You know the line. You see it on mugs, posters, magnets, t-shirts, and all sorts of merchandise. Your English teacher would be so proud you still remember:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled. -Robert Frost
Robby Novak, aka Kid President has his own spin – “it hurt, man! Really bad, rocks, thorns, glass – “not cool Robert Frost!” He goes on to say, “but what if there really were two paths? I want to be on the one that leads to awesome.”
Robby has every reason to say, “not cool!” He suffers from osteogenesis imperfect, a rare health condition that doesn’t allow the normal development of bones. As a result Robby has had over 70 bone breaks and 13 surgeries since birth.
While his bones may easily break, he has an unbreakable spirit. His condition doesn’t define who he is. Despite all he’s been through, he doesn’t just keep going — he dances. Robby chooses a path that leads to “awesome.”
What is a choice anyway?
The Oxford dictionary defines it as the act of choosing between two or more possibilities. Possibilities. Choices.
At Innerwill, we believe Leadership at its core is a choice. No matter your company, your profession, or your age, you can choose to be a leader. It’s not about authority, title, or an org chart. It’s not reserved for an elite group of executives. It’s a choice to do the work of a leader. And as leaders we sometimes encounter rocks, thorns, and glass!
The choices we make have an impact on others. We choose what to pursue. We face choices about where to spend our time, energy, and money. When we choose to align ourselves with our purpose and core values, we are choosing leadership.
When we make a choice to contribute our gifts and talents to support others, we are choosing to be a leader. When we choose to listen, and problem solve with our team instead of telling and taking control, we are making a choice to lead. Leaders choose how they show up. Every. Single. Day.
Things in life won’t always be awesome, but your response can be. -Robby Novak
Ask yourself: How am I choosing to respond to when I’m faced with a challenging situation that requires me to make a choice? What possibilities do I see?
Challenge yourself: Do I see a barrier or an opportunity? Am I going to set a great example or moan about the circumstance? Will I encourage or aggravate? Am I leveraging my amazing potential or losing my enthusiasm? Will I take a small step towards self-improvement of will I suffer in misery? Will I choose to have an awful day, or will I show up and be awesome today?
As leaders, we’ve got work to do. Will we choose to make today better for someone else? How will we show up and be awesome?
I would love to get a note or comment on some of your choices and how you do.
Check out a pep talk from Kid President here for inspiration.
It’s everybody’s duty to do good and give the world a reason to dance. So get to it.
