Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. --Vince Lombardi
As I was talking to another leader this week she made the comment that she doesn’t know how I do it, balancing work and raising four children. Actually, people tell me this a lot, and it always makes me pause. Two things come to mind. First, I don’t do it alone, and without Rick, along with numerous family members helping us out, we would fail miserably. It truly takes teamwork to make everything happen and even then sometimes we drop the ball, but at least we are all playing on the same team. The second thing that comes to mind is how harshly we judge ourselves when we compare ourselves to others. This particular leader was giving me a compliment because she was comparing herself and didn’t think she was measuring up. I shared with her that although it may appear that way, trust me, my house is a mess, and I am not sure if any of the kids have bathed in the past two days. If sharing that with you helps than I am happy to share!
I tell a ton of stories about my kids and although they are amusing, I share them so that other parents don’t think that they are alone in the struggles of raising children. We all have a tendency to judge ourselves pretty severely. I should lose weight, get out of debt, play with my kids more, and on and on. If I asked any of you to make a quick list off the top of your head of 10 things you have failed at, and 10 things that you have accomplished, I bet it would be easier for you to list the failures. We need to continue to work on our view of ourselves. Project more confidence and pride, because you are all pretty special people making a difference every day! Please remember we are all in this thing called life together, don’t judge yourself so harshly for everything you think you haven’t done or accomplished, but rather appreciate how far you have come on the journey. Find those around you that are happy to share their flaws, along with their strengths, because together we will all be stronger for it.
Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people that they don't like. ― Will Rogers
- Amy McDaniel, Belmond CEO
