I wonder if you’ll see the moment as distinctly as I felt it…
The moment when coach, jewelry-maker, mom, daughter (and so many other forms of being!) Cynthia Jefferson opened my eyes to the reality that self-judgment and self-punishment don’t have to come together.
She said SO many other wise and thought-provoking things elsewhere in this 30ish-minute conversation and I sure hope you’ll give yourself the time to be inspired!
(Find the show notes below.)
- As a human: Cynthia is someone who constantly tries to be better (as opposed to do better)
- Also: A mother, a person who is trying to model for her children, learning junkie (which she sees as a good and bad thing), a person who needs to set the bars for herself
- We explored tension in growth – both the interpersonal tension and Cynthia’s delightful surprise at hearing some folks (like me!) can sometimes find an internal tension related to self-acceptance
- Her fantastic distinction between self-judgment and self-punishment
- The relationships that taught her that self-awareness is great – but only if a person is willing to use their self-awareness
- Cynthia is all up in:
- A relationship coaching certification
- Caregiving as her mom experiences Alzheimer’s, her dad works to care for her mom, and she explores supporting them both from a distance
- Listening to You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero and also loved Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
- What’s been surprising her about what she’s all up in is how complicated and out-of-the-blue caregiving can be with all of the complexity of our available systems and the profound need for assertive advocacy within the systems
- The primary tool that Cynthia has been utilizing has been practicing leaning into community when it’s not a historic go-to for her as a very independent person who is unaccustomed to asking for help
- Cynthia chose to spotlight The Boys and Girls Club of America, an organization whose mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Learn more at https://www.bgca.org
- She noted how mentoring young people is such a growth experience for her, much as coaching is often as enriching for the coach as the client