Got Heart? Got Courage!

As you SET Your Path for leadership, one final step to Strengthen Your Core is finding courage.

I live in a small town that’s all about turtles. It’s turtle nesting season right now, so they are fresh on my mind…and in my heart.

There’s a story about a tiny turtle named Hope who was born six months ago with her heart exposed and beating at the edge of her chest. There is no term in the animal kingdom for this genetic defect because this is so rare. Yet, her heart is still beating visibly strong today…amazing!

Hope reminds me of that saying: “Wear your heart on your sleeve.” Brilliant leaders are authentic…they bring their inside to the outside, sort of like Hope’s heart. They also operate from an inner calling, that deep desire for what they want in their life. All of this takes courage.

Did you know the word courage comes from the Latin word for heart, “cor” (coeur, in French)?! Your heart is a source of strength to be courageously authentic. Your brain’s role is to gauge if the outer environment is “safe” so you then can make choices.

One of the most courageous choices we make is to be authentic, to bring your true self to your life. And as Hope grows each day—as do leaders—an opportunity is created to stretch out our necks upward with courage…to wear our heart on our “sleeve” (or chest, in Hope’s case).

Sticking your neck out can be difficult when it doesn’t seem “safe” or when you feel mired in life’s challenges such as work, health, and the pursuit of happiness. Hope’s owner, AquaMike, has some advice for us: “Don’t let your problems stop you from living.”

This Week’s Tip: Stick your neck out a little more courageously than usual. Here’s a short process that may help:

1. CHOOSE: What’s one way you can be more courageous this week?
2. ACT: Find an opportunity to act on your courageous choice.
3. REFLECT: What was that like, or what did you learn?

In Next Week’s Post, we’ll introduce the next element to SET Your Path in The LAITHOS Way™ – Expand Your Influence.