How do you define courage? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: Turn Back!”
“Follow your heart but take your brain with you.”
Take your own yellow brick road and meet your own inner wizard.
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I can vividly remember watching The Wizard of Oz as a child. Year after year we viewed the same story and were always left with an uplifted and heartwarming feeling.
As an adult, the story has become even more relevant. Using our heads, hearts, and courage to pursue our passions and purpose makes life even more wonderful.
How and in what ways are you following your own yellow brick road? In what ways are you already the wise wizard to guide you along this path?
The subtitle of my book, The Quotable Coach, is Daily Nuggets of Practical Wisdom. For these times, Brené Brown’s quote really resonates.
Where are you and others demonstrating the courage to voice your values and beliefs?
How compassionately are you opening your heart and ears to the challenges and difficulties of others in your various communities?
Where do you see the need for empathy and compassion?
How can and will you demonstrate more courage and compassion to generously serve and support our world with all its needs?
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Today’s thought reminds me of Hugh Laurie’s quote, “There is no such thing as ready. There is only now.”
How much of the time do you find yourself in a state of preparation before you shoot, ship, or act? When we wait to actually feel ready and 100% confident on our success, we are probably too late.
We recently saw and enjoyed the new Elvis movie. I was surprised to learn about how nervous and fearful Elvis was before getting on stage to shake things up in his unique and controversial style.
In what parts of your life are you waiting to be ready?
Where is it time to shake things up?
How would choosing to be more courageous help you realize more of your full potential?
It may be Now or Never.
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Over the past couple of years, I’ve become increasingly aware of various types of boundaries that people apply and often cross in our day-to-day activities.
Consider how Covid-19 has shaped our lives with social distancing, the use of masks, and a wide variety of other approaches to stay safe.
Before the pandemic and especially today, most of us have a sense of personal boundaries regarding our own bubble of comfort when at social gatherings. We can all feel the awkwardness and discomfort when someone entered our “no fly zone.”
Where in your life have others crossed the line and breached the walls of your well-being?
How can and will you find the courage to protect and love yourself when this may disappoint others in your various communities?
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Elon Musk probably lives by the credo “No Risk, No Reward.” He has clearly pushed the boundaries of entrepreneurship to their limits, and in many cases, come out on top. Although financial success is used on many occasions to demonstrate achievement, Musk’s shoot-for-the stars approach almost always focuses on making a difference and leaving a contributing dent in the universe.
Clearly venturing into space safely and reaching the red planet in one piece is pretty high on his list.
What impact do you wish to make with your personal and professional life? How can you more courageously go where you’ve never been before to explore and reach new levels of your potential?
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Did you know that if you place a bunch of fleas in a jar with a glass lid they will eventually stop trying to jump out even if you remove the lid?
Glass ceilings — and ceilings in general — seem to be a fact of life where the world and even we, ourselves, place limits on how high and how far we can soar.
What do some of these limitations sound like when you hear them from family members, friends, colleagues and even your own inner voice?
In recent years, people have pursued their own personal and professional paths, cleared of many of these ceilings, letting new horizons and sunnier futures of their own creation occur.
Where in your worlds are you limited by glass ceilings?
How can you courageously break through these barriers to have a custom-made house, built just for you?
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We can all be a bit judgmental and critical from time to time. When things appear wrong with the world in general or specifically with others in our various communities, it is pretty easy to point the finger at the mistakes and shortcomings we observe.
It is natural to hold our observation up against our own beliefs and values and see those that do not align as bad and wrong.
Most of us, on the other hand, do not look at ourselves with a lens of complete objectivity to see our own shortcomings and faults as worthy of our best efforts to mend them.
The next time you point your finger in the direction of the faults of others, consider that there are three fingers in your palm pointing right back at you.
What is one fault that you are resolute to mend in the days and weeks ahead?
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As a child, The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorite movies. Given its length and the fact that you had to watch it live with no way to record it, my mom would let us eat dinner carefully on those tacky plastic trays in the living room, gathered around our only TV.
As Dorothy traveled the yellow brick road with her little dog Toto, she teamed up with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion — they were hoping the Wonderful Wizard would give them a brain, a heart, and courage, respectively.
Where is your life calling on you to follow your heart and use all of your brains to courageously pursue your dreams and find your way home?
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It is human nature to want to belong to our professional and personal communities. We tend to thrive and live longer, happier lives due to the supportive relationships around us.
Following the crowd and group think, however, is rarely associated with extraordinary levels of achievement and excellence. When one looks at the subject of personal mastery, important relationships with role models, mentors, teachers, and coaches are always involved. And yet, they evolve and change over time, to propel people forward, often leaving once valued relationships behind.
Where in your life have you and are you following the crowd? How has doing so held you back from going even further in either your personal or professional life?
What bolder, more courageous actions can and will you take to realize even more of your fullest potential?