For those of you who follow my column, you know a couple of months ago, I shared about one of my dear friends since childhood, Dr. Yvonne Cagle, who has amazing accomplishments, and yet there were a couple of things she was still hoping (and deserving) to achieve during her lifetime, but the right team needed to come together in order to help make it happen.
Yvonne was a Colonel (retired) from the California State Guard, a NASA astronaut, an aerospace physician, and an inventor, among other things. She has also achieved numerous awards and salutations, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award (Gold Medal) from President Joe Biden. Two accomplishments have been on her list, but for various reasons, she has been held back.
But, recently, one of them was achieved and she was awarded the level of Brigadier General for the California State Guard. She is the first to achieve such status with all her other accomplishments. She has made herstory! She has one more item on her list and we know with the right team, that plan will also come together.
Since I have known Yvonne for close to 50 years, I was very happy to not only be part of the team to help one of her dreams come true but to also have the privilege to participate on the program. When you know someone for almost your entire life and you know their work speaks for itself, especially if you know they were denied because of reasons that were not right and were not under her control, we must step up to undo wrongs to make sure information is placed on the right side of history books. We may not always be able to fix or change everything, but when it is in our power to do so, we have an obligation to stand up for those who need our help.
Do you have dreams that you long to accomplish? What are you working on that you know if you had the right team behind you, there is nothing that could hold you back. One of the first things that is important is a plan.
A good plan is made up of several components including but not limited to, what is your main goal or objective? What are the strategies and methods necessary to achieve your plans? What steps and resources do you need to take and identify to be successful?
Finally, what is your timeline and how will you evaluate if you are successful? Once you have identified the pieces necessary to accomplish your plan, the next thing you need to do is figure out who are the best people who can help you on your journey. This may be the toughest part, but you would be surprised how many people would be interested in helping you when they know you are serious about what you are doing.
I would like to challenge you to think about what goals and dreams you may have tossed aside thinking you will never be able to accomplish for whatever reason. Sometimes we give up on ourselves before it is time. Are you willing to give yourself another chance to be who you were always meant to be?
I recently gave myself a self-induced sabbatical and while I was away, I thought about where I was selling myself short in the various areas God had intended for my life. You see when we live up to God’s expectations for our lives, it benefits so many other people who God puts in our path. When we do not plan our work and work our plan, we are doing a disservice to all mankind. Also, sometimes when we do not do what we are supposed to do we could be blocking someone else’s blessings.
Andrew Carnegie said, “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
Remember, having a vision is crucial to having your plan come together. To rally a team or others to help you with your dream, plan, or vision, remember, that you must have a plan to have it come together.
Healing Without Hate: It’s a choice. It’s a lifestyle. Pass it on.
Visit www.WendyGladney.com and www.forgivingforliving.org to learn more. Wendy is a life strategist, coach, consultant, author, and speaker.
