S2 E38 If You're Alive, You're a Leader

MIND. BODY. PURPOSE.

This week we are discussing leadership, which, is sometimes a topic that seems irrelevant to many, but, listen up, because we are about to argue that!

MIND: In what areas am I a leader?

“If you have a voice, you have influence to spread. If you have relationships, you have hearts to guide. If you know young people, you have futures to mold. If you have privilege, you have power to share. If you have money, you have support to give. If you have a ballot, you have policy to shape. If you have pain, you have empathy to offer. If you have freedom, you have others to fight for. If you are alive, you are a leader.” Abby Wombach (From the book, Wolfpack)

We are all leaders in some form at some time, sometimes more obvious than others (like positions and titles), but there is an element of leadership in everyone’s life experience. Even if our leadership role is one where we are the leaders of ourselves. (ex of leadership: parenting, friendship, church volunteering, coaching, work, social media)

We agree with Abby-- if you have a voice, if you have relationships, if you know young people, if you have privilege, if you have money, if you have the chance to vote, if you have experienced pain, if you have freedom of any kind, or if you are alive right now--- you are a leader.

To take it one step further in recognizing leadership in ourselves, Brene Brown defines a leader as “anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential.”

You have the opportunity to look around yourself-- even right this moment-- and see where in your life you are leading. It might be a daily role, it might only happen now and again, but you are leading.

BODY: How can I take care of myself physically in order to show up?

Being a leader is less about who you are, and more about how you behave and show up in difficult situations.

True Leaders don’t need to be experts, they don’t need to have all the answers, they just need to be brave enough to use their influence and ideas for good.

A lot of times we are giving our all to the places and people we are leading without even knowing it. If we are constantly living our lives from a place of depletion, we will not be able to take care of ourselves the best way possible. It’s the empty cup analogy-- you cannot pour from an empty cup.

If we do not take care of ourselves, our physical well-being, our mental health, our self-care and self-love, we will not be able to show up the way we want in difficult situations.

PURPOSE: What can I offer today, and to who?

We have probably all experienced the goodness of another person and benefitted from the contributions or love of someone around us; every one of us has the same capacity to share goodness and love. We already are sharing something just by being on this planet-- might as well be intentional about it because then we get to experience it too in the giving of it!

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves”

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