Remember What You’re Capable Of

Editors note: This is a guest post from Full Potential Life and Career Coach, Helen Samson Mullen.

“Remember me?” was at the top of a poster hung up around the university campus. It featured a photo of a handsome young architecture graduate, who was now being held as a political prisoner in his home country. As his friendly, smiling face looked down from the poster, passing students paused to to look at it. Conversations started…

“Yes, I remember him.”
“Who is that dude?”
“What’s the story?”

That was the point.

Lest we forget that once upon a few weeks ago he was in our midst, our friend and companion, and then he was ripped off the streets and imprisoned without trial, for no other reason but writing his views about the leadership choices in his country in the news magazine he co-owned. So much for freedom of speech.

For those of you who follow human rights violations, this is nothing new. The reason I tell this story is that I was inspired by Pam Slim’s blogpost how you do one thing is how you do everything:

“..how you do one thing is how you do everything. What experience are you discounting as not relevant to your current goals? Channel it, and the sky is the limit.”

I want to tell you the story of the person who, with no prior experience, stepped up in the face of her friend’s disappearance amongst a body of general shrugging and ‘it’ll get figured out’ and apathy, and rolled up her sleeves, got a group of people together and started making a noise.

This girl-next-door scientist, with no previous human rights campaign history, started making calls, writing press releases, designing posters, post cards, organizing publicity, faxing petitions, approaching the Foreign office, meeting with contacts within the government, Amnesty International and International Pen. This girl became a leader on a mission. Focused, persistent, and motivated. She had never before been responsible for anyones life except her own.

Long story short, over the course of 3 years the political prisoner was taken off death row, the torture stopped, he was released on house arrest, and finally fully released. Now he lives happily with his wife and 3 kids in his home country where he has a successful architecture practice.

The girl? That was me.

A girl from the suburbs of a northern England beach town, I had rarely needed to stretch beyond my comfort zone before. This circumstance and all that it entailed helped shape me into the empowered and capable woman that I am today.

Was the situation gut-wrenching? Yes. Was it traumatic? Yes. Was it planned? No. But I did it. I stood up for what was important. I fought for my friend’s life.

When we’re gripped by fear, overwhelm and self-doubt…

Here I am. More than 15 years on, and I sometimes still get tangled in my own confusion and focus. Except, Pam’s post spoke to me, because in our everyday human experience we can lose our footing or fall pray to overwhelm and fear. But we all have greatness and sovereignty.

This is the time to get back to your own personal victory log. To go back to experiences where you have taken life by the horns, in large or small ways. To times where you have faced a challenge head on, tackled a crisis, lead a life-changing project, chaired a PTA. Draw from the greatness of your achievements, however small, and take that success, energy, flow and drive into whatever you’re working on in your life.
Let it dissolve the fear and show you to yourself in your most precious and inspired form. This is the stuff to remember.

Remember me? Yes I do. You’re awesome. You have your awesome stories too. You too have moments that have defined you. And you’re one step away from creating more.

Helen Samson Mullen, Ph.D., is a certified life coach who helps people reach their full potential in their lives and careers. Helen’s professional background spans academia (Ph.D. and post-doc.), 10 years in corporate, and 5 years of business ownership. Born and raised in England, she now lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her husband and 2 children. You can follow Helen’s Facebook page here.