My Riffs

Courage isn’t always bold and loud. Some of the most courageous people are simply the ones who show up. You never know what someone is dealing with so be grateful to those who show up. 

Courage takes many different forms. Courage for one person may not be courage for another. Do what is courageous for you. Don’t worry about other peoples courage. Be courageous for you and you’ll grow in more ways that you will even be aware of in the moment. 

What a deadly duo. Be kind and be courageous, you can do much with these two strengths. Kindness builds bridges and courage crosses them. 

If you're strong and courageous you can handle anything and do anything. Be strong and courageous.

Nothing great has ever been done without courage. 

Daring is necessary. You have to dare to dream. It’s daring because your dreams can be dashed.  You have to dare to step out. It’s a dare because you could fall.  If you don’t dare, you don’t go anywhere though. 

Fear is the greatest inhibitor there is. Fear reduces extraordinary people into something far beneath their purpose. Fear steals life. Fear steals joy. Fear steals purpose. Fear steals friendships and relationships. The good news is though: fear is a liar. Call fear out on it’s lies. Don’t let it get away with robbing you of who you are.

Sometimes courage isn’t big, flashy and daring. Sometimes courage is seemingly small and may fly under the radar. For someone, courage may be just showing up. Courage for someone else may be trusting again. Courage may be someone sharing their art. Courage could be sharing a weakness. Be courageous. And allow others to be courageous through your love.

"But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period — I am addressing myself to the School — surely from this period of ten months this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense." - Winston Churchill

Sometimes, in some things, you get full points for just showing up. Showing up usually isn't enough, but there are times when just showing is courageous and you get full points for it.

I think the most courage you can have is to be what you’re supposed to be. And in doing so, there will be many acts of courage in your life. So be what you’re supposed to be.

My youngest daughter is 3 years old. She's learned how to get things she wants. I've seen her move chairs to get things she can't reach. I've seen her open the fridge and climb it to get things on top. When do we unlearn that skill? My three year old knows how to go for what she wants. But at some age we seem afraid to climb and get what we want. We are scared of falling, or we're scared of those who are watching. But not my three year old. She doesn't care whose watching or the risk of falling. And she usually gets what she wants. Maybe we need to learn to start climbing and not being afraid again.

Perhaps the worst sin in life is knowing right and not doing it. - Martin Luther King  Sitting idle while wrong is being done makes you complicit.  Do right, no matter what it may seem to cost you. 

There is a profound lack of ownership in today's world. People don't want to own their own problems and issues. People don't want to own anything that is difficult or requires commitment or sacrifice. It's always someone else's fault, or some else's problem. But something profound happens what we take ownership of something. That being, we can then fix it or make it better. Until you take ownership of something, you are unable to affect it. As long as you refuse to take ownership of your problems and weaknesses you will never better them. It's powerful when you stop blaming circumstances and people for the problems in your life. Take ownership, then affect change.

Our actions are usually governed by a few principles. The principles closest to our heart. These principles will be revealed by our actions, moreso than our words. I propose that one of the highest principles to govern your actions is, doing the right thing. When that principle governs your actions, you will speak truth, you will build and contribute. When we let other principles take precedent we act out less than our capabilities. Principles such as, who can I impress to move forward, or what's the fastest way to get what I want or how do I make it seem like I am ______, and etc.... So evaluate your actions and that will lead you to understand your guiding principles that we hold closest to our hearts. If our actions are lining up to a "less than" principle, start changing your actions to line up with a higher aiming principle.

Who will be on the front lines? That's a very important question and decision. The frontline qualifications are higher than the others. The front liners need many different skills. - good judgement - vision - understanding of the why - strength and energy - courage - honesty to relay what they see back to the others The front liners can make or break the team.

Knowing when is one of the most difficult things to know in life. Many products have failed, simply because it wasn't the right time. Many ideas have failed, simply because it wasn't the right time. Unfortunately there's no guidebook or formula to knowing when. It takes knowledge, wisdom, sensitivity and courage to make our best guess at when.