This photo is a clipping from a magazine that I have had displayed on a bulletin board ever since my first job in 1988. I have no idea what magazine it came from or who is the Jennifer these folks were even cheering for. The picture is faded and if you look real close, you can laugh a bit at the eighties fashion and the big hair. It also has hundreds of pin holes in it, as I’ve transferred it to many a bulletin board over the years. It now hangs right beside my writing desk. I don’t sit and stare at it all the time, but it gives me comfort to know it’s there.
It may seem silly, but I think we all have a talisman similar to this one. It doesn’t have to be a photo, or even an actual object. Sometimes it’s a habit or a song or a ritual or a movie. Sometimes we need something to ground us back to where we came from.
For me, this picture is a reminder of a time when I was just starting to figure out who I was. I had a career that I loved, friends that I cherished, and I was just starting to feel the pride of accomplishments both individually and as a team. Now, in addition to bringing me back to my roots, if you will, it also represents a little something different. It reminds me that I am my own cheering section. And if I want to succeed, I have to be my biggest fan. That is not always (okay, rarely is it ever) easy to do, but writing is not a team sport, so if I call out sick… well, nothing gets accomplished. And that is unacceptable.
So, though there are days when I have to drag my ass to my chair, and force my fingers to the keyboard, I will get it done! Despite the many distracting icons on my desktop, or the shiny tips of pencils and Sharpies that cry out to be rearranged, I will not be derailed in my task. Whenever I start to feel defeated, I will look over at this picture, and it will remind me that I am counting on myself. And that’s all the motivation that I need.
It may seem silly, but I think we all have a talisman similar to this one. It doesn’t have to be a photo, or even an actual object. Sometimes it’s a habit or a song or a ritual or a movie. Sometimes we need something to ground us back to where we came from.
For me, this picture is a reminder of a time when I was just starting to figure out who I was. I had a career that I loved, friends that I cherished, and I was just starting to feel the pride of accomplishments both individually and as a team. Now, in addition to bringing me back to my roots, if you will, it also represents a little something different. It reminds me that I am my own cheering section. And if I want to succeed, I have to be my biggest fan. That is not always (okay, rarely is it ever) easy to do, but writing is not a team sport, so if I call out sick… well, nothing gets accomplished. And that is unacceptable.
So, though there are days when I have to drag my ass to my chair, and force my fingers to the keyboard, I will get it done! Despite the many distracting icons on my desktop, or the shiny tips of pencils and Sharpies that cry out to be rearranged, I will not be derailed in my task. Whenever I start to feel defeated, I will look over at this picture, and it will remind me that I am counting on myself. And that’s all the motivation that I need.
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