What Makes You Stand Out?

The room filled with applause directed towards me as everyone stood up.

The standing ovation lasted for a full twenty seconds.

The charm of that space captivated me, leaving me startled. 

I captured the whole scene in my heart to keep it forever. Although my vanity wanted the moment to last a little longer.

I had just finished reading “Pete, The Cat: And His Four Groovy Buttons” to my daughter’s kindergarten class. It was my first book session at the school library as a parent volunteer. Something I was not too inclined to do, but I showed up anyway to tick off the super-mom’s checklist.

I had missed slots in the past due to delays on my end, and this time, I squeezed it in to fit my work schedule.

I was so glad and proud that I finally made it with a blast. Later that afternoon, as my daughter and I drove back home, I couldn’t stop smiling. The cheers still echoed in my ears. A mild grumbling voice from the back seat shook me back to the present. My hard-to-impress daughter commented, “It was only okay, Mommy. Not great.”

Nevertheless, I continued to show up to my favourite audience at every opportunity. 

The joy on the kids’ faces hooked me in, making me want to do more of what I already did best. Only this time, my audience was different.

It marked the new beginning of my public storytelling sessions. I felt motivated to find new avenues to share my experiences with people of all ages.

Today, I am reminiscing about how not letting my 5-year-old’s raw comment stop me from doing what I enjoy made all the difference.

My wish for you today is to NOT stop because someone thinks you are not good enough. Keep doing what you love to do best, and everything else will follow.

Have a great day.