Resilience is built by our willingness and capacity to be courageous. Moreover, courage shows up in many forms and this month was an exploration of how our courage impacts our capacity to be resilience when it really matters.

Resilience is what we all seek in 2021. Resilience relies on the capacity to behave with healthy courage. Furthermore, we can see the value in building this up more than ever before. HOW is a big question on which we will all want to reflect! How do we become more resilient? Ultimately, what is needed to sustain the resilience we gain in this VUCA world?

First, the year started the theme of resilience by exploring love, however, in February I shifted to peace.

2021 theme: resilience
March topic: Courage
Weekly Foci included:

1. A bully’s courage;
2. The courage to take a stand;
3. Rewards for being courageous; 
4. Revealing or reflecting character; and,
5. Courage in practice.

“Be the one to stand out in the crowd. Be the one to go where they’d rather not. Beautiful things don’t beg for a chance to glow. They throw out their lights and just and just shine out loud.”  – Chinonye J. Chidolue 

Resilience is enhanced when each of us is willing to stand up when the circumstances all for a challenge to the status quo. That is more often needed than we would like to believe. AND, it is how the right things change and evolve over time.

Check out January’s blog to learn how to use this format to support your own journey of growth.

What surfaced through the month?

In the first week,

Perhaps, at first glance, my seeming defense of bullies appears inappropriate. I want to be clear: bullying behaviour is never okay. My point in week one is to explore how an overuse or misuse of this trait can impact negatively. In other words, nothing we judge is so black and white that we can’t benefit from challenging it responsibly. Moreover, we can all fall prey to the overuse of any trait so I hope this serves as a reminder to be conscious in our chosen approach.

In the second week,

Finding the strength to stand up in difficult circumstances is a great skill to develop. Often we find it is harder when we are in “like” groups. It sounds strange since that is where we most easily experience feelings of belonging. Unfortunately it is also where the threat of rejection can me far more disabling.

Week three,

This was a powerful week for me, during which I considered the pay off. Initially I concluded that the reward was in the experience, the feeling of power and agency it self. As I reflected further, I realized it was the sense of self and the confidence the bold acts of courage engendered.

It was a week for reflecting on the form this strength can take and how important form is to effectiveness. I reflected on how there have been times my fierceness was so bold the opposite outcome was my result. I continue to work on moderating my approach. It can seem sloppy but I am learning not to seek perfection in my efforts to grow and do better.

Week five,

My way of recapping the month and landing at the place of acting on the insights was made clear when I realized that people may recognize the value of acting boldly when it matters most and still struggle to act on what they see as needed. When we fail to take action little will change.  As a coach I feel privileged to support people in seeing when action is warranted and then helping them think through how to make the desired change effectively.

 

 

In the third newsletter, I reflect on how courage is  “Grace Under Pressure”, and that requires that we continually work to develop the related skills. when they are well honed they allow us create a powerful presence.

Week four’s newsletter, “Courage is Character Revealed” I share a horror story of dealing with a bully at work. The encounter demonstrates our respective characters.

Week five, “Courage in Action” is an exhortation for all of us to put our courage into practice to allow it to mature and grow. When we practice with self-compassion, we really learn to sharpen our saw, as Stephen Covey suggested. With practice we learn to access our strength when and how it will make the most impact.

My favorite Insight for the month

Courage is not the absence of conflict or hardship, it is the means to process, move through and ultimately conquer conflict and hardship. Next month I focus on adversity which seems like a perfect next step to examining healthy resilience after looking at the need for appropriate expressions of courage.

 

An invitation to Walk with me.

Together let’s examine options consciously and authentically to make choices that move us strategically toward where we want to be.  Therefore, where my client wants to go, is my paramount focus. Strategy is about choices. Execution on these choices requires masterful performance. Furthermore, a well-developed process allows us to enjoy the journey far more fully

 

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Be part of the journey in 2021.

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