It was a few days before my birthday in early December 2009, and a card from my parents had just arrived in the mail. Mom’s Alzheimer’s symptoms were still subtle at that time. Previously she would have written “Dear Ginny” and “Love Mom and Dad.” In this card, however, there were only three words: Shine, Ginny, Shine. I was immediately struck by the coincidence in that I had just selected my theme for the upcoming year: Shine. Though I hadn’t shared that with her, somehow my mother had known what to affirm. It wasn’t the first time.
Years prior, when I was 30 years old and about to get divorced, many people asked me how my parents would react. I can still picture standing by the kitchen sink with my mother, breaking the news to her. Her immediate reaction was one of understanding, along with a go-for-it type of encouragement that affirmed I was on the right path. Eight years later, when I was in the early stages of my coaching venture, my mother was always interested in learning what coaching was all about and would often show her enthusiasm for what I was doing by ending our conversations with: Go, Go, Go!
I’m not embarrassed to say that I loved hearing those words. Just as children do and even as adults, we need encouragement. Since it doesn’t always come from the people we’d like to hear it from (whether that’s a parent, spouse, or friend), it’s a smart idea to cover our bases.
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I felt inspired after seeing Daniel Day-Lewis’ intimate portrayal of