I hate watching the news. I always have.
But…since Thursday, I have been glued to the T.V. It’s been paralyzing and late Monday night, I realized that I had to shut it down. I had to shut it down because I became a little bit too obsessed with waiting for the “next thing” – that “breaking report” that just hooked me in and didn’t allow me to leave.
In getting quiet and silencing them I started thinking about that obsession and what I came to realize is that it’s the hook that keeps you interested. It’s what makes you put everything else aside so you can simply focus on the “what’s next”, or the “breaking news”.
The Hook is Everything
This is storytelling at its core. And most people don’t know how to do that – let alone identify it. People come to me and they want to be at stage G before they have even tackled stage A and because of that I had to shift how I work and help people. Prior to this revelation, I was wasn’t clear on how to do that – so I offered all of my skills. Although I had fun doing it – it was a terrible cocktail for me.
It was terrible because, at my core, I am a systems gal.
I like to have a beginning, middle and end. And working on retainer and having that be open ended, mostly without an agenda – bummed me out. It took me a while to put my finger on it, but when I did and crafted my 5 Stage Framework and a plan for how I was going to help my clients get from point A to point Z – that is when it all changed for me.
I was able to be a better storyteller and because of that, when approached for advice or help, I can “hook” them in because my narrative is more finite and clear.
In writing my first e-book; “Dorm Food Sucks and My Kids are Starving” (available here), I knew that I wanted it to be more than just pretty pictures and great recipes. I have been writing and publishing a successful food blog for the past 12 years. It was a cathartic and creative space to express myself and the bonus was that I acquired an amazing community. But never saw it as a space to monetize or as my “J-O-B”.
So, in marinating and creating the idea for the book, I wanted it to be more of a teacher and a guide. And in writing this, I saw parallels between what I do in the kitchen with how I teach and guide my clients. And what it all comes down to are the systems (you can read more about why I love systems here).
This is a bigger conversation and one that I am going to be talking about a lot, but if you want a glimpse into how I got here, today, on The Midlife Podcast, hosted by Kimberly Samson she and I discuss this and so much more. Today, on her podcast (you can listen here) we chat about how, at our age, we are all taking the tangled fragments of what we call life and are repackaging them into greater, bigger and more definable ways to help, share, create and support others just like us!
This was one of my favorite conversations to date. One might think that we have been friends since preschool – but the reality is that we are fairly new bff’s. We found each other through a community of like minded humans. Community, especially now, is the key to getting through all this “mishigas”.
Tune in today!
Not only will you learn a bit more about me – where I have been and how I have arrived where I am today – but you will be able to see and hear how two girls, doing almost the same thing, can support and elevate one another. Check it out here
If you have actually read this and have gotten this far, I want you to understand that regardless if we are all locked in our homes right now, we can still find ways to connect and engage.
Community is everywhere! You just have to go out and look for it.
And it’s in that community, with others who want to lift you up and not break you down that you will start to craft your own hook. And if you are struggling to find your hook that will uncover your hidden talent and all that you are meant to be, there are so many ways for you to discover that. But you’re not going to do that by simply being a voyeur. Step outside of yourself, engage, react, but mostly find ways to connect. And if you are looking for some help or support, I have a free Facebook Group that I am going to start to amp up again (took a little break). You can join here.
Lastly – if you are trying to figure out where you are headed next or are itching for a little bit of inspiration and possibly change, download my Cheat Sheet (here) – 5 Questions to help you Tap Into your Hidden Talents!
xx
Susan
