I am awake, I alive, and today I am considering “it”. After all, I believe we all want “it” in some form or another and before you go crawling into the gutter, by “it” I mean success.
We want to be successful in our careers, successful in our relationships, successful in parenting or whatever path we have chosen to take because well, failing sucks. But it surprises me how often people miss the one key ingredient that is ESSENTIAL for success … YOU!
My mind goes back to a few years ago when I was asked to give a keynote speech for a local service group. I researched. I made sure my info was relevant and current, but I couldn’t get away from the feeling that the speech SUCKED (like hardcore). I walked away. I pondered it for days. It had everything it should but why did it feel so wrong?
I literally burst out laughing when the answer hit me – I forgot to put ME into it! My personality! My sense of humour! The very person they had hired was MISSING!
An updated version of my speech included lame jokes and many opportunities for my “faces” and I am happy to say the speech was a hit!
So, when I think back to all those teachers and all those report cards with “She talks too much” written on the bottom, I look at my very successful career as a speaker and stick my tongue out at those who wanted me to be other than who I am. In THEIR world I spoke too much. In mine, my voice is needed.
And just as an aside, can we make it illegal for any teacher to tell a marginalized, racialized or Indigenous child that they talk too much? Can we collectively finally recognize that “finding and using your voice” is one of the very few roads out of oppression? And that oppression will come soon enough for those students, it need not be part of the lesson plan?
Personally, I think this law is long overdue! But then, so are many things on this road called “reconciliation”.
I love you!
HUGSSSSSSSSS
Sandi
***This is an excerpt from Sandi’s most recent book, “I am Awake …”. available for purchase on her website or on Amazon.ca.***
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