We’re All Waiting For You To Go First
by Sandie Bass
Are you ready to really put yourself out there? Are you ready to be a pioneer? Try something new, unproven and even DARING? In business, it's great when you can be the FIRST! Think about why we call tissues...Kleenex...because they were the FIRST to brand those disposable cotton wipes! It's also why ride-sharing service Uber is uber popular over Lyft (although personally I compare and see who has the cheaper rate). It's about getting there FIRST. Staking your claim in something new. Doing something first could also bring you more money and more influence! This week, I'm featuring Executive & Leadership Coach Sandie Bass because we're hosting a 1-day workshop (with another amazing coach) that will help you to achieve your everyday goals AND those big, huge fluffy cloud dreams because as Sandie tells us, everyone is waiting for that someone to just...go...FIRST... Sign up for the workshop!
By Sandie Bass...
I live in LA, so, predictably, I have a regular yoga habit.
Every time I go, the instructor tells us the same thing–that we always have the option to rest at any time. Plus, she says in her mellifluous, yoga-guru-esque voice, "By taking rest, you give other people permission to rest as well."
Whatever.
There’s no way I’m going to rest.
This class is always packed with people who have intimidatingly-defined muscles...
This class is always packed with people who have intimidatingly-defined muscles, impossibly cool yoga-wear to show them off, and are clearly living on artisanal juice, kale, and egg whites (or at least didn't eat Girl Scout cookies for breakfast like I did). This class is not for people who take timeouts to rest.
But the other day, the class seemed unusually difficult, and miserably, I tried to keep up. About halfway through, the person next to me dropped to her knees and stretched back into child’s pose. “Thank goodness,” I thought, and down I went...as did the rest of the class, like dominoes. It was shocking that all of these seemingly superhuman people needed exactly what I did, but none of us dared to do it until she did.
In child's pose...
In life, we’re constantly looking for cues—for permission from others that it’s okay to do what we really want or need to do.
When someone in our circle of friends or acquaintances starts a business and announces it on social media, it tells us that it’s safe to try a new venture and put yourself out there—even if you’re not 100% sure it’ll be successful.
In relationships, when the other person says something honest and vulnerable, it makes it safe for us to share our honest and vulnerable thoughts and feelings, too.
And in the workplace, when someone else speaks up and asks for a raise or a promotion, it often inspires us to speak up and ask for what we want as well.
My challenge to you is – don’t wait for permission. Go first. Big or small, do something you've wanted to do. Say something honest and vulnerable to someone you care about. Share a part of yourself that you've been afraid to show. We'll all thank you for it.
Sandie Bass is an executive coach and marketing consultant with over 20 years of Fortune 500 leadership experience. She was the head of Human Resources for Medtronic Latin America, and later the head of Marketing Communications for a $2.5 billion division of St. Jude Medical. Her unique blend of coaching, human resources and marketing expertise allows her to unravel her clients’ authentic aspirations, find strategies for getting around fears, and position them for success. Now, if you want to learn more from Sandie, she and I (and another coach, Laverne McKinnon) are hosting a 1 day workshop on Sunday, March 24th...all about going after your dreams in a graceful, unstressed, unhurried way! Click here to sign up! I really hope to see you there!
With Gratitude,
