I’m an organizer. I’m a planner. It’s not unusual to be booked a month or two in advance not only with appointments, but with tasks I want to complete and reminders to connect with family and friends. So, as Society president, I have newsletter articles planned for the year with the topics I want to cover. This month, I was going to talk about Society business, but an email I received changed everything. The email came from a friend who’s also on a similar journey having started her new business around the same time I started mine. I began reading the email and three words stopped me in my tracks: I see you. Three simple words that can mean so much.
Words matter. We all have the power to lift people up or tear them down with our words. Many times, we don’t even know we’re doing it. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I’m reminded by the email I received that we are all on different journeys yet there’s much we can do to affirm the people in our lives with just a few words. I’m also reminded it’s okay to take time for self-care and to focus on mental well-being. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the more we normalize conversations around mental well-being and prioritize our mental health, the more our physical and emotional well-being improves.
I’m grateful for the friendships I’ve made through SMPS and for being part of an organization where our members value each other and take the time to build professional and personal relationships with each other. I see you. Three simple words that can—and do—make a difference.
Article written by Dr. Paula Raymond Stamp, MBA, FSMPS, CPSM, who is CEO and principal of Geaux Consulting Group. She can be reached at paula@geauxconsultinggroup.com.
