Wednesday, November 17, 2021 (Day 320)
Relaxing Music for the week: The Wisdom of Kindness: Liquid Mind (10:34) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2SX_skp9ZU
Question: What does courage look like to you?
Answer: I’m going to go with Brene Brown’s definition of courage, which is “to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart.” I love, love, love that definition because I think it’s the essence of what we are here to do – to be able to show up fully in the world, warts and all. It is what makes each of us human. Imagine a world where we were all the same, like robots, everybody doing the same thing, no variety, no difference, no change, day after day. What kind of life would that be? I also love this quote: “True belonging does require you to change who you are; it requires you to BE who you are.” And to do that, takes courage. Right now, I need to have courage as I navigate the uncertainty of my future. Consider this – I’m being asked to do no longer do the work that brings me joy and fulfillment (Life Design Catalyst work), and now being asked to do work that I no longer do or fulfills my soul (advising for registration and scheduling). And now that I can start to see the finish line of my “work” journey, I know that I don’t want to fill my time focused on helping students with their schedules and degree plans. That’s not fulfilling for me nor fulfilling for them. And yet, that’s the new priority in my job. So I have to make a choice: (1) do the registration and scheduling work that is being asked of me, or (2) have the courage to leave and find (or create) the avenue to do the LDC work that I was put on this earth to do. For those that know me and have read this blog, I’m doing the latter; I am connecting the many “dots” out there to see if there’s a way to find my “place” to do LDC work, whether it’s at an academic institution or not. Only time will tell. All I can do is lay the groundwork for something to happen, take appropriate action on a daily basis, then watch the magic take place. And that takes courage.
Are YOU willing to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart?
Other Stuff
I am a big Brene Brown fan! I loved her “Power of Vulnerability” TED Talk and her documentary, “Call to Courage.” I was looking for her quote on courage and came across this video interview between her and Jimmy Fallon, where they talk about leadership. I found it fascinating, not only that she shares her four skillsets that make the best leaders, but for the last thing they talked about. First, watch the video (it’s about 5 1/2 minutes long):
- Brené Brown Reveals Which Four Skill Sets Make the Best Leaders – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqetWsb28Mo
The last thing they shared was the list of five songs you can’t live without. Here are my top twelve, my inspirational dozen (not in order of importance):
- Carrollton: Made for This
- Britt Nicole: Gold
- For King and Country: Burn the Ships
- A New Day: Danny Gokey
- Matt Kearney: Anywhere With You
- MercyMe: Happy Dance
- Jimmy Allen: Best Shot
- Danny Gokey: Haven’t Seen It Yet
- Mat Kearney: Face to Face
- Daniel Bremnes: Wherever I Go
- Britt Nicole: Be The Change
- Jeremy Camp: Keep Me in the Moment
I’ll narrow it down to five at some point. Just looking at the list brings a smile to my face. One thing that’s interesting is that 11 of the 12 are Christian Artists, one is Country. Interesting… I think my top five changes depending on the mood/situation. If I’m struggling, I tend to listen to the songs that have a motivation message. When I need a quick workout, I listen to those that pump me up. And I have a set when I need a relationship refresh.
Do you have a “Top 5 Songs” that you can’t live without?
The Dream Dean 