“In the name it love, I’ll do the courageous thing.” Those were my thoughts and words more than once this week.
My name is Monica, I work with Greg, and in my work I aim to inspire hope, provoke empathy, and encourage mindful actions that shape fulfillment in people’s lives, teams, and company cultures. The values I hold most dear are loving, truth-telling, and connecting.
I don’t consider myself a very courageous person. However, I do have my moments!
What I have realized concerning values and courage is that…
We MUST have a “VALU-able why” to be courageous. And, we MUST be courageous to live our values.
This last week the State Fair was in town. There have been very FEW times across the span of 40 years when I have missed the State Fair. Both of my parents appreciated the pleasant and “unique” sights, smells, sounds, and experiences around the state fair. I have chosen to uphold and pass that appreciation on to my children! This year was no exception.
It’s an adventure and expense to visit the state fair; from parking to pottying, you have to ensure your “mind is right” for the totality of the excursion! The internet is not shy about showing the dangers and failures that can happen on fair rides either. Those videos are a strong deterrent from specific rides and ones like them! The thought of flying off a swing-set and traveling 25 miles an hour in a horizontal direction has not escaped my mind, nor has the idea of losing my lunch after one of those spinning rides my son loves. And yet, I rode that spinning ride after I ate that bag of fair popcorn and a diet soda. Then I ran the ninja course, rode a topsy turvy upside-down spinning thing, spent 40 dollars on custom spray-painted t-shirts for my kids under a blue tent next to the turkey leg food truck, and so on and so on. Why?! Why would I do such things?!
I don’t have to think hard about the answer to that question. I had to answer it for myself before every choice was made. The answer, for me, is love. In the name of love I wanted to make fun memories with my kids and my Dad. In the name of love, I wanted to be courageous and ride the rides, eat the treats, and buy the t-shirts.
How could this possibly connect to you in life and business, you might wonder. 🙂 In my humble opinion, it relates to every value you aim to possess, embody, or act on.
Courage is a value in and of itself.
It is an exceptional value that serves as “the muscle” for every other activated value we hold dear. Take love, for example – the greatest virtue of all and my favorite; it takes the most immense and intense amount of courage to love well, does it not?! I would venture to say that the actualizing of any other virtuous value requires courage.
living with integrity – courage required
connecting – courage required
serving – courage required
dreaming – courage required
hoping – courage required
empathizing – courage required
being vulnerable – courage required
communicating – courage required
innovating – courage required
creating – courage required
building – courage required
This week I went to a lil networking lunch, had the opportunity to share and facilitate a workshop with Hawks Agency, and met with some potential clients. In all of those great opportunities, I was challenged with the task of boldly inserting myself into other’s lives with my thoughts, questions, and opinions. Now I love connecting and serving others but if I’m honest it also takes A LOT of courage. For example, before deciding to go to the lunch, I considered why I would go. My first thought was love. I do what I do because I love people, so learning and getting better at what I do is essential. Then a second thought came to mind: connecting. It would be great to connect with my friend and co-worker Sarah and a new comrade. So, in the name of love and connecting, I chose to do the courageous thing of inserting myself into their lives.
Regardless of how strong or mindfully significant the values of your life and organization are, it is important to remember that without “the muscle” of courage to activate them, they are just – really good ideas.
I assure you, your values were NEVER meant to be “just really good ideas”. No, those values are a part of your energy make-up for use and activation!
Courageously activating and using those values will no doubt bring you the greatest sense of fulfillment and joy in EVERYTHING you do, both professionally and personally!
Again, we MUST have a “VALU-able why” to be courageous. And, we MUST be courageous to live our values.
Instigating Questions
1. What are your most motivating values?
2. How can you show a little courage in activating your top values?
3. What challenges are you facing that you can courageously activate your values to overcome?
4. Who can you empathize with and share a little en-COURAGEMENT with today?
5. In the name of “_(what)_” will you do the courageous things?
In the name of love?
In the name of fun?
In the name of what’s right?
In the name of hope?
In the name of peace?
In the name of money?
In the name of family first?
In the name of joy?
In the name of rest?
In the name of sanity?
In the name of success?
In the name of surviving?
In the name of discipline?
In the name of consistency?
Name the values that motivate you AND activate them by doing the courageous thing you know you should!
You’ve got this!