Everybody Needs a Cheerleader!

Remember Sally Field in the 1985 Academy Awards ceremony when she gave her famous acceptance speech for Best Actress in “Places in the Heart”? She said “you like me, right now, you really like me!” There is something about that statement that resonates with me.  It’s simple, we want to be liked, we want to be understood.

The more awareness I gain, the more I realize how treasured the people are in my life who like me, let me explain what I mean…

When you like me, in a sense you validate me.  You provide a mirror that reflects my life and what I am doing so that I can see more clearly. You validate my existence and make me feel that my life, my work, is counting for something. It is a true blessing to have some special person who encourages, believes in, and cheers for you, isn’t it?  Wouldn’t you like someone who knew your heart to stand up and fight for you if necessary? Someone who, without fear or prodding, would actively show his or her support for what you are doing because they believe in you. I think this is huge. We are independent beings, of course. We need to grow in our own awareness, of course. We need to be strong and not be thwarted by others so easily, of course! Nevertheless, there is nothing that can push us further along our paths than that special person(s) who will cheer us on to the finish line. Someone who LIKES us.  Someone who GETS us.

I fondly remember back a number of years ago when I was running 5k’s and training for a marathon with my then boyfriend, how when we ran together, whether at a race or training for one, he always had encouraging words. He was much faster than I was, so quickly his long legs would move on past me in a race and he would always get across the finish line before me. Sometimes, after he finished the race, he would find me on the track and jump back in to run the last few meters with me.  He kindly kept a pace beside me – just to show support and be my cheerleader.  He did this because he knew how difficult those last yards were before you crossed the finish line, and he understood my level of experience and how much it meant to me to do well and finish the race. Other times he would stand in full view on the other side of the finish line shouting for me and cheering me on. There was something about seeing his face and knowing there was someone there to cheer me on that gave me the will to make the last push.

Let’s call it having your own personal cheerleader. It’s not that I need someone in my face all the time saying “…. oh my god Sandy you are SOO fabulous!”, and it’s not about surrounding myself with an entourage of “yes-people”. And when I say ‘cheerleader’, I’m not talking about sex and BJ’s, flirting and patronizing, ha! NOT AT ALL!  I am talking about having someone in my court that understands me and knows what I am about. A personal cheerleader is a dear friend, a lover or past lover, a family member or a special co-worker, maybe someone you barely know who takes the time to look at your heart, is genuinely interested in knowing your motives, and supports you being successful. They give this as a gift, and it manifests itself in the way they talk, their time, their concern, their willingness to listen, and their sacrifice to stand ahead of us and cheer us on.  It is a self-less role.

So, today, in this moment, I want to inspire you to be a cheerleader to someone that you love. Be available. Take the time to listen. Genuinely understand and care about what their dream is, what their goals are, their mission, and their project of the moment. Maybe they just need someone to hold their hand a little bit, or someone to talk to as a sounding board to get through a rough place. You never know what kind of gold or diamond is being created right under our noses. Your love and caring can be the polishing and encouragement that will make the difference in someone’s life.

I believe if YOU will give this to someone, the Universe will bring it back to you –  because we ALL need a cheerleader!

Love and Peace,
Sandy

The fabulous feature images are by Alain Laboile