What Would You Do?

At the beginning of the year, one of my bosses asked me to read Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. Although my opinions of the book were mixed, a major theme from the book has remained with me after I finished reading. There is a sign on the wall in Facebook’s headquarters that reads, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” A quick Internet search found a copy of the sign:

Sign from FB Headquarters

 

I am shy and have a tendency to hang back instead of jumping into social situations.  I could probably use a boost in confidence in my professional life as well.  In this way, Dan was my opposite.  He was NEVER shy, and while he thought carefully about his actions, he did not over think them.  As a result, Dan managed to enjoy his life in a rather full way. Dan gave life his all. He always looked for ways to make his work life better, eventually landing a job with an amazing, compassionate company.  He worked hard on keeping in touch with his friends during a time when they were all starting their own lives with jobs and families of their own.  He went skydiving a few days before his second cancer diagnosis.  He played softball after losing 40 pounds on chemo.  I am not saying that Dan was never afraid.  But he overcame any reservations and was able to do so many good things. 

I printed out the Facebook quote to hang in my office, as a reminder to be more confident.  The text looked bland on its own.  And then I had an idea. Who better to serve as an example of conquering my fears?  So I added a picture of Dan, soaring through the sky with a fantastic grin on his face. I am not ready to follow his example to go skydiving... but I will try to not be as shy at that next meeting!

My new office artwork