Recently, our family took a trip to the “happiest place on earth”—Disneyland! As we made our way to the Magic Kingdom, I noticed a large sign hanging over the entrance that read, “Where old friends meet for the very first time.” I began to smile. This got me thinking about how Smart Women take time to reconnect with their old friend—the authentic self.
Sometimes, our lives are moving at such a fast pace, we can become disconnected from what’s truly meaningful in both our personal and professional lives. We are so busy “doing” everything for everyone around us that we lose touch with that part of us that knows what we should be making time for. Your authentic self is like an old friend. She is secure in knowing exactly who you are and what you are passionate about. She knows every gift you possess and can help you access them. The challenge, of course, is staying connected to this old friend. Life, with its many twists and turns, brings about such “busyness” that we often find ourselves too tired at the end of the day to stay connected to our authentic self.
If you are a woman in business, the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey is about realizing a Big Idea with passion and purpose. You begin to navigate a course to accomplish your goals. There is a lot of excitement and anticipation. Somewhere along the way, you can get off course in your business by working “in” your business rather than working “on” your business. If you are always working the day to day tasks and never giving yourself the creative space to vision the future of your business, the chances of optimal growth are minimal. In my Women’s Success Circles, the space for possibility thinking and a plan to support women in their vision is created so that they can realize their Big Idea.
In your personal life – as a woman, mom, wife, partner, entrepreneur, community volunteer –it’s easy to see how you can lose touch with this old friend… your authentic self. She is the most important friend that you have. She loves and cares for you, she will be completely honest with you, and she makes no judgment about you—she sounds perfect, doesn’t she? The key is to create the space and time to reconnect. Your authentic self holds the answers to all of your burning life questions.
This is where coaching can be helpful. It offers a scheduled time with someone who can support you. It’s having someone there to ask the right questions so that you can get the right answers from your old friend about what’s truly meaningful to you and what might be next for you in your journey.
I invite you to spend some time reconnecting with your old friend. It may feel like the very first time the two of you have met. It’s a busy life you have been leading up to now. It takes courage to create the space for you to sit with your authentic self and “hear” what might be next for you. Take some quiet time to reconnect or possibly meet for the very first time. It’s a friendship that you don’t want to miss out on.
It was a gorgeous, warm day at Disneyland. We had a terrific time. Everyone there was happy, helpful, and waiting patiently to make sure our day was special—just like an old, authentic friend.
© 2008 Joy Chudacoff
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