I have had many impactful relationships over the years: not all of them positive. Some of the people that I have encountered have pushed me and made me a better person, but in the moment, I struggled. In high school, I had a coach who demanded perfection. His mantra that has become my own is “You Teach What You Tolerate!” I ran a lot of lines in basketball because of him (I was a bit of a trouble maker back then!) but I learned a lesson that I have carried with me my entire life.
In college I had a nursing instructor who told me I would be a “horrible” nurse and that I wouldn’t graduate from nursing school. I simply “wasn’t smart enough.” That was 30 years and several degrees ago. I made it a point to prove her wrong. In hindsight, I likely did not show her the respect she needed. That was my fault but her response did drive my career to new levels and I was a better nursing instructor during my academic years because of this experience.
Later in my career as a nurse manger for a large pharmaceutical company, I was told I was “impulsive.” The truth is, I am impulsive, but I certainly didn’t care to have that pointed out to me! I clashed with that supervisor the whole time I worked for her and I have to say, her brutal honesty made me grow as a professional in ways that that I never would have had I not had her as a boss.
Looking back, my own stubbornness and hard headed approach to life has caused me some trouble. The people who made the greatest impact were the ones who cared enough to hold me accountable, to encourage me and love me right where I was at in that moment. I can’t say just one relationship (good or bad) has impacted me, but I can say that everyone who cared made a lasting impact in my life.
The picture (above) is me on a business trip to San Francisco. The boss who called me “Impulsive” was on that trip with me. We never became “friends” but I will be forever grateful to her. I respect her for caring enough to tell me the hard truth. God always gives us what we need, even if we don’t want it.
If you are looking for someone to guest post on your blog, or would like to guest post on CalmJourney.org, please reach out to me at heatheranne@calmjourney.org. I would love to hear from you!
🎉Happy New Years!🎉
Calm Journey 