Go Get The World

The phrase “Go get the world” has strengthened and empowered me at each of my life-changing moments, and I owe it all to my mom. She wrote it to me in a letter many years ago when I was in college and struggling with a major decision. She knew I was scared about making the wrong decision so she told me the usual mom-things like how proud of me she was and that everything would work out. But then she ended her note with, “Go get the world. I am here if you need me.” Those words were exactly what I needed to hear at that moment, and they gave me the confidence to make the decision and take a step forward in controlling my destiny.  I’ve saved my mom’s letter in my wallet ever since then, and I still pull it out and read it whenever I need encouragement and support or have to make a major decision.

As time has passed, I have come to understand just how priceless and important her words really are, and have witnessed how their beauty and power have grown as I’ve shared them with others. The most significant and unexpected occurrence happened with the man who became my husband.

Brandon and I had been seriously dating for a few months when he was suddenly assigned to a job in London. He was worried about his new position and afraid of leaving me in Ohio, but I encouraged him to take the opportunity. I helped him pack his suitcases and left little handwritten messages inside each one, including one that said, “Go get the world. If you need me, I am here.” And without even knowing the story about the note my mom gave me, Brandon decided to keep that one note in his wallet for continued encouragement and support.

On one particular day when he was on the edge of change and scared about the outcome of what he had decided to do, he pulled the wrinkled note out of his wallet and read it again. Then he looked at me and told me that he had found his world in me. Of course that was the day he asked me to marry him, and of course I accepted. We were married a year later in a ceremony that included this story about both notes. The minister concluded the service by saying, “Brandon and Amanda, go get the world together. Your friends and family are here if you need them.”

The next time I re-gifted my mom’s phrase, it was to an intern on my team. I had noticed how much her work had improved and how she had really started to shine when given support and confidence in her abilities.  On her last day with us, I gave her one of my favorite business books (Basic Black by Cathie Black), and dedicated it to her, writing, “Go Get the World! I am here if you need me.”

Maybe it’s bigger than just this….

At that very moment with my intern, I realized that this powerful message, which has made such a difference in my life, could make a difference in the lives of many other women, not just the ones I know personally today. I realized that there are many women who aren’t lucky enough to have great mentors or an amazing mother like I’ve had, or to have someone in their lives who can lift them up when they feel down. There are women who can benefit from unconditional encouragement and a support system of strong women in business to help them reach their goals. I realized that there are times of big and little changes in everyone’s life when someone needs to simply say, “Don’t worry. Go get the world. I’m here if you need me.” And that was the day Go Get The World began!

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