You Are Extraordinary
The elegant room sparkled with hundreds of twinkling lights. A magnetic energy drew me to the stage. One hundred upturned faces waited to hear my message. Virtual speaking had left me longing for deeper connection, and I would have been content to simply stand there soaking up their presence. At the end of my talk, I shared hugs and a few short conversations that left me overflowing with hope and gratitude.
The next day I received a gracious email from Jay Lewis, President of Dan Ryan Builders in Raleigh. He communicated how our time together had impacted his team. I more than appreciated his affirmative feedback, but he wrote a simple sentence that held my attention. "Thank you so very much for being who you are," were the words that warmed my heart.
One of the themes in all of my speeches is how ordinary people can accomplish the extraordinary. Every human alive has been designed for a divine purpose, and is gifted with unique talents and gifts. Jay reminded me that we can have an enormous influence simply by being ourselves. Spend less time comparing, changing, striving, and be who you are. Don't worry about being acknowledged by others. Instead, measure your success by your ability to place being authentic ahead of any approval.
Pictured above: Jay C. Lewis, President & Julie Knight, Marketing Manager of the Raleigh Division DRB Group
