Broken & Beautiful (Ancient Olympia - Katakolon, Greece)
Megan Billnoske
Leadership Trainer ● Keynote Speaker ● Coach ● Everything DiSC? & 5 Behaviors? Authorized Partner ● Artist
I can remember the fascination of learning about the Greek gods and Olympia when I was in junior high school, and so I was excited to walk the grounds myself decades later. The pottery, armless statues and huge stone pillars couldn't help but open my imagination to visualize just how ancient Greece used to look. I was hypnotized by how the broken pieces were still telling their story, centuries later. Although earthquakes, weather and other forces change them from their original state, they were strung together beautifully.
The Royal Caribbean Group ship docked that morning, and we made our way to land with all of our other tourist friends. Not too far from the Katakolon port was Ancient Olympia - "the birthplace of the original Olympic games and a shrine to the ancient Greek Gods" (Royal Caribbean. "Gateway to Olympia". https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-to/katakolon-greece)
As we followed the tour guide, we explored a dirt path and came to a few podiums with information about that area. I was surprised to see so much of the buildings were crumbled and barely there, but it was still fascinating to know how many days those stones had endured. The rocks were pitted with erosion and weathered on all sides. Even giant pillars that once reached to the heavens had fallen and spread on the ground like fallen dominos.
Much of the site looked like giant rocks, without a clear purpose. But then, you'd see the carved details in the columns spread across the ground, and the significance of their purpose was easy to see.
Once we had gotten hot outside exploring, we meandered to the air-conditioned museum building for a break. In this building, we found pottery, toys, statues and more, all elegantly displayed for people to appreciate. What was unearthed and re-assembled gave it an entirely new layer of beauty - standing the test of time and still emerging despite all the odds to break it down.
Once we had moved through all of the rooms in the museum, we started walking back to the cruise ship. We came across a few street shops with souvenirs, drinks with brands and writing that we didn't recognize - pssst, that's one of my favorite things to notice when I travel.
The normal day-to-day gets broken when we travel, but that's the beauty in it. Just look at the Greek letters on these sodas, and the soda flavors we don't have in the U.S. Beautiful!
After buying a small ceramic magnet to add to my ongoing collection, we came across a gyro shop on the street. A real gyro, in Greece?! Um, yes please. Not only is it neat to break the normal routine we have and notice local brands of soda, but also to taste the local food. It's a wonderful way to experience a new place.
The French fries were a fun add - didn't see that coming!
Chris and I enjoyed our snack, sharing it as we walked down the calm street. As we made our way to the port, we had time to spare and decided to grab a bigger meal at a restaurant on the beach.
We sat down at the table and took in the sight of the deep blue water with the cruise ship in the distance. I ordered a drink the tour guide recommended - "It's very Greek. You need to try!" So, I confidently and excitedly ordered a shot of Ouzo. A shot at lunch - eh, we're on vacation. Let's do it!
It came in a tall and skinny clear glass and was clear in color. One sip and I was done, ha! In my focus on trying new things and breaking out of the norm, I had neglected to ask what it tasted like.
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Turns out, even besides black jellybeans, I am not a black licorice fan!
The time came to get on the boat, and so we snagged a picture as we walked up to the big boat. What a great day seeing ancient history and tasting the life in Katakolon.
As a leader, we work with people, and all of those people come with a past. As a result, some are happy and trust right away. Others are skeptical and start with no trust. We all have experiences that shape our lives, and leading people means that we are impacted by what they're going (or went) through.
** That coworker who is new to your team and always sits silently at meetings. You are frustrated that they never come prepared to share with the team, and are not impressed by their work ethic. Did you know that their previous boss publicly humiliated them if they spoke up in a meeting...ever?
** That employee who is lashing out with demands, ignoring deadlines, fighting against anything you tell them and spreads rumors on the team. In a meeting with you they say, "You better respect my decisions". Did you know they had a new leader in their past who suffocated them, removing every opportunity they sought out?
** That executive who is blunt and to the point, getting things done in a no-frills way. He gets the job done, but you just don't respect his approach. Did you know he was from another part of the world where the normal culture is exactly what you're witnessing?
** That leader who is missing a lot of work, keeps to himself and doesn't attend the team lunches anymore. It's now impacting the project you work with him on, and you're getting impatient with his lack of commitment. Did you know he just lost his wife suddenly, and is planning her funeral?
There is something beautiful when we struggle to overcome obstacles in our path. It's life giving us an opportunity to define ourselves - courage, grace, fear, integrity, determination, empathy, change...and the list goes on. Sometimes, it's the perfect role for a leader to remind others that, although they may feel broken, damaged or imperfect, they still are full of beautiful gifts, thoughts and strengths that the world needs them to share. Broken and beautiful.
Lead where you are.
Written and lived by Megan Billnoske, owner and founder of IMSPIRE, LLC. She specializes in working with students, leaders and teams who are hungry to grow, ready to say YES! to elevating their skills and like to have fun along the way.
In her 12-year corporate career, she's trained 14,000+ leaders, had 27 bosses, launched 14+ brand new training programs, led countless international teams, worked in 12+ industries throughout the globe and loves what she does.
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