Forging Together, at Home
Barry Lewis Green
Educator, Speaker, Coach, Writer, Creator ... advancing Character Leadership and Education ... to move forward together, stronger ... engaging change.
These past few weeks, I have been starting to share on character and its role in facing these days. I have posted on:
THE WHY
- As I have noted before, "We are all on a journey here, together and separate. I decided to take 103 days and share on character and its foundation for living in these unprecedented times. That exploration is for me... and you should you decide. I am a Master Facilitator for The Virtues Project, a global initiative around advancing character leadership and education at school, work, business and community. Throughout my 40 years in training and development as an internal and external corporate trainer for 30+ years and counting, as a student of What Color Is Your Parachute? for 38 as well, a current college business educator for 26 years, a former Dale Carnegie Coach and Trainer for 12 years, a Personality Dimensions Facilitator for now 16 years, a Ruhi Institute Tutor for 19 years, and associated with the aforementioned Virtues Project for 18 years... I can bring something to the table, I truly and humbly believe and contend. For me, and you, if you like."
A Retreat to Advance
Today, I offer up three virtues (faces, forms and facets of character) for over the next three days... as I committed to exploring one a day, and I am taking a 3 day retreat within my own retreat of self isolation and lockdown (Day 36)... carrying me up to Day 40. That decision was inspired, in part, by this interview with Elizabeth Gilbert. This retreat of my own is to consider my life and work in the now and forward as best and soulfully as I can. For now, and over these few days, the three virtues I offer up include:
Courage, Courtesy and Creativity in the face of COVID-19 and these days impacted by same. Yup. Yip. Uh-huh. The Courage to stay the course and do what is necessary; reflect on it. Reflect on the virtues card above and consider how you might manifest Courage in these days. And of Courtesy, in our dealings with others during this time? What would that look like? And Creativity... to not only survive these times but find some way to enjoy these days; what would that look like? You get to decide, as do I.
Ponder these 3 virtues... these strengths of character ... and consider what they might look like for you in living these days... and beyond.
Some Other Thoughts
In so doing, consider this article from HBR on the size of our circles going forward. I remember Barack Obama speaking to this in his conversation at Mile One in St. John's back in November. I remember him noting that we are essentially built for around 150 relationships in our lives. Relationship building and strengthening matters. Who will be my best and inner circle? Who will be yours?
Consider this message from Mikhail Gorbachev through Time. He speaks to the notion of a coming together necessary in the world. And this news post on a practical and current call of action around same. That coming together must happen locally and globally. We are in this together, and what would that look like moving from contention to Courtesy, going forward?
Then there is this post from Thrive Global on health and immunity that I am reading and considering... as I consider my own path to health amidst these days and beyond. I believe deeply in science and I believe in the coming together of Western and Eastern perspectives. I am considering and discerning for my own personal path.
So What
What I am suggesting is that Courage implies the capacity to face the idea that there will indeed be new normals, as there have always been after such world shaking events. I am practicing Courage to say "I got this", even not knowing what "this" is yet.
Courtesy for me is about my interactions locally, globally and glocally. We need each other and Courtesy can help us to build our connections within our smaller circles and expanding outward to connections externally going forward. We need that.
And, enter Creativity. This is a time where we must consider what we keep, let go, and build... in our own lives, work, business and community. Going forward, how do we define our one world together at home? How do we intentionally redefine and re-engineer our lives locally, globally and glocally? I think, with Courage, Courtesy and Creativity, we can forge a new and better world for ourselves and others and all. Indeed, that will be a huge part of my own reflection over these coming days. Stay tuned, lol.
HOMEworking
Consider the cards above. Ask yourself what they might look like for you, in practice, in such a way that you feel better about living through these times. Get clear on what Courage would look like for you and practice that, every day. Do the same for Courtesy and Creativity. I intend to reflect on same over these next few days.
Peace, passion and prosperity...
Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy with Epic Engage
Educate, lead, unite and inspire. Move forward together, stronger. My work is about bringing campuses, companies and communities together, moving forward stronger. I work with educators, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders to do just that. My work is about character leadership and education and its role in helping individuals and organizations build a better world at school, work, business and community. I deliver on it through speaking, coaching and development in character leadership and education. My expertise is character leadership and education. I advance unity in diversity by moving the needle on leadership and education that is high character and results forging. I speak, teach, coach, facilitate, lead, write, sing, dance, cartoon and create on that. In 1980, Professor Rolf Hattenauer changed my life. A highly respected expert in Human Resource Management, he expected much of us and he believed much in us. He was an educator and leader of high character. He was extraordinary. To this day and beyond, I try my darnedest to honor his spirit with my own work. That is another story. But I hope I did him service here.
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