Gratitude Practice 2024 Feb 15: Hillary Rodham Clinton and Tsunami
Somewhere in the last twenty-years, I heard an interview with Hillary Rodham Clinton where she shared how she prepares for difficult situations. Think what you may about Mrs. Clinton’s politics but her brilliant response to this interviewer's question seems universally wise and has stuck with me for decades. Hillary responded that when facing difficult or challenging obstacles she relies on her life experience, her formal and informal education, her team of trusted advisors, her gut and then she dawns her power color and moves forward. Being forever Crayola focused, I keyed into the concept of identifying a personal power color and it's been an absolute game changer.
Should you take note…Hillary is often wearing a powerful shade of blue when giving big speeches, leading big efforts and while sitting in a series of big hot seats. Dressed in her power color, she clearly and confidently fuels forward into the fray. Photographic evidence gathered across the decades support that she embraces a full range of shades of blue befitting the occasion and need and fashion and…then POW…she shows up and courageously moves forward and oftentimes…come what may. I think there is something big here.
Following Hillary’s wise counsel, I have discovered that my personal power color is also a striking shade of blue with a strategic splash of green. This is the color I see in my mind's eye. This is the color of many favorite and trusted outfits and I always walk a little taller and hold my head a bit higher and feel a little stronger when I embrace this color. Sometimes it's called Peacock. Sometimes it’s called deep Turquoises. Sometimes it's called Teal. The Crayola people can't decide and call it either Blue Green or Pacific Blue. And I recently discovered that the Behr paint people majestically refer to this power color as Tsunami…which seems both timely and absolutely fitting.
Following Hillary's time tested advice, I've recently painted the four walls of my home office this most perfect shade of Behr paint and I love it. This little sanctuary is a powerful place for me and the walls are now my power color…deep, rich, bold and for me… healing. These four Tsunami colored walls are complemented with pops of crisp white furniture and splashes of bright rowdy colors from my hodgepodge collection of art and books and silly knick-knackary. This is my little space and I’m strategically and intentionally willing my power color to work its magic because if it has worked for Hillary…maybe it will work for me. Her wise counsel…when life gets tricky…to circle the wagons of mentors and guides, review and catalog life lessons learned, sit at the feet of content experts, get still and focus on your source and then pull out the power color is in fact really really good advice. Grateful for that silly interview and the bold questions asked. Grateful for Hillary’s example of endless grit and grace under pressure. And grateful for my power color that I will forever now refer to as Tsunami.