Honie Briggs

I thought it might be nice to write something that doesn’t require a secret decoder ring or a psychology degree to understand. I know readers here have exceptional intelligence. Your super smarts notwithstanding, I also know meaningful communication doesn’t have to be complicated. So, with my limited skills and trusty tools today I’ll just tell you a story.

Once upon a time there was a girl who thought she could do anything. She would think about something she wanted to do, and whether it was good or not so good, she did it. Sometimes this made her happy and sometimes it made her sad.

She grew up and discovered there were lots of people who thought they too could do anything. She began thinking more about what all of those other people wanted to do. She became so busy thinking about things that didn’t have anything to do with what she wanted to do that she became confused and had to sit down and catch her breath. She thought if she sat still she would begin to think for herself again. Then one day she started to think if she sat for too long it might be hard to get up again. That’s when the phone rang. It was someone she had forgotten, calling to offer her an opportunity to do something she didn’t even realize she could do.

This story, of course, is about me. Along with the many friendships I enjoyed when I was employed, I also accumulated stuff from toxic work environments, one in particular, that was destroying my health until I decided to walk away from the crap. And a lot of money. It took about six months before I was ready to start looking for another job. I was uncertain what I wanted to do. I applied for several jobs and one day I received a call about an analyst position that I didn’t even remember applying for.

I lived in Greenwood Village, a community in Colorado near the Denver Tech Center. I had often driven by this one cool, modern building and thought how nice it would be to work there; not knowing that an amazing company was located there or that I would ever have an opportunity to become a part of it.

Sitting still, quieting my thoughts and setting an intention to be ready for what was next was exactly what I needed to do. It worked, when that call came, I was ready. I was so serene during the interview, as if every answer was perfectly formed in my thoughts before it came out of my mouth. I assure you that had rarely happened before. Most of the time I didn’t know what was coming out of my mouth until it was passed my elbow. Even now it sometimes happens.

Working for Ford Motor Company’s customer service division was the best job I ever had, and I’ve worked for some top-notch companies. I was privileged to have that job and was about to accept an opportunity to relocate for a promotion when my husband decided to take an offer that took us in a completely different direction. A decision that has yielded some great experiences, afforded me the time to take care of my friend while she was battling cancer, and brought some new friends into my life.

I know many people who think they can do anything. Some are smart, funny, engaging, and genuinely confident; some just know how to fake it. Really well. There are a bazillion books, blogs and infomercials to prove it. What have I learned from years of honestly believing I can do anything? Ready? Listen to this.