us the perfection of staying right where we are.  She asked us to think about our own Board of Directors.  So I did.  I realized everyone has a purpose, a position, even a "title".  Even some of the sincerely killer people I have met on Facebook.

So, I challenge you to do the same thing.  We are all in this writing process together.  Are you writing to some goal and dissatisfied with where you are because you aren't there yet?  Or is what you have done, right now, today, enough?  And how about your personal Board of Directors.  Can you name them?  Do you know their titles?  Do they know how important they are to you?  Today might be a great day to tell them.  Better yet, put them in the acknowledgements section of your next book.  I know I will.  And it is.....enough.


4 comments:

  1. Samantha, when I read the blog notice I thought this would be a cutesy post. I was wrong and am blown away by the power of what the guest speaker said. Thank you for making me focus on what and who are important. It's time for my board of directors meeting.:)

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  2. This is something my yoga teacher says all the time. Thank you for reaffirming it! You are enough! Cheers, Wench!

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  3. Thanks, Samantha. One word...'YES'!

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  4. Sounds like you had a truly great experience. Thank you for sharing it!

    Lyre at Lyre's Musings #atozchallenge

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