3 Lessons I Learned When Cultivating My Skills
“Well, I’m not sure if that was the prelude or not. Is it my time to speak?” the liturgist asked.
It was not. The congregation murmured, some told her to “Go ahead, sweetie.” Some shook their heads, as if this happened every week.
She continued, “It says here, Call to Worship...so, yes, you’ve all been called to worship today. Now let’s sing the hymn.”
At this time the pianist whispered loudly, “I don’t know what music we’re playing.”
The liturgist slowly walked over and handed her the only bulletin she had, which was fine because we weren’t following it anyway. Bless.
After the hymn was sung with varying levels of enthusiasm, skill, and tempo, it was time to announce the guest speaker. She said, “We are so thankful to have...erm...um...Ce-Cheryl Reilly...as our guest...speaker today.”
Fix it, Jesus, that is not my name.
Let me back up. You see, last January I made a list of professional goals which included two public speaking gigs outside of my normal career. There was no limitations on this goal, other than I want to improve my skills. So when the opportunity came to preach at a vespers service at a nursing home, I jumped at it.
And, call me Cheryl Reilly, but I’m glad I did. It was one of the most humbling opportunities I have had this year. It taught me a great deal about speaking and in finding my identity in more than a name. And it reminded me of a few key pointers when pursuing a goal or a life dream.
1. Action steps are usually unsexy, but are necessary.
We don’t want this to be true. We all want to start at the top, or at least in the middle. We want the stage, the following, the platform, the market. We want to skip the beginning stages so badly that sometimes it prevents us from ever getting started on our dreams. We believe we have to go big, or stay in our slippers at home. But the truth is, you have to start somewhere. For most of us, our big break happens at a local newspaper, a nursing home, a small boutique selling our product, or baking cakes for a small group of friends. To cultivate any part of our lives, we must begin with small steps. We need to take opportunities, even if it means we will be introduced by the wrong name.
2. Feedback matters: keep, tweak, and never repeat.
The older generation is notorious for saying exactly what they mean. Speaking this Sunday was no different. But it reminded me that we take these small steps so that we can sort all that we do into 3 categories: keep, tweak, & never repeat. We accept the feedback, sort out what we can learn from it, and grow from there. Feedback, when used properly, has strong potential to shaping your future success. However, it is crucial that we prioritize feedback from our intended audience. Bottom Line: your loved ones are always going to think you rock. We grow better from feedback from the group we want to have the biggest impact on (ie: ideal clients, customers, etc).
3. Small doesn't mean unimportant.
Also, it is crucial to remember while this vespers service was a chance for me to cultivate my goals, for these men and women who attended, it was their accessible church. It was their weekly holy time to worship the Lord in community. It mattered to them. So therefore, no matter what name they call me by or how off track the service went, this weekly vespers hour mattered to me. The steps we take and people we interact with along the way are not just prongs along the ladder, opportunities, emails, or trails. Each time we have an opportunity to utilize our skills or cultivate our desires is a holy moment to honor others and glorify our Maker.
