Ever since I decided to make the great leap away from the safe shores of day job and dive in the mighty current of self employed…ness, I have found myself filled with this amazing energy. It oscillates between blissful creative excitement and unfettered monetary panic. Most of the time, I am easily able to practice what I preach and coach myself into a better emotional space if panic sets in. Today however, my anxiety treated me exactly as I did my high school gym coach when he tried to motivate me to try any other exercise than freestyle sulking. (Which, l lettered in) It smiled politely, shook its streaked hang-bang over its eyes and then flipped me off. I spent my breakfast trying not to rush over to my computer to check craigslist for a job. Which I know, (from other stressful moments) would only generate more stress.
one half of what is needed for a rough day
Yes, today was one of those days that, I’m convinced, inspired the birth of both the chocolate croissant and chili cheese tater tots. Neither of which, are low carb. I reluctantly forced myself out of the house with my walking shoes on, and by the end of my powerwalk, I did manage to change my state and motivate myself to go out and do some face to face promotion. I showered, man-scaped, got my meet and greet clothes on, and headed out with flyers and business cards in hand. As I walked towards my first target, I started to become aware that I had the beginnings of a migraine forming behind my right eye. This mini-graine grew steadily as I made my way from store to store and opportunity to opportunity. By one o’clock, I had done pretty damn well despite the insistent hammering that Clubber Lang was doing on my optic nerve.
I pity your head, fool!
So far, I had heard, “put the flyer up there” ,“sure, I’ll come”, “great, I’ll be there” ,and finally “yes, and I’ll drag my husband along”. Feeling good about myself, I reasonably chose to get gas, head home and see if I could get Clubber to hit the showers. At the gas pump, as the meter was spinning up an obscene number for 10 gallons of gas, a big black SUV pulled up to the pump adjacent to mine and out stepped a busy, but cheerful Gen X parent. I thought, “this would be a great moment to practice my cold approach, if only I didn’t have this stupid headache.” Then a voice, calm and collected asked me a solid coaching question, “What would you do if you could not fail?”
ADVIL!!
Damn it, I was trapped. I ended up having a 10 min conversation with this parent of four. “We will definitely be there, and I think my husband would agree
that we could benefit from coaching.” I (quietly) celebrated on the drive home,while trying not to vom from the Rocky III beating my brain was taking.
“Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus .”
Three advils , a bath and a 30min nap later Clubber was done. As I sat in the after migraine glow/stupor, my wife came into my office literally jumping for joy and exclaimed, “I just won $500 in groceries from Trader Joes!” Man, that is around a month’s full of groceries, at a time when money is really tight. As we were celebrating, the phone rang, it was a friend that I hadn’t talked to in like 14 years.
By friend I mean, great friend and mentor whose love and honesty changed the course of my life. This person, whom we shall call G called me today after 14 years to say that she had seen my website and was amazingly proud of me. As we caught up, she said, “even though it is hard and scary, this is the perfect work for you to be doing. “ And that’s Jenga, just what I needed to hear at just the right time. Tonight as I was taking the trash out, I looked up at the Boss, and thought, “You, my man, are totally a class act.”
What people are saying.