Leveraging Flaws | Accept | Braving The Wilderness
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
Leveraging Flaws
We got to visit the wonderful Italian city of Pisa recently. It would have been criminal to have not made the effort to see the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa - and so we did. A few facts for you; 9 August 1173, the foundations of the tower were laid with the tower beginning to sink after construction had progressed to the second floor in 1178. The subsoil was unstable - a flaw that existed from the beginning of its construction.
This flaw may have caused various delays in the building of the tower - the bell-chamber was finally added in 1372 - but, it is why we all flock to see this sight and take pictures of us pushing it over! In life, we try to cover up our flaws, and yet they are part of who we are and what helps us to be unique. There are several other stunning “perfect” buildings adjacent to the tower, and yet they are not why we are there. Perfect and ‘fitting in’ means it is easy to fade into the sea of sameness. Flaws are characterful, they set us apart and make us memorable - just as with the Leaning Tower.
If you think of brands that are vanilla, inoffensive, as expected and “regular”, they don’t stand out. There are many reasons for brands standing out - being first in the race is one, but only one can be the first. What we can do is understand who we are - warts and all - and leverage this. When we leverage our flaws, we get to stand out and reframe mistakes as selling points.
Just as a final fact, the Leaning Tower generates an annual revenue estimated to be over €21 million - now that’s leveraging a flaw!
ENERGY
An emotion or energy; a stand-out word / s
Accept
The word ACCEPT is from Latin accipere meaning "receive, get without effort" and was formed from AD "to" + CAPERE "to take".
When we accept things, we take them in for what they are - be it a person, a mistake, a situation etc. When we are accepted, we are taken into the hearts and minds of others as we are.
ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference
See The Positive
A nice and simple action for you this week. Think of a ‘flaw’, ‘mistake’ or ‘failure’ that you’ve experienced. Now write down one positive thing that came from this.
PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)
“If things carried on exactly as they are today, what would excite you — and what would worry you?”
A two-part question for you; when you think of how everything is for you now (personally, work, relationships etc), if they continued just as they are, what would you be excited about and what would worry you / what would you wish to change?
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.
Walking
Forget how many steps you do each day, the overall benefits of walking are immense. As someone that spent months in a wheelchair during pregnancies, as well as having a good number of years of struggling to walk due to the need for a new hip and repaired gluteus medius muscle, I am forever grateful to be able to walk without having to limp. Did you know that you need 200 muscles to walk?
Walking is great for physical and mental health as well as strengthening bones and muscles, improving heart health and balance, boosting mood, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Shout out to walking (and if walking is an issue for you - shout out being able to move).
BONUS GIFT FOR YOU
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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?
