
I am deep in thought and busting at the seams, an interesting combination of emotions. I have been sitting on top of a secret for the past 8 months and would like to share it with you first. Returning to the driving question framing this message, I ask myself, “Who would I be if I were who I am?” I mean, it’s super personal and super important.
Being who we are seems straightforward.
That is until we realize that most people don’t even know who they are. There’s no finger-pointing here, but truth be told, many things that traditionally gave us clarity about who we are have disappeared in our fast-paced advanced world. Things like extended family Sunday dinners, weekly card games with friends, and experiencing life-long traditions in person together. For many of us, the things that are very important to us are not shared with the people who have historically been closest to us.
Science tells us that we knew exactly who we were until we were seven.
We knew what we liked, didn’t like, and as a result, what we wanted. Then physiology (natural pruning of our neural pathways) and socialization (what our families believed were important for us to know, understand, and believe) began to blur who we were without outside expectations, rules, and consequences. From that point, many of us became who others expected us to be.
Which brings us back to my original question.
“Who would you be if you were who you are?” Who were you were born to be? That’s the person I want to know. Because I believe that if we had the courage and self-awareness to be that person, the world would be much different.
As with my clients, I openly share my responses to the profound questions I pose.
And thanks to the research of social researcher Brené Brown, we understand that vulnerability is the magic gateway to connection! Connection is now understood to be one of our basic needs, right up there with food, water, and shelter. So in being vulnerable and answering the question I have posed myself (at least I know I am forming a deeper connection with you right now by being vulnerable - Check out Brené Brown's 60 Minute interview on vulnerability), I have come up with the following answer: If I were who I AM, I would lead a coaching and consulting company that would build community and unite talent from around the world who would work together collaboratively!
I can now say yes to all I am called to do in a much larger way.
What I have built with love, passion, determination, and unwavering provides this for me. With the help of an incredibly talented team who are generous with their time and support, we have relaunched JMM! We now have the infrastructure to support more people working collaboratively and innovatively to change the world by living their Dreams. Finding the courage to answer your unique calling and join with others for support, inspiration, and celebration will be what you can expect moving forward. There will be new ways for you and your teams to get involved to create things beyond your wildest Dreams. Stay tuned and buckle up! It’s going to be an incredible ride.
We remain on this journey together.
Because of our shared voyage, I am dying to know… “Who would YOU be if you were who you are?"
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