When Susan Swartzwelder approached me about being a guest on her radio show, Make My Vision Real, my first thought was, “I’m honored, but I’ve never done a radio show before.  I absolutely respect, admire, and adore Susan – I don’t want to mess up her show!”  However, my response to her was, “I’d love to – when do you want me!”.   Thank goodness I don’t let anyone else hear my inner voice!!!

New situations are scary.  I know that – you know that.  What matters is what we do with the “scary”.  I was nervous participating in this show because I had never been in a radio station before – and I wasn’t exactly sure how much they could edit if I “messed up”.  What if I wasn’t sure how to answer her question?  What is my answer didn’t make sense to her listeners?  But, I agreed to participate anyway.

What I realized once we started – Susan is a professional.  She knows her content, she knows her audience, and she knows me!  Once I relaxed – it was like having a conversation with a trusted friend.  (Duh – Susan is a trusted friend!!  Just because we are wearing headphones doesn’t change that!)

I realized I wanted to control the situation – beginning to end – and that’s not how life works!!!

I recently came across the following thought which sums up my learning quite nicely.

Trust the river, but keep the paddle in your hands

Life is like a river, that flows along infinitely.  We do not control where the river goes.  We do not control the flow of the river, not its crashing rapids nor its quiet still pools.  We don’t know where the fork on the left goes or the fork on the right.

We are not driftwood.  We are not helplessly being pushed down the river by the current, smashing into the rocks, or stuck in circling eddies.

It is like we are in a canoe, with a paddle in our hands.  Sitting high in our seat, our eyes wide open, looking ahead we scan for signs of white water.  Our ears alert, we listen for the road of rapids and waterfalls.

We decide whether to take the fork to the left or the one to the right and we decide whether to run the rapids, or to put ashore and portage around, putting our craft back in the water when it is safe.

Going with the flow of the river we learn to navigate with the current, not against it.

We learn to trust the river, but remember the paddle in our hands.  We remember the power of choice we have and know that we did not create the  river, but we choose how to live with what it brings us.

– Michael Arloski, PhD, PCC

Though I couldn’t control every minute of the show – I could control my attitude, my preparation, and my responses to the questions.  Plus, I had a fabulous interviewer in the boat with me!

Susan and Lisa Make My Vision Real RadioSusan Swartzwelder, is a Small Business Specialist, who serves the local small business community by helping new entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies.  She offers workshops and private sessions for those who are ready to put action to their ideas.

I’m sure you can only imagine what happens when to VERY like-minded people get together to chat on the radio!  (I’ll give you a hint – lots of laughter . . . and a pretty concrete discussion of time management, delegating, systems, checklists, productivity, and efficiency!)

I’m honored to have been a guest on Susan’s show, Make My Vision Real, which is broadcast on WHK- 1420 Cleveland Sunday evenings at 7 pm and if you are local, I invite you to tune in each week!
What portion of the interview did you find most valuable?  Please post below.