Build your network with Supporters and Stretchers

By Daisy Wright.

I would like to share with you a part of an email from motivational speaker Jonathan Sprinkles in which he asks whether the people we associate with SUPPORT or STRETCH us.  Do they support us because they care how we feel or do they stretch us so we can question the self-imposed limitations that we have?  Great points to ponder!

According to Jonathan:

People who SUPPORT you care how you feel.
People who STRETCH you care how you finish.

People who SUPPORT you don’t want you to get hurt.
People who STRETCH you don’t want you to waste your potential.

People who SUPPORT you want you to feel loved.
People who STRETCH you want you to feel challenged.

People who SUPPORT you tell you it’s okay.
People who STRETCH you ask you how you’re going to do better next time.

People who SUPPORT you want you to be safe.
People who STRETCH you love you too much to let you stay where you are.

My wish for you in the upcoming year is that you will surround yourself with a good blend of supporters and stretchers. Supporters are great, but you need some no-nonsense stretchers to force you out of your comfort zone and set you on the path to achieving your goals. Olympians Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps had stretchers who helped them reach their gold-medal potential…so can you!

Happy New Year!

Daisy Wright is an award winning certified career management coach and professional resume writer who helps managers and professionals tell their career stories, get hired and achieve success. She is also a freelance writer and author of the bestselling book, No Canadian Experience, Eh?, a resource that addresses the job search challenges faced by Internationally Educated Professionals moving to Canada.