Show up and cheer loudly.

Last night while I was fixing dinner I listened to a podcast. Friends of ours started a podcast called PorchTime because they spend their summer evenings on the porch talking about life and that time together fuels them. They had been talking about doing this podcast for a good while and recently they bought the gear, made the Facebook page, and did the dang thing. 

Show up.

Standing in the kitchen in my socks, chopping vegetables, I listened to them banter about their love of music and the concerts they’ve experienced, and I felt grateful. They were called to do this cool thing and, in that pursuit, opened up their lives. I felt grateful for the opportunity to witness them pour into their marriage and document this time in their family. Showing up for this and for them, is easy. 

I participate in this small business group at the Danville Public Library called The Consult.  Today I attended and a group of 10 business leaders walked through a business plan with a craftsman. Every person around the table offered him words of advice, connected him to a resource, bought something, or volunteered to promote his product in their own businesses. We showed up.

On the drive home, I thought about all of the people we know who are doing cool things. The friend that moved their family across the country, the friend that is pivoting their career, the friend who plants a pumpkin patch, my sister-in-law that started a second business, the friend that feeds the hungry, our priest that writes a blog. All of these things are cool; and I wondered if I’m showing up for them in the same way. 

Cheer loudly. 

There are 10,000 reasons not to follow through on a good idea. You just need one good reason to do it. When someone in your life has found the one good reason to go after the project, the business, the hobby, the relationship- cheer for them. 

When I first got started in my business an acquaintance messaged me on Facebook. They told me that they came across my page and were excited for me to chase my dream. Since then, I make a conscious effort to get behind others as they chase their dreams. I try to reach out to people that I see putting themselves out in the world and acknowledge their effort. It costs me nothing to cheer for them. It costs me nothing to encourage a good idea, to recommend a resource, to say “I see you- and you’re killing it.” What that person did for me and what I hope I do for others, is give them the energy to keep going.

I think the world is a better place when we show up and cheer loudly.