My journey to this Imperfectly Honest place is somewhat different from Elizabeth’s, but I think our destination is very much the same. I, too, am excited to make more of an effort to fully recognize and embrace those strengths and attributes which I value in myself, without losing sight of my own needs and priorities.
Over this past year, one thing I’ve been learning is that I’ve always enjoyed being a nurturer, a helper, and a problem-solver. That is what has guided me throughout 67 years, first as a stay-at-home mom and then in my legal and non-profit work with at risk children and juveniles in NY. It eventually led, very fortuitously, to my friendship and professional collaboration with Elizabeth in Boulder, CO, helping socially responsible startups secure early stage investor funding.
Throughout this last year of our friendship’s reconnection, Elizabeth has been wonderfully and vocally supportive in reinforcing the value of these qualities to her and to others. For that I am deeply grateful.
As Elizabeth alluded to in her last post, my stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis was the impetus for our reconnection at the end of 2022. The many phone conversations Elizabeth and I have had since that time, about ourselves and our dynamics and communications with others, have fueled my desire to continue in that nurturer/helper/problem-solver vein.
Our imperfectly honest conversations have also alerted me to the fact that I need to work harder to rein in my people-pleasing impulse. With Elizabeth’s thoughtful and kind nudging, I’ve recognized how I haven’t always prioritized my own needs, and it has often led to challenges and frustrations in my dynamic with others.
In a nutshell (yes, I did create a rather large nut with these last five paragraphs), Elizabeth and I have committed to keeping each other imperfectly honest. My greatest wish, with our podcast and blog, is to have those efforts impact positively, and maybe even rub off a bit, on our readers and listeners if it can help them as well!
