Family ~ The Bullshit-Busters
Family.
I’ve been around family all week and if you want to get a sense of your standing in the larger scheme of things…go sit with your family.
They are the great equalizers.
They are the anti-bullshit brigade.
However accomplished I may think I am, however big I am for my britches; I can count on them to take me down a notch, reminding me of who I really am —the fact that they’ve known me all of my life—and that I’m not all that.
You know what I’m talking about. Who’s with me?
Don’t get me wrong. They are quick with their heartfelt congratulations and words of encouragement, but make no mistake, they will be there to yank the string of my balloon and bring me back down to reality where I belong.
And as much as I may hate it—it’s invaluable.
If you’re like me, you may have the good fortune of being surrounded by people who think you hung the moon and the feeling is mutual. I marinate in a kind of mutual admiration stew. But before you get all twitchy, thinking I’ve aced out all of the truth tellers; every week I schedule regular visits with two of my pals who keep me honest and grounded, Kim and Sally.
They ask the hard questions. They get in my face when I need it—and even when I don’t, but truth be told, we all need that. People around us who call “bullshit!” The bullshit-busters as I like to call them.
Family.
Because they know us SO well, it can be direct, filterless, even blunt, because hey, family doesn’t pussy-foot around. They give it to you straight. It may hurt your feelings, but after the dust settles you know that everyone meant well in the end.
That’s family.
Throughout history, family has been counted on to hold each other accountable. It’s their JOB. Even the famous, highly accomplished folks have a family.
I have it on good authority that Albert Einstein’s mother was horrified by the way he wore his hair. Sure, he was good at math, but for god sakes son, get a haircut!
Bill Gates’s dad was NOT happy that his son dropped out of college. Although, once he convinced his parents how serious he was about starting a company, they became supportive. But still, I can just imagine the uncomfortable Sunday night conversations around the Gate’s family dinner table where they tried to convince him to keep this computer thing a “hobby”, stay in Harvard, graduate, and get a real job.
I’m certain Meryl Streep’s family is so proud of her, but I bet they are the first to dial her down, keep her feet on the ground and remind her of her true place in the world. Mother, daughter, sister, and friend.
Which leads me to ask because I just can’t help myself, where is Donald Trump’s family? Do they ask him the hard questions? Do they call bullshit? He is a perfect example of why this kind of equalizing is so important.
We have our “yes men”, and then we have our family and if yours is anything like mine—they don’t let you get away with jack-shit.
And that is as it should be.
Carry on,
xox
