Be Honest. Be Brave. Be Strong | Imagine | The Compass
Hello there! Welcome to my weekly LEAPS.
You’re receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly Wednesday feature or our mailing list. Every Wednesday, I share 5 things using our LEAPS approach:
Learn: something new or an idea
Energy: an energy (good or bad) word and it’s meaning
Action: something to do
Processing: a question to consider
Shout out: something or someone that I want to celebrate or acknowledge
LEARN
Something Worth Sharing
Be Honest. Be Brave. Be Strong
A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in a hotel having a quiet breakfast with my husband. There was a chef making omelettes to order, but what really caught my attention were the words hanging above the cooking station: Be Brave, Be Strong. I found myself thinking about how simple, and yet how grounding, those words were.
A week later, I was walking down a street in Arizona with someone and noticed a professional services firm nearby. Back at the hotel, I looked them up to see if they worked with family businesses and might value the kind of support we offer. It wasn’t completely clear, though there were hints that they might.
The next day, walking the same route, I passed the building again. This time I stopped. The words above the omelette station came straight back to me: Be Brave, Be Strong.
My business partner and I have talked many times about expanding into the US. The honest want, the one I hadn’t fully voiced, was my desire to bring the benefits of what we do to people in the States. Remembering those four words, I stepped through the door, spoke to the receptionist, and asked whether a conversation might be possible. The answer was yes.
In that moment, the four words became six. It begins with being honest, with yourself and with what you truly want. Then comes bravery, then strength. That is how things move, and how opportunities open.
ENERGY
An emotion or energy; a stand-out word / s
Imagine
As we look ahead to the next 12 months, imagination becomes our starting point. The word comes from the Late Latin imaginare, to form an image or represent, rooted in imago, meaning a likeness. When we allow ourselves to picture the year in front of us, we create a gentle but powerful space to focus on what we truly want, not just what we expect.
ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference
A First Picture
Take two quiet minutes and sketch a simple (physical or mental) image of something you hope the next year includes. It could be a feeling, a moment, or an achievement.
Hold that picture long enough for it to feel real, then write one small but brave step you could take this week that moves you toward it.
PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)
“What surprised me about the year I’ve had, and why?”
I always love this question - what surprises us can be positive or negative. It also challenges us to consider our expectations and beliefs versus reality and what actually happened.
I’d love for you to send me your own stories / thoughts about this. Drop me a line with your answer / thoughts on this question
SHOUT OUT
Who / what I think deserves recognition - my gratitude or to be celebrated.
Hope for the Blank Calendar
A shout out to the quiet power of a fresh page, the moment the year turns and we are handed a clean calendar again. It invites us to begin with hope, to imagine what could unfold, and to step into the year with a little more lightness about what might be possible.
BONUS GIFT FOR YOU
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The artwork featured in this section is all copyrighted and for private use only. If you wish to use these online, in blogs / features or in presentations etc - we are happy to discuss licences. Please get in touch. The downloads do not have watermarks.
If you’d like to discuss having your ideas, business or culture captured visually - you can also let me know via email.
LEAPS is a process used by our team and clients all the time - and even my own family on a daily basis.
I’ll be sharing a set of LEAPS each week with you and encourage you to do your own version:
L: what have you learned?
E: what’s your energy / feeling word
A: what’s one thing you need to do?
P: what are you thinking / processing?
S: who or what can you shout out?
