Vedere Consulting

My name is Plum Cluverius. Not surprisingly, when people meet me they often ask me if this is my real name. It isn’t, exactly. Plum is a nickname. My birth name is Ellen Marshall Burruss. My mother told me years ago she chose it because it would look good on the cover of a book. Ever since, I’ve had this nagging feeling that I should be a writer. Accompanying this is an equally nagging fear that whatever I write will be inane, intellectually weak and I will be exposed before the world as a fake. (Think Plan 9 From Outer Space).

I’m not alone here. How many of us keep ourselves much smaller than we could be because of our fear of exposing ourselves to the world? How many of us settle for jobs we don’t enjoy, organizations or clubs we “should” belong to, neighborhoods that aren’t neighborly and lives that are ok? I’ve met so many people who are bored or dissatisfied or constricted by the reality of their lives. When I ask them what they would do if money was no object, they rarely give the expected answer of “quit my job and live it up.” They often tell me their dreams. Things like “open a music store,” “teach college,” “become a decorator,” “open a restaurant.” Creative things. Fun things. But then they tell me why they can’t do it.

Langston Hughes once asked, “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up, like a raisin in the sun?” Is your dream a raisin, devoid of juice or life? If so, all is not lost. When you put a raisin in hot water, it plumps back up. It becomes soft, delicious in a whole new way. You can do the same. Your dream isn’t dead. It’s changed, as you have changed. It’s tempered by what you’ve learned. But it’s still there, waiting, ready to be reawakened.

Goethe said, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” It all begins by starting, somewhere, anywhere. It begins by recognizing your fear of failure and pushing on despite that fear. It begins by finding others who will support and encourage you and will keep you on the path.

I wanted to write even before my mother told me her dream for me. Now it may not be the great American novel I dreamed of as a child. But I still want to reach out to others in a bigger way than I have ever done before. I want to be read and I want to write something worth reading. If you are reading this, you are witnessing my first step. All day I have been dreading the moment when I sat down in front of the PC. My mind has been full of “what if’s.” I finally took a deep breath and began. You are witnessing my first step. All I can say to you at this point is it’s not so bad. Not bad at all. In fact, it’s kind of fun!

Labels: Self Leadership

Welcome to the new Vedere Consulting website and blog!

I hope that you will find our site helpful, and please feel free to email me with your thoughts and feedback. Below is a quote from a satisfied client, you can find many more scattered throughout the pages of our new site!

"After a recent promotion, I knew I had a lot to learn. Working with Plum helped me find and practice many new skills. I saw results right away. I am a more rounded leader, more objective, and able to communicate more effectively. Both my self confidence and my superior’s confidence in me have risen."

-Teresa Crist, Director of Radiation Oncology, Bon Secours Cancer Institute

Please feel free to browse though our site and let us know if we can help you achieve your goals!

Yours,
Plum

Labels: Welcome