Keeping It Simple

Remember that deodorant commercial from the 80's: “Never let them see you sweat”? Well, the year is 2007 and times have changed.

We spend half of our lives embarrassed, uncomfortable and worried about our fears and doubts. We hold back from being honest with our loved ones for fear of letting them down. We hold back from being ourselves with our girlfriends and boyfriends for fear of being rejected. And we hesitate to confide in or lean on a friend, thinking he or she can’t handle the pressure.

With so many fears and worries, how can we possibly step up to the plate and embrace life? By letting people see us sweat.

If you want to succeed in life, you must have at least two people that you can trust implicitly. People you can share your deepest thoughts, feelings and secrets with. People you can turn to without hesitation when your worries and fears are getting the best of you.

Let’s face it -- human beings are social creatures. We were not meant to walk through life alone; it is meant to be shared with others. Living life to the fullest demands that we be strong enough to be weak. It requires opening up, reaching out to others and letting it all out. We can’t be “superwoman” all the time, so we need to give ourselves a break and stop trying.

Greatness isn’t measured by what we achieve. It’s measured by what we overcome. We need other people in our lives who can pick us up when we are down, give us a push when we need one, and show us a different perspective on life. But those people can’t help unless we reach out and ask for it.

Let this week be the week when we open the lines of communication. When we stop pretending that we can conquer the world all by ourselves and learn to delegate. Above all, let this be the week when we let down our guard and show those people we love and trust that we really do sweat.