This one is for all my cheerleaders
!!
Most of us are blessed to have our very own circle of Cheerleaders. They come in all shapes and sizes, from various phases of our lives.
They play a very important role. I call them the anti ANT (Automatic Negative Thoughts) brigade…they help us keep in check the ants not in our pants but in our heads.
We as humans are hardwired to think negatively simply because it assists self preservation. Any task that is seen as risky in any which way, has the chance of being counter attacked by negative thoughts that will keep us away from doing that. In most people the fear of failure and rejection is alarmingly high and that is our brains way of keeping us safe and comfortable.
The moment you are inspired to try something new, difficult or venture into the unknown, come marching the ANTS. They are so good at their job, that they flood you with fear and doubts galore. Before you know you have thrown your new idea/thought out of the window. If by chance you have skimmed a few self help books and watched a few TEDX talks, you will be able to catch these ANTs in their tracks and possibly give your new creative urge a shot. Unfortunately like most viral strains today, these thoughts are hard to get rid of.
That’s where your cheerleaders step in.
No two cheerleaders are alike. Whilst some may ask you vital questions about your new project, others will lend a helping hand to execute. Some share interesting information and trivia about what you are doing and some more will spread the word about it. There is the lot that will appreciate every little victory and also the ones that will point out the errors and mistakes. No true cheerleader will give you false hopes and praise because at the heart of all of this, it’s the person simply saying “I SEE YOU AND I CARE”
Being a Cheerleader for our near and dear ones comes quite naturally (Unless the devil of envy takes over, which it sometimes does) What really touches my heart is when a perfect stranger joins your cheerleading squad. It’s extremely special when someone who doesn’t know you yet, encourages your endeavor even in the smallest way. I would call that a random act of kindness that’s truly heartwarming.
The universe has a fascinating way of operating. If on one hand it gives us this super smart brain that can keeps us from doing random/insane/exciting/new things, on the other hand it floods you with a brigade of people that will cheer for you, hold the safety net and catch you if you fall. You can always choose where you want to put your attention. There is one choice however we can always make and that is to cheer for the ones who are spreading their wings and ready to fly. Irrespective of whether we know the person or not, if intuitively we sense effort/ innovation/service/genius, it’s worth applauding.
How often are you the Cheerleader?