Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

By:  Stephanie Benney

I would like to think that I have never been one to brag.  I can also honestly say that I have never been able to take a compliment at face value and without feeling uncomfortable.  It is difficult to simply say “thank you” and leave it at that.  Many of us feel the need to downplay or discredit a person’s compliment to us.  It makes it easier for us to deflect attention or expectation.

While attending the baptism today of my dear friend’s daughter, I was taken aback by the message of the sermon.  As it turns out, there is a proper title for the scenario I described above.  It is called false pride, and it goes hand-in-hand with humility.  While there are some of us who have been seduced by the ever powerful Narcissus complex, there are others who live a life of service and humility.  There are times in life where we hear a definition for a word that we thought we already knew and as we think about the definition more, it turns out we really didn’t know the true meaning of the word after all.  Today, that word for me was humility.  The pastor explained humility as “having an accurate perception of yourself”.  It is nothing more or nothing less.  As I began to ponder this new word in my vocabulary, I began to think about the experience I had on Thursday night.

For every year since 2005, The Women and Girls Foundation honor a select number of women for their diligence and success in their work fields.  The theme of this year’s award is  “Women Greening Pittsburgh”.  I was ecstatic to find out that I was one of the women nominated.

As I walked through the doors of Phipps Conservatory (can you think of a more appropriate venue to host a “Women Greening Pittsburgh event?) on Thursday night for the Event of Recognition, I heard the demon.  “Do you think you are good enough?”  “You just write.  It’s not like you are saving lives with green technology”.  “You will be in the presence of great scientists!  Do you really think you will measure up?”  As I explored and surveyed the other nominees, I realized that we all bring something different in our experiences and qualifications, but we are all serving.  We are serving the community of young girls and women who need to find encouragement and inspiration through the other women who are further ahead on the proverbial path.

I have decided that in order for me to better serve, and in combination with the education and food for thought I hope you enjoy reading, I  will be showcasing some of these great “women in green” and sharing their amazing stories.  Some of whom have a different twist on “green”.  I hope that as I share these stories with you, you will find the inspiration you need to help you along your path of developing an accurate perception of yourself and redefining your “internal vocabulary”.

Stephanie Benney is a “Sustainable Visionary” and also the new Pittsburgh Representative for Fuzed Marketing, where she helps companies increase their brand presence. stephaniebenney@yahoo.com