When I was 16 years old, I started smoking cigarettes. I did it because I wanted to be cool and fit in with the other kids who were experimenting with cigarettes.
My wrestling coach sensed it, maybe he felt the smell of cigarettes in my clothes or my breath. He pulled me aside and told me that I had to stop smoking. If I wanted to be admired or recognized by others, I could earn that on the wrestling mat. He told me that I had lots of potentials and that I should not throw it away.
I listened to my wrestling coach and I never took another drag. I never became a wrestling champion as he promised me, but I felt proud of my accomplishments and I never smoked a cigarette ever since.
I owe a lot to that wrestling coach. He spoke with me with respect, even at 16 years old. He expected the best out of me and I gave it to him.
My wrestling coach was one of my first cheerleaders who was not a family member.
Thank you coach.
We all need a cheerleader
We all need a cheerleader in our life, someone who believes in us and tells us that everything will be alright. Someone who believes in us even when we don’t believe in ourselves, someone who will lift us up when we don’t feel capable or confident to do so.
A cheerleader could be a family member, a friend, or a colleague at work.
For many of us, our first cheerleaders are our parents. They want us to succeed, they encourage us, they want the best for us. Our parents can see the potential in us long before we can see it ourselves and they encourage us without conditions, they do it simply because they love us.
The next set of cheerleaders can be our teachers and coaches at school. If we show that we care, if we are kind and polite, if they see that we are doing our best, then they can rally and encourage us to do better.
Finally, our friends and co-workers can rally around us and cheer us on and we have new dreams and ambitions, they can help us up when we fall down, they hold our hand and listen to our dreams and failures.
How to get a cheerleader
Show up
The first step to get a cheerleader is to show up. My wresting coach was my cheerleader only because I was showing up to all the wresting practice. Familiarity and proximity and very important.
If you show up, and you try your best, no matter what you do, if people are witnessing your efforts and struggles, some one will start encouraging you, offering you help, stretching at helping hand. But you have to show up first.
Share your vision
People can not cheer you on if they don’t know about your goals and dreams. Find a way or multiple ways to share your vision. Many times, help will come from unexpected places.
I constantly share my vision of having a top quality podcast and I am I am often surprise by the amount of people who offer me their support.
The law of reciprocity, be someone’s cheerleader
Sometimes you have to cheer others before someone cheers you on. Cheerleading is not always directly reciprocal. You cheer someone, and someone else cheers you on. The universe is always watching and there is a higher force that compensates us for our efforts and good intentions. You just have to keep the positive flow going.
Ask someone to be your cheerleader
If you don’t have a cheerleader already, just ask someone. Approach and friends or a colleague and ask them to be your cheerleader. Share what’s important to you, and let them know that you need encouragement.
Most people are happy to help if they know they can help you. Many times that’s all it takes, just ask.
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