Rebirthday

I turned 48 this week.?

I rung in my birthday watching both my kids perform in a musical performance called, “Team Zombie”.?

As I?sat there, watching both of my ghouls fully be themselves, I couldn’t help but smile.?

Here they are, fully immersed in doing what currently lights them up:

Birthdays are often a time of reflection.?

As a professional observationalist, reminiscing back over my decades, it’s a tint concerning how many of us start out as “us”.

Then — little by little — conformity takes over.?

On the topic, JFK once said,?“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”

Amen.?

You can see how it happens.?

We’re also told (not sure by who….perhaps...?everyone?) to “dress for the job we want” — which is another nudge towards fitting in.?

Here, on this night, I treasured how my kids were being themselves and “fitting out”. Two stars were born! Funny how on other “born days" in my life, I’d want to be at the center of the party.?A big night out with loved ones. A weekend with my closest people in Vegas or Mexico. A dinner with extended family.?

But watching my kids “fit out” fully as themselves? Is there a better gift than that?

As I reflect on what I hope for myself at 48, I have to Time Machine back to a quote I have shared many times before.

Founding Astronaut at Virgin Galactic once said to me, “It takes you 40 years to figure out who you are, and the next 40 to be that person.” At the time, I was around 38 when she shared this gem with me. It hit me so hard, I can remember driving home in silence from Orange County thinking about…not the meaning of life but the meaning of ME.?

As I turn 48, I can also share while Loretta’s brilliance is undeniably true, I do believe it also takes you 48 years to figure out?who you are and the next 48 (hopefully) to be that person.?

Conforming happens when curiosity is lost. ?

If you’ve made it this far down?the post and you’re still reading…...then let’s agree that we’re never done learning.?And we’re never done fitting out.?

When your next birthday arrives, no matter your age, approach it as a?rebirthday.?

“The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.”

- Rollo May

THE COURAGEOUS PODCAST

??Michael Bungay Stanier is at the forefront of shaping how organizations around the world make being coach-like an essential leadership competency. He is the author behind The Coaching Habit, the best-selling coaching book of the century. His most recent book, How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, shows how to build the Best Possible Relationship with the key people at work. In his conversation with Ryan, Michael dives into some of his best advice for writing a “really good” book that not only educates readers, but gives them an audible chuckle in the process. He also shares his next daring adventure, climbing the fiery volcano known as Cotopaxi, and reveals the secrets of nurturing ideas to fruition by letting them “ripen” on the vine. Throughout the episode, Michael reminds us that the greatest risks often yield the most rewarding outcomes and that "You're awesome and you're doing great."

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Missed the last 5 Podcasts?

? Lost Cities w/ Albert Yu-Min Lin, Ph.D.

? LA Galaxy w/ Thomas Braun

? Viasat w/ Rick Baldridge

? College Track w/ Shirley M. Collado, Ph.D.

? PepsiCo w/ Michael Smith

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Ryan Berman is the founder of Courageous; a think-feel-do change consultancy based in Southern California. With 25 years in creative business, Ryan believes your “future is safe with change”. Ryan is a speaker, practitioner, and authority on the subject who has been featured in Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Inc, and Forbes. Ryan has spoken on the topic all over the country including at Google, Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Kraft Heinz, Logitech, Discover Card, and charity: water. Ryan also hosts The Courageous Podcast where he talks with leaders from around the globe to uncover what it means to be courageous in today's world. His book, Return On Courage, shares why companies need to unlock courage while providing practical tips on how organizations can operationalize courage today.?Learn more at couragebrands.com