Who is your CEO?

Last week, I had the privilege of hearing Kevin Carroll speak while I was at a conference for work. His keynote was inspirational and riveting at the same time. I couldn't take in his quotes fast enough or retain them long enough to tweet them properly. As a non-athlete, I wasn't sure how someone whose resume included Nike and the NBA would relate to me. But the idea of focusing on play resonated more than I expected.

He used a phrase I haven't been able to stop thinking about. It started when he shared his life journey. I certainly can't relate to parents who abandoned me, but I was brought to tears when he talked about his CEO -- chief encouragement officer, thinking about how my mother was my first.

I was struck by the personal story he told of his first CEO, his grandmother. He had an incredibly difficult childhood, but his grandma raised him until he was 10 years old. She believed in him and encouraged him to pursue his dreams, the way many mothers do.

Perhaps it all just feels closer to home when I think about my mother, as I am months away from giving birth to my first child and will soon be a mom. What's more, I lost my mom when I was a college student, but I didn't lose my chief encouragement officer. Even though it has been more than a decade since she passed, I can still vividly recall her encouraging words. She still cheers for me and pushes me to pursue aspirations. She has left an irreplaceable imprint on my life.

We all need CEO's in our life. Just as most things in life, we have seasons where various friends serve roles that impact us differently. Kevin advised we seek encouragers, as well be encouragers.

I'm so grateful I am not alone when it comes to
...pregnancy
...parenting
...home ownership
...blogging
...work

Who are your chief encouragement officers (CEO's)?