My ‘One Word’ this week is: THEM

So many of us are afraid to put ourselves “in the arena” — a reference Brené Brown made in her book “Daring Greatly” when referring to Teddy Roosevelt’s inspiring “Man in the arena” speech in 1910.

As a little boy who grew up feeling invisible, the one thing that consumed my mind was the need to be seen.

One of the ways I chose to accomplish this was doing theater, from lower school all the way through business school, where I acted (along w/ some singing and dancing, too), and co-directed The Wharton Follies.

However, every time I took the stage, I always felt this sense of discomfort about being the center of attention — and I could never pinpoint why. A nagging voice questioned my intent with:

“Why do you want this attention if you have so much anxiety about it?”

It wasn’t until I heard another Teddy Roosevelt quote while enrolled in motivational speaking school (after I quit my 25-year corporate career) that I finally understood the source of my anxiety:

“People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.”

That was the moment I saw the stage in a whole new light. It became the vehicle to leverage my story as the guide (not the hero) who could change the way people see themselves. And I’ve spent the last 5+ years creating my platform to do just this:

Empower entrepreneurs, business leaders, and college/high school trailblazers to step into their own identities in just ‘One Word’.

Your message matters way more than what you look or sound like – or any other reason that might cause you to hesitate in taking that next step (and I’ve been through them all).

Listen, it’s normal to fear being visible and the center of attention on any kind of stage, real or metaphorical.

So, if you’re someone who wants to step into “the arena,” all you need to do is make one simple mindset shift by writing this message on a Post-It note, hanging it on your computer, and repeating it daily:

“Think them…NOT you!

My ‘One Word’ platform drives my desire to stand “in the arena” — and being the center of attention now as a servant leader is A-OK with me!

Try it, because it might just change the way you look at the next stage you step onto (like it did for me).

What is your core value…in ‘One Word’?