Motto

Have Courage

Six words. Three phrases. One simple motto. Each phrase is important for different reasons, and each need the others to accomplish the goal of being 'Divided Together'.

First, the objective is not to sit around holding hands and singing Kum By Yah. No, there are serious issues worth discussing and it requires courage to wade into conversations where you know there are likely to be strong differences of opinion.

What doesn't take courage is engaging in name calling or abusive behavior. If you believe something strongly, by all means bring that passion into conversation where you at least have an opportunity to help someone understand why you are so passionate. Don't decide someone is your enemy if or because they don't immediately agree with you.

Ultimately, the 'Have Courage' component is essential because there is risk involved when we engage in difficult conversations. It could be risk to our reputation or risk to our relationships, but without taking those risks we also lose the potential reward of deepened relationships and the reputation impact of respect earned through constructive dialogue.

← All writing · Get the next note