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“Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of ‘crackpot’ than the stigma of conformity” – Thomas J. Watson
It all began with a journey to Africa when I was 3. My brother and I were bundled in to a Land-Rover by my parents and we were off for a 2-3 year journey to Africa and back across the Sahara Desert before a road was put through.
My education was ‘home-schooled’ with a map of our journey on the side of the Land-Rover; trading fruit and vegetable for little safety pins, hairgrips and other small trinkets we took for granted coming from the West. My Mum taught me the early educational essentials under the shade from a thorn tree and bath time in the washing up bowl, with sufficient water to soak a sponge.
“No-one can make me feel inferior without my consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
For distraction, my brother and I made obstacle courses out of sand for our home-made tractors made from wooden cotton-reels, a piece of wax and rubber band. I’m sure he beat me hands down but memory has erased that part of my history although I do recall his ‘stabbing’ me in the ribs with some scissors as we hot-footed it into the back of the vehicle when pursued by elephants!
So my early beginnings were very multi-cultural and influenced by understanding that there were always a variety of ways to communicate and be understood; that there was a language of exchange greater than the currency of money, and no two days were either the same or predictable, so it was essential to be able to adapt and be patient. I think I mastered the first of these, but not the second.
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus
The journey essentially created in me qualities like autonomy, freedom, persistence, resilience, self-determination and self-reliance. For me, these have created a strength and independence that have given me the courage to be at liberty to create and follow my own path, albeit it at times rocky and unstable and at others amazingly fulfilling and exciting.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
– Corrie ten Boom
I have always believed that the various (and varied!) ventures that I undertook would collectively contribute to something that I could pull together to create a career that would be fulfilling, flexible and make the most of my qualities, characteristics and experiences – both good and bad! And so was born ‘Out of the Rut,’ my coaching practice, which enables me to draw on my strengths of facilitation and mediation in working with business and personal relationships and be an ‘unreasonable friend’ in clarifying dilemmas and establishing focus.
We never know our ‘use-by’ date, so there’s nothing like the present moment: Now.
Thanks to family support and circumstance, I have created the opportunity of going mobile for a years’ working sabbatical. The last 8 months have been spent travelling and consulting around the North Island; I am now focused on The ‘Mainland’ for the summer and autumn. This venture was both a risk as well as an opportunity: though the timing wasn’t exactly ‘right’… it rarely is, it was nice to be engaged in ‘walking my talk’ and feel rewarded for jumping in, wheels and all!
Remember: “Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of ‘crackpot’ than the stigma of conformity “– Thomas J. Watson
Over the coming summer, clarify what this means for you; here are some ideas to start you off:
- Which is worse: ‘failing’ or never trying? (There’s no such thing as failure, only feedback. If the first option doesn’t work, go for the next best one!)
- Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
- To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
- Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
- What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
- What one thing have you not done that you really want to do and what is holding you back?
- Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
Strength or Courage?
It takes strength to be certain;
It takes courage to have doubt.
It takes strength to fit in;
It takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to share a friend’s pain;
It takes courage to feel your own.
It takes strength to hide your own pain;
It takes courage to show it and deal with it.
It takes strength to stand guard;
It takes courage to let down your guard.
It takes strength to conquer;
It takes courage to surrender.
It takes strength to endure abuse;
It takes courage to lean on a friend.
It takes strength to survive;
It takes courage to live ….
Find the strength and courage in everything you do, and may your life be filled with both love and friendship.”
– David L Griffith
Jane Butler is a Business and Personal Relationship Coach, Mediator and Facilitator and is available for individual and small group consults. She may be contacted on 021-732 230, 0800 21 73 223 or by email : jane@outoftherut.co.nz.
This article first appeared in ‘This’n’That’ magazine; my thanks to Summa McDonald for permission to reproduce it.
If you would like a copy of this free ‘Top of the South’ magazine please contact Summa on 027-955-6279. Thank-you!