Extra Marlowe

Erika Petrelli
Erika Petrelli
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My daughter (who will be eight next month) is busy planning her second annual summer camp: a two-day camp open to her younger brother Dylan (now five) and as many of his friends and classmates who are willing to come.

I love this and her so much.

I love her entrepreneurial spirit, and more than that, the fact that she puts her ideas into action. I love that she loves little kids so much—she’s already identified her life career goal as being a kindergarten teacher, and she puts herself in practice of that at every opportunity. I love that she understands just how many different activities need to go into a day to entertain a gaggle of (now) five year olds. I love being her assistant. I love that she has a shopping list started for me because of course campers need t-shirts—I mean, why would that even be a question? I love the confidence that pours out of her when she gets in this zone.

For real: Last year’s inaugural camp saw approximately 10 campers, ranging in age from 2–4. 9:00 am to 5:00 pm each day— it was quite a production, with activities scheduled every fifteen minutes, and this year is lining up to be even more spectacular.

She has a camp binder in which she is keeping her notes of activity and theme ideas. She’s created a logo which will go on the camp t-shirts. Assuming it’s like last year, her t-shirt will say “Director.” Mine will say “Staff.” She’s created invitations. She’s already written her welcome note on the dry erase easel downstairs. She’s ready.

No doubt, this is her thing. It’s the combo platter of getting to be in charge of little kids and getting to plan and implement and direct a thing from start to finish. Both of those independently—being with little kids and directing projects—give her a charge, so put them together and there is no stopping her. She believes in herself and her abilities without question. There is no doubt in her mind that she will be absolutely successful. And I just know she’s right.

Do you have that zone? Projects or roles or opportunities that bring out the most confident and assured you? The you that is unstoppable? There is something so special about finding, and embracing, those—because in that zone, we are extraordinary. I think Marlowe is always extraordinary in all ways, of course, I mean, hello… but watching her in her camp zone it’s like seeing Extra-Extra Marlowe. And it makes me want to find other areas to bring out that Extra.

I think it’s important for us to notice when we find ourselves in that kind of zone—because I know we know it when we are there—and to then look for as many ways and places to recreate that zone as possible. Opportunities to bring out the Extra in us.

AND I think it’s important for us to notice it in others… our children, for sure. But others, too: our staff members, our co-workers, our friends, our partners. To be able to say: “wow, you are really in a zone right now… how can we manifest more of this for you?” Because that Extra that we are able to manifest in them is a gift not only to them but to us, too. We could all use a little Extra, right?

How can you bring out the Extra, in yourself and others, today? 

Tell me about how you bring out your Extra—or help others bring out their own!—in the comments section below, or tweet me @ErikaPetrelli1.

 

How Can You Bring Out The Extra Today?

 

Do you ever find yourself casting judgement on a person or a situation? Have you ever offered a strong opinion about what should happen in a situation that you really know very little about? Has it ever crossed your mind that you are better than "Them"?

Any time those thoughts creep in, is there a way to bring the "and" back to your heart and mind? Can you open up space to consider that all people and all situations have multiple sides, many layers. The "and" is about remembering that life is very rarely black and white...   the "and" lives squarely in the gray. 

What can you do to find the "and" in these situations?  Write about it in the comments below or tweet me @ErikaPetrelli1

 

 

Erika-Brand

Interested in having Erika’s blog come directly to your e-mail each Tuesday? Have comments to share?  E-mail her at erika@tlpnyc.com.   Find all her previous blog posts at www.tlpnyc.com/author/erika

 

 

“Extra Marlowe: Bring Out Your Extra” The Leadership Program, 2016

 

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Erika Petrelli

By Erika Petrelli

Erika Petrelli is the Senior Vice President of Leadership Development (and self-declared Minister of Mischief) for The Leadership Program, a New York City-based organization. With a Masters degree in Secondary Education, Erika has been in the field of teaching and training for decades, and has been with The Leadership Program since 1999. There she has the opportunity to nurture the individual leadership spirit in both students and adults across the country, through training, coaching, keynotes, and writing. The legacy Erika strives daily to create is to be the runway upon which others take flight. If you enjoy these blogs, you should check out her interactive journal, On Wings & Whimsy: Finding the Extraordinary Within the Ordinary, now available for sale on Amazon. While her work takes her all around the country, Erika calls Indiana home.