Call Me Capable Consulting

http://www.callmecapable.com 

by Carol Leish

January, 2002  

"As we are liberated from our own Fear, our presence automatically Liberates others."

- Marianne Williamson

By starting her talk for VCPWN by asking, "How many of you consider yourself short?" Peggy O'Neil was able to emphasize that most of us would automatically think of how tall we are in inches. When she asked, "How many consider yourself to be big? Huge? Gigantic?   She raised her own hand.  Peggy stated that "You can all walk tall." 

Throughout Peggy's inspirational talk, she emphasized the importance of "Inner Bigness," which is an important foundation for "Walking Tall." She was speaking from her own personal experience of being short of stature(3-feet-8-inches). She does not agree with Disneyland's ride that "It's a small world after all…"

Peggy told us how her physical challenges of being short of stature have been minor compared to the emotional challenges that she has been able to overcome through realizing her uniqueness. Thus, she is able to sparkle like a diamond.  

Peggy talked about growing up and first realizing that at the age of seven she was not going to grow anymore. As a child she got teased a lot. As a teen she got excluded socially and romantically. And, as an adult, potential employers would see her height before they saw her job capabilities. 

As a teen, Peggy got a camera. She developed a dark room and did photography as a summer job. By focusing on her strength, she was able to excel in photography and was accepted in the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. She persevered, even though the camera and equipment was big. However, the dean of the school said that she wouldn't "succeed in the real world." Peggy said , The dean's negative viewpoint didn't shatter my dreams. That inner voice shattered my dreams." 

Peggy lived in Hawaii for awhile; but was unhappy on the inside. She realized that her biggest handicap was her inner smallness (attitude), not her outer self (being short of stature). Peggy shared with us the two steps on the journey to gaining inner bigness. 

She said that "even though we can't control what others' say to us, we can control what we say to ourselves. 

"This journey toward Walking Tall starts with 1) Silencing the critical voice. It's important to stop the critical voice in order to show your greatness. Continuing on the journey of walking tall, Peggy said the importance of 2) Unveiling the diamond within. 

Remember, according to Robert Frost, "The only way out is through…."on this continuous journey of life.