Awareness

I recently interviewed four women for an article I’m composing on the topic of female confidence. Each of the participants had thought-provoking insights about their assertiveness and outside factors that affect it.  I’m not done writing it yet but the words of these empowering ladies are already burned into my mind.  They are amazing and I can’t wait to feature them all!

One lady and colleague of mine in particular stood out.  Her name is Vanee and I’ve admired her from afar for several years now.  She kept using the word “awareness” in her interview.  She credits awareness as her path to being a strong person and confident female leader.  She used the word awareness to describe three aspects to living a more balanced, confident life:
1) self awareness (her inner feelings)
2) awareness of others, those around her (having empathy)
3) awareness of her surroundings (paying attention to environment).

That word and her application of it have stuck with me ever since.  That simple word is very powerful: awareness.

Vanee said she pays close attention to herself.  She does not compromise her self care as she knows how important it is to feel and look her best.  But she is careful to define “best self” on her own terms, and not by anyone else’s beauty standards.

Empathy is a strong trait of Vanee and her success.  She closely watches the people around her.  She notices the feelings and demeanor of others.  In doing that, she can create a connection with nearly everyone she meets.  She has a way of bringing peace into the room from what I’ve seen.

Lastly, Vanee astutely takes in the environment she inhibits. She analyzes the situation and uses it to her advantage. She looks for the joy in the place.  She strives to thrive, no matter where she is located.

I replayed Vanee’s words on Thursday night, late, after a restless time of failed sleep. Her words fueled me.  I wrote down her quotations.  She encouraged that each of us should be our own “best cheerleaders”, instead of our own “worst critics.”

Think about it.  So many others are out to criticize us, to judge us.  We don’t need to do that to ourselves.  We need to lift ourselves up and be our best selves.

So many of us (me included) let the tasks, hustle and bustle, and others’ schedules take over our own lives. I felt very stressed last week after a huge project fell into my lap.

I was aware of my tension.  I was aware of my anxiety.  Awareness.

I took that powerful word Vanee used and changed it for the positive.  I spent a half hour doing yoga to take in my breathing and calm down.  I went for a walk to settle my nerves. I said yes to a play date with my daughter.  I worked on a new project that excited me for just fifteen minutes.  All these things brought me joy and helped me to move through the difficult tasks ahead.

I wasn’t the only one having a difficult week.  My friend shared a story with me revealing what made her fill with self-doubt and setbacks.  But I praised her for talking about it.  I referenced the awareness. I encouraged her to reflect on it and take steps to work out the issues.

Thank you Vanee for the great words and for your interview.  We all need to be more self-aware, have empathy for others and to rejoice in our environment. Cheers to you, to me and all of us aspiring confident women (and men) leaders!