Her Feedback Was A Gift, But Not the Point

Earlier this month, I had the honor of training a Master Class and providing a keynote for the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks (MAMC) conference (which was excellent, btw!).

As I came down the escalator on my last day, I noticed a woman sitting quietly tucked away reading a book.

My book 😳.

Needless to say, it got my attention 😊.

I walked over and said hello—we had met earlier.

She immediately began sharing how much the content was resonating. How it connected to things she was experiencing. How she was ready. How relevant it felt. She even said she was so engrossed that she'd set a timer so she didn't miss her next session.

How lovely. And also a little surreal(!).

All the pieces seemed to come together—her reading a book I had written years ago, while attending a conference where I was speaking on and training those same ideas. Incredibly gratifying.

A core idea from The Light Switch is: Your power source matters.

Most of us have been conditioned to look outward.

For approval. Recognition. Validation.

Proof that we're doing okay.
Proof that we matter.
Proof that our work matters.

And while approval and validation feel wonderful, they are not meant to be our primary source of power. Not the point.

The healthiest leaders plug into something deeper.

Their values. Their purpose. Their convictions. Their internal knowing. Their core.

When your power comes from within, you don't have to wait for someone else to tell you you're on the right path.

You already know. How amazing is that?!

Yes, noticing the woman reading my book was a gift—a lovely reminder that work created from conviction and heart has a way of finding its way to the people who need it. But, again, not the point. It was merely a gift.

The work is staying connected to our core--our internal power source. To our values. To our purpose.

Moments like these (albeit fulfilling) become moments we enjoy—not moments we need.

Balancing, operating from your core (your true power source!), and BE-ing in your power is the foundation on which you want to stand.