I have a story to share…

The year was 1983 and I was a Freshman in high school. That year was the first year that the Pom & Cheer Squads at my high school were going to allow Freshmen to try out for the coming year. I was a dancer (tap, jazz & en pointe - I even continued tap into my 40s) and I knew that I wanted to be on that Pom Squad. I also knew that it was going to take more than want for my introverted self to try out over the 2 days of dancing, chanting and tumbling.

At the time my family owned a salon and day spa here in town and all of the stylists and tech were like family, all of our families did all the things together. One of the stylist’s daughter, Patti, was a Senior on the Pom Squad and she was the biggest encouragement to me during that time. I mean, my parents were, of course, but as a high school girl the words of someone just a few years older made me feel like I could do almost anything. And that even if I didn’t make the squad, it was ok because she was still going to be cheering (quite literally) me on.

Fast forward to 6pm the Saturday of try-out weekend and Patti was the one who read my name as part of the new Pom Squad for the upcoming year!!! My excitement and tears were matched only by those of Patti. She was the one who came to my house when the old squad ‘kidnapped’ the new squad and took us out to breakfast (and school in our pajamas!), she was in the stands our first football game of the season and the pep rally the morning prior. She was my first experience of having a ‘cheerleader’ (literally and figuratively) in my life.

While that was my first experience having a cheerleading friend in my corner, it certainly wouldn’t be the last. I have been so blessed to have wonderful women in my life encouraging and cheering me on. I believe this is so needed for everyone, but most especially for women. In our current culture of social media, it is so easy to get lost in the mud and yuck of jealousy and striving to be good enough. We compare and contrast continually against those in our same area of interest. We allow the success of someone else years ahead of us to define our success in our first year.

Comparison violently robs us of joy and the journey of our own process.

Often our female default is to not encourage someone in our own field of interest. And how sad is that!? We should be first in line to cheer them on. To support them when they launch a new product, publish a new blog post or recipe, release a new podcast episode. “Atta girl!” “Way to get at it,” and “You make the world a better place!” should be our default. Those should be the ‘text book’ lines of instruction that we model for the generations to come up behind us. We need to show them that this is how we support one another.

We should be building community and connection, not bitterness and isolation through jealous competition. We should be supporting with action, instead looking away in denial. With our words we should be building with encouragement, instead of cannibalizing with backstabbing. In this whole, wide world there isn’t one of us made the same as another – there is so much space to be happy for one another. We can be blessings and receive blessings at the same time. One does not negate the other. It is a glorious thing!

This whole post was stirred up earlier in the week as I was having my quiet time and reading through a devotion on how to cultivate an ‘unoffendable heart.’ The focus verse was in Job 38:7 where God is asking Job questions (after listening to Job question Him on why he hadn’t intervened, what was Job suffering, etc.). Questions like where was Job when God laid the foundation of the earth? Where was Job when God told the skies to fill the seas with water? In the midst of these questions, as God is talking about establishing the beginning of all creation, he makes a statement that almost get lost. In verse 7 he is asking where Job was “…while the morning stars sang together, and all the angels shouted for joy?”

Did you catch that?

The stars He had just created were singing as they watched more of creation come into existence from the breath of God. The angels watched and shouted for joy. Lost in awe as they gazed in wonder at each new creation came to be – from the minute to the might. Can you imagine the joyous and LOUD noise!!??

He didn’t need it then, he doesn’t need it now, and yet God himself had a ‘hype squad’ – whooping and hollering, singing and praising, at the amazing things that they were watching him do.

Now, we are not God in our creations and our endeavors – however, I want a hype squad like that. Moreover, I want to BE a hype squad like that for others around me.

I think we can continue to ask ourselves questions to grow in this area – because there is ALWAYS room for growth. Do we have a cheering squad? How about, are we part of the cheering squad for someone else? Do we value community over competition – or do we harbor jealousy and silently cheer to see failure or disappointment the other experience? Do we like, support, share others, and give copious high-fives – or do we scroll by with a pride filled eye-roll? If the answer to any of those is "no", we owe ourselves a deep dive into why.

We all need support. And I would go so far as to say we all need to be a support. This world is hard enough already without cheering on fellow creators (be they blog writers, authors, artists, speakers, etc.). It should bring us joy to leave encouraging comments, double taps, thumbs up and hit that share button.

A rising tide doesn't lift just one, it lifts ALL boats.

Who will you be a cheerleading/hype squad for today?

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER on Unsplash