What Inspires Me Today - Accepting Praise

 Inspiration: Accepting Praise

Last week I began a new management training program at work.

The first session was about giving and receiving feedback... appropriate for all of us as we're going through our annual performance review period. 

In the session we talked about how to give feedback to those on your teams, but then also how to receive feedback.

One of the most important things I learned from therapy (when I was doing it regularly) was the need to receive love and praise... or rather embracing the concept that you are worthy of love and recognition.

In close personal relationships, it's easy to block receiving the love of your spouse, partner, parent, sibling... there are a host of reasons why people struggle with that, but the end result of all of them is that we push away the people we care for the most.  Sometimes it's a strong push, but usually it's a slow and subtle pressure that takes years to build to something we have to deal with. 

But when we allow ourselves to be loved, that love enters, is magnified, and can't help but return back into our world. We are positively changed, and in turn, we positively affect those we love.

The same is true beyond our personal relationships. 

The act of accepting praise and positive recognition from your boss, your colleagues, friends, and greater community is something we downplay, sometimes with a false sense of humility. We right off those who give us praise as either not knowing us well enough, or having ulterior motives, or just being kind.  

Whatever the reason, we are simply finding new ways to prevent ourselves from believing in our own abilities/capabilities/selves. We can't accept praise because we don't believe we deserve it. 

You Do.

Accepting praise and recognition for hard work goes so much farther than ourselves.

When we celebrate our accomplishments and victories, we not only celebrate ourselves, we provide a wealth of feedback to those around us. We light a path forward for others to follow, and when others follow, they experience growth and success in different ways, expanding that path of great work.

What Inspires Me Today - Faith

 Inspiration: Faith

Or rather, those who act on faith.

I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. I am inspired by people who find the strength and the gumption to act on Faith.

It's not just about a spiritual or religious faith - though that's important, but more so the idea of being willing to act without the certainty of what lies ahead.  

In some ways we all do this, every day. We drive by faith that our car and path will get us to our destination. We have faith in our coffee maker to brew a cup of coffee for us - good or bad.

But on a larger, grander level, it takes guts to move with power on a greater scale, putting faith in yourself, your colleagues, your family, and/or your higher power.

I think of the Biblical story of Issac, who on faith acted to sacrifice his only son trusting that what God had promised him - a lineage of his own - would come true another way.

I think of the Olympians who push themselves to their limits, following a coach's advice or direction without knowing for sure it will pay off in the end.

I think of those who change careers, move, or exit relationships knowing it's the right thing to do, but not knowing how they are going to even make it another day, or another paycheck.

People who take steps of faith to believe in themselves, and trust in their own future inspire me.

It takes a lot of faith to do that.

And all it takes is a little faith to begin training yourself to have a greater faith for things to come.