Are You a Lighthouse?
And what does that even mean?!
At a meet & greet after a big keynote earlier this year, an attendee came up to me and said, “I felt like you were talking to me the entire time!” And I replied, “I was. You were one of my lighthouses.” She gave me a puzzled look, so I explained.
I don’t know where I came up with the term, but this is what I refer to people as in my audiences that are open & engaged. They’re making eye contact with me, they’re paying attention, and they simply radiate a warm, bright light — they’re my lighthouses.
When I’m on stage, it feels like these lighthouses are giving me a personal invitation to connect with them.
These lighthouses help keep me on track and, whether knowing it or not, provide me with positive encouragement and let me know that I’m heading in the right direction.
These audience members are a beacon of light for me, just like lighthouses are for ships. The first lighthouse is believed to have been built around 280 BC in Egypt and they still exist and serve a purpose today.
This lighthouse pictured above is right near downtown Reykjavik in Iceland — the Grótta Lighthouse.
The purpose of a lighthouse is to help guide vessels safely into and out of harbors.
Recently, I started thinking more about this concept of people being lighthouses and wondered how this might expand beyond the rooms I speak in. I wanted to do some research and create some compelling content to share with you around this idea.
My curiosity on this topic led me to an article on Maria Shriver’s website written by Steve Pemberton. Steve has given commencement speeches to thousands, written a book, and developed a mastermind class on this topic. So, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, I reached out to Steve.
We had an incredibly inspiring conversation on the Drinking With Gin podcast. You do not want to miss this one!
CLICK HERE to listen now.
Steve and I chatted about The Lighthouse Effect (the name of his 2nd book), but also his story. It’s about defying seemingly insurmountable odds to become a trail-blazing corporate executive, enlightened diversity leader, visionary youth advocate, and acclaimed speaker.
Steve shares how he believes ordinary people can have an extraordinary impact in the world. Visit Steve’s WEBSITE to learn more about his work.
Thank you to our Drinking With Gin podcast sponsor: ine+ nutrition! They just launched 3 new incredible flavors of their Super Greens: unflavored, passionfruit and strawberry kiwi. Order yours today by CLICKING HERE and use code GIN10 at checkout for a discount!
Let’s get growing!
XO,
Ginny