Two Vacation Observations
It’s good to be back in the States after a week of fun in the Caribbean. We swam with sting rays, got up close and personal with some curious sea turtles, snorkled, adventured and generally relaxed. I write this morning with my version of a tan (which means my freckles are just closer together and the sunburn isn’t too red) and feel invigorated and ready to attack the issues of the day.
With people, leadership and work issues always at the forefront of my mind, I offer two observations from the beach:
A Leap of Faith
We met a woman from North Carolina who offers a tale of great inspiration. A single mom with two grown children, Sarah had spent nearly twenty years moving through the ranks of corporate counsel on behalf of a Fortune 1000 software company. She was at the top of her game and was guiding the board of directors and President on any and all legal matters when she decided a change was in order. Sarah told me how she wasn’t even sure how she arrived at her current position, “accidentally” continuing a career for which she had no passion and truly dispised.
So one day, Sarah decided to enroll in massage therapist school. She did this in the margins of her full-time job and was told by the instructor that she didn’t have what it takes to be successful. Ignoring all road blocks, she pressed forward and attained her certification in record time. While in school, she built a business model with goals and specific objectives. Considered “very aggressive” and “unrealistic” by those around her, Sarah persisted and eventually took a leap of faith.
That was three years ago. Sarah now works for one of the most prestigious resorts in the world and has never been happier. Her advice for those who want to change careers and pursue their dreams? “Start small and break things down into micro-goals. This gives you a sense of progress and helps to adjust your objectives along the way.” The most difficult part of this change? “Overcoming the stereotypes placed upon you,” says Sarah, “because people come to see you as the person you are, not the person you could be.”
A Different Kind of Courage
As an avid reader and student of history, I was delighted to consume David McCullough’s wonderful “Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt”. Winner of the National Book Award, this story delves into the fascinating history of the Roosevelts, including the philathropic deeds of Teddy’s passionate and driven father, Theodore Roosevelt senior, and the southern charms of his mother, Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt, a Georgia belle considered by some to be Margaret Mitchell’s inspiration for Scarlett O’Hara.
I strongly recommend this book. One walks away with the sense of the undying tenacity of young Teddy, overcoming his size (he was quite small), health (suffered from terrible bouts of asthma), voice (considered painfully high pitched) and complete inexperience with the “real world” to place his formidable stamp on our nation’s history. The reader will walk away with a new appreciation of how he was shaped and, in turn, helped shape with world we live in today.
Both Sarah and Teddy provide different lenses on how to attain one’s objectives. They share the belief in overcoming adversity to focus on capturing your dreams, at all costs, damn the consequences.
Let’s keep the conversation going.