Hey Ladies, so I'm still at it. I am listening to Christy Wright's Business Boutique podcasts on Spotify (no this isn't some kind of plug or ad LOL). And speaking honestly, I started listening to the podcasts just out of curiosity. I do not expect to hear anything ground breaking, after all, I have been an entrepreneur for 10+ years and a mompreneur for 6+ years. Very little is earth shattering in my line of work or on being a business owner at this point. But I did end up discovering something else… confidence and encouragement in ME and what I am doing.
When you contribute something, do you want to be recognized? Do you go out of your way to make sure someone thanks you for it? Do you need credit? This is natural, but the problem is when we depend on being recognized in order to be happy with what we have done. When we do this, we put the power of our own satisfaction in someone else's hands when it actually belongs in ours! Do it because you have been led to do it and that alone. God calls us to be humble in heart and to put others above ourselves. So part of that is letting go the need for credit and to start doing what you do for you and God alone. (and in a world of selfies and influencers this is hard…ahem speaking to myself here).
Use Your Gifts to Make a Difference
When you think about Making an Impact do you think of making a big splash? Someone who has lots of followers? A big platform and spotlight? Here Christy talks about how some of the biggest things you will ever do will be things that others never knew you did. Yall, this was so good for me to hear. I've struggled with this for over a year now.
I work in my “real job” in a situation where I do all the leg work to make everything happen, I'm the Conductor but the Orchestra, those who fulfill my plans, get all the praise. I made it fine for about 8 years and then I just cracked. *Yes there were outside factors that helped make this happen too* But the fact of the matter is, I started to demand to be included in the praise everyone else was receiving. Guess what yall? It didn't make me any happier and it did make them any happier LOL. So as I have been walking through this battle “trying to find a solution” to my struggle when I listened to this podcast. Wowza!!!!
There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit. – Ronald Reagan
Now there is a big difference between taking credit and needing credit. Always accept the compliment but don't do it for the compliment. Christy shared a story that resinated in my household too. My husband OFTEN does little things like clean the whole kitchen, install something I have been “meaning to get to”, take the kids out to play so I can relax and he does these things without making a show, asking for credit or even pointing it out. Yall, that is huge! He does it because he loves me! And yall, it is so awesome when I discover these things he did without expecting anything in return. It's so impressive! *Note – it is important for me to affirm him and go to him honoring and complimenting what he did….but this is a talk for another time and another blog post LOL.*
When we depend on being recognized in order to be happy with what we have done, we put the power for our own satisfaction in someone else's hands when it belongs in ours!
You may say to yourself, I need to hear from the other person to make sure I did it right or to make sure that they received what I did. And that is fine, but if they don't get back with you or they get back with you and don't like what you did and you become disappointed. You were not doing the good deed for yourself or for God but rather for their approval. Chasing approval and people pleasing is a bottomless pit. This act of making ourselves feel good by doing things isn't healthy and isn't what God calls of you! Be proud of yourself because you know what you did and that is enough! So sit and think for a bit. How do you Use Your Gifts to Make a Difference and who are you doing it for?
So you know you want to do something but don't know what it is? Or how to refine your 50000+ ideas into a business? I highly recommend you check out her Business Ideas Bootcamp! (this isn't an ad, this is me passionately looping you into my “how to live in success sanely”) You can learn more about it here.
You can listen to Christy Wright's Business Boutique Podcasts here. And you can learn more about what Christy offers on her Business Boutique Website. She has a book, educational courses, her blog and much more I highly recommend! Use Your Gifts to Make a Difference!