“I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them.”-Eleanor Roosevelt
“The way we choose to see the world creates the world we see.” -anonymous
I believe it is a combination of our fears and blurred vision that prevent us from reaching our full potential as leaders. When we can acknowledge, identify and overcome these barriers, our focus can accelerate us to accomplish more.
Recently, I posted two different blogs to help clarify the title of today’s post. The first one was titled FEAR, What do you do? Seeking answers from readers on how they respond to fear. I shared on my Twitter feed asking some of my favorite leaders what they do. It is always great to hear from other expert leaders.
Principal Baruti Kafale echoed the sentiment found in the title. Jim Knight responded, “I think that depends on what frightens me. Fear is a signal, and I need to think about what the signal is showing me. My general response in times of difficulty is to go back to my principles and remind myself of the driving forces behind my actions.” Peter DeWitt agreed with Jim but added, “I usually step back and breathe for a moment and then jump in. However, I have a fear of jumping out of a plane, so I don’t do it!” I appreciated their responses to my question.
In another blog post titled, I can see, but what do I see? I provided readers with evidence of optical illusions along with the question of believing what we see. It was to be a thought-provoking post. If we have been paying attention to social media and media outlets in general, we can see a story on different platforms look entirely different.
As leaders, others look to us for guidance during difficult times and uncertain times. This past year has been plagued with many. As a society, it has taken a toll. Everyone looks to find those leaders who will help them grasp on to hope. Hope for the future. Signs that a glimmer of improvement is happening somewhere. A leader in providing a clear vision of what the future holds. “Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” -George Washington Carver
Do we have a great leader who will be stepping forward with words of inspiration, encouragement, wisdom, and support? A leader to motivate us into action to stand up for life, liberty, peace, and love. She or he may come forward, but why would we wait? “What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”-John Lubbock.
As we reflect on fear, vision, and hope, we can gather our thoughts to develop a plan.
- Identify fears and barriers
- Overcome fears by taking actions to address the barriers
- Look clearly at our goals
- What do we see we need to improve, remove, redo?
- Do we see all?
- How will others see what we are doing?
Don’t let your ears hear what your eyes did not see. Let your mouth speak what your heart is saying. No matter if you are one voice in a big world, your heart will echo for many miles. Speak up, stand up, spread positive points and always be the solution daily.
