Who’s in Your Corner?

Do you have a super fan? Someone who encourages you when you want to quit because you feel like a no-talent nobody? Someone who is always in your corner to support you when you have been punched and are down for the count? Someone who will ask you, “How many fingers do you see?” and then will tell you, “You’re fine! Get back in the ring and fight!” Someone who can see that you’ve been pounded, but not completely out as they hand you an ice pack and rub your sore shoulders?  Someone who can point you back in the direction of your dream when your eyes have swollen shut causing momentary blindness?

Maybe this person is a co-worker, or a fellow writer, or a family member. Maybe they have been a friend for years or someone new in your life, but they always have your back. Everyone stumbles and has those truly hideous moments where they scream, “I suck!” Your super fan will get you a glass of water and calm you down. They will tell you that you do have talent, that it is worth the dedication, and most of all, they will remind you to be patient.

I am thankful to have several super fans; my family, old and new friends and lots of virtual friends. These are the people who encourage me and give me the confidence to get back into the ring and continue writing.

My husband Danny is also a super fan. He has been in my corner every day rooting me on since I began writing in February of 2011. One night he came home after work with a large gift bag . My mind raced to what occasion I could have missed. I reached inside and pulled out a 3-ring binder. I set it on the kitchen counter and opened it up. To my surprise he had filled it with all of my blog posts. He said, “I’ll add new ones to it every week. Some of these comments are great, Susie.”

After a few weeks the binder was filled, so he bought me another. When I mentioned I would like to bring some copies of my posts to my parents, he printed some at his office. My mom and dad are my original super fans.

When I was bummed a couple of weeks ago, Danny pointed out some of the amazing remarks left on my blog and suggested printing them so I could read them when I begin to question my myself. “Focus on those people and what they have said. There’ll always be people out there that will want to hold you back,” he said and gave me a hug. I think this is a great suggestion for everyone. Even if you are not a writer, when someone reassures you, write it down in a journal or create a word document on your computer. Then you can look back on that positive feedback when you are on the ropes and need to motivate for the next round.

Remember you can be a super fan too! You can offer your help, assurance, encouragement, and time. Everyone can use an occasional, “I love it! This is great!” along with an explanation of what struck you as brilliant. There are many talented people out there. I admit to being the exclamation point queen!

So next time you are face down on the mat after someone delivers a knockout punch and you hear a voice above you as they count to ten, remember your super fans. They may not be right there in the ring with you, but they want you to get back up on your feet, take a deep breath, and continue on with the endurance match of a lifetime. They will never throw in the towel because they believe you can do it and you can!

Have you ever felt like throwing in the towel? Has someone helped you back on your feet?

Rocky Marciano had a lot of super fans in his corner

For more of Susie’s Wild Ride, click here.