Playing Big: Meet Betty

Visualization is a common practice for elite athletes while vision boards are a popular concept to realizing and achieving goals.  Playing Big's version of these constructs is the Inner Mentor.

The Inner Mentor is your future self, 20 years from now.  "This is the very heart of playing bigger: having the vision of a more authentic, fully expressed, free-from-fear you and growing more and more into her, being pulled by this resonant vision rather than pushing to achieve markers of success."

To tap the wisdom and guidance of the inner mentor, Playing Big provides a set of questions & meditative exercise.  When I did the exercise, I was surprised that at the forefront of my mind was that Mia would be a well-adjusted young woman; confident, fulfilled (as much as you can be in your 20s), and kind.

Given that the reason for doing the exercise was because of the Leadership Development Program, I expected my focus to be my career & professional life, not my personal life.

Given that preamble, meet Betty, my Internal Mentor.

She lives in a contemporary (but not too modern), compact house in a semi-urban area.  There is a nice front garden, with the entrance of the house or townhouse leading to open spaces on the first floor.  The kitchen is large with a sit-down island, and adjoining living and dining room areas. 

There is a fireplace, and sliding doors to a deck and fenced in backyard where there is a small vegetable and spice garden.  The bedrooms and studies are upstairs, with a third floor has an office area connected to a deck for Richard.

The desk where she works is a nook within the house.  She has a small office that she uses for crafts.

Betty dresses comfortably, in structured and stylish pieces.  She wears minimal makeup and jewelry.  She runs three miles every other day.

She is involved in non-profit work that supports the Asian community, focusing on empowerment of the next generation, the children of immigrants.  Whether through a non-profit like BCNC or through local colleges like Bunker Hill or UMASS Boston.

First Meeting Meditation

The advise Betty gives me in our first meeting about Mia is simple: to spend more (quality) time with her, not just playing and reading, but also creating and making things together. To let Mia express her creativity and to develop her imagination.

She also told me to better support Richard, to not repeat myself and continually make a point that Richard may agree with, but not necessarily embrace for himself.  To list, engage and be open.

For my career, the answer to what do I need to do to get to where I want to be, is to just do it.  To just start being productive and contributing like I know I can.

Betty's parting gift to me is a cross-stitch piece that she had created.

Needless to say, Betty is unhooked from criticism and praise.