I don’t know about you, but my desire to make my mark feels like this sometimes.
This is the King Leonidas character from the movie “300”. Buy the movie. Watch it. I think it’s currently available on Netflix. It may not be for everybody (rated R) but it’s a good movie from Warner Bros. based on a true story from about 2,500 years ago. It’s about standing up for yourself, having courage under fire and making your mark.
The story of the 300 Spartans is great because it illustrates a very important concept if you want to “wield your spirit”. Courage is very very important. King Leo and his 300 were hopelessly outnumbered by Xerxes’ Persian army, but they chose to fight anyway. This is but one example of how, even if you lose your life, when it’s for the right, good and noble cause then your sacrifice hasn’t been in vain.
So, what are you afraid of? It’s a free country (in the US anyway … for now). Is your employer misguided and failing in some way? In many companies, the culture is just bad. I think I’m in one of those companies currently. Don’t hold back. Speak your mind. Tell them your ideas. Don’t be afraid to express “counter-culture” ideas when those in power are sorely misguided. Do it tactfully so you’re not risking much.
Be polite while expressing your thoughts. Constructive. Say things like “with all due respect”. If you can make people feel good while you’re telling them how stupid they are, then you’ve won.
Because honestly, if you work for a company that’s been limping along for a while, then it must have earned enough staying power to do so. So in many ways respect is actually due. And saying “with all due respect” is not pandering in that case.
Anyway, back to courage under fire. I took Tae Kwon Do when I was a kid. My instructor preached that the martial arts was for exercise, and in rare unfortunate cases for self-defense. Don’t be the aggressor. Wait until you’ve been engaged or threatened. I think I’ve lived up to that pretty well thru the years. But don’t mistake a lack of aggression for weakness. I believe that in this post manifest destiny world, violence should be saved for self-defense. I’d love to believe that that’s how the US military operates, but I’m not naive about that. So save violence for when you’ve been threatened, and leave it to the pros in the military.
Courage is also needed in life in general, especially in today’s world where everyone seems to be carrying volatile anger and frustration (just chill!!! people!). And also, courage under fire is important in creative endeavors. Starting a business is a creative endeavor. Whether you’re writing a song, writing a business plan, painting a picture or making a sales pitch, you will be risking failure.
Believe it or not, fear is a good and healthy thing. Do not strive to be fearless. Instead strive to be brave and courageous despite the fear. I could be wrong, and I want to be careful how this is received… What’s the worst thing that could happen when you wield your spirit (be yourself, have courage under fire, and keep forging positively forward)? Maybe you’ll get fired. But at least you spoke your mind, and stood up for your ideas. And look, I get it. There are bad people out there. You say the wrong thing among highly volatile bad people, and the worst thing that could happen is, well, pretty bad. You could die. But what are you doing hanging around those kinds of highly volatile bad people anyway?
But, you know, the justice system in most countries these days is pretty good. So if you die, well you’ll get some justice. I’m not saying to be careless. Absolutely not. Know your situation. Know the hand of cards you’re holding and take an educated guess about how much you can risk. Wisely stand your ground for good morals and things worth “fighting” for. But don’t do so in the face of obvious and unpredictable danger.
Maybe this is obvious, but I’ll theorize right here and now that fear and courage are very different concepts at certain points of your life. In my life, a whole lot of heavy life events have happened within the last few years (and I’m sure I’m not alone when I say this… it’s been a crappy few years for a large part of the US/world). I lost three grandparents in two years. My baby-boomer parents retired. My second son was born. I paid off all my student loans. And I moved my family into a new (to us) house. So … not all bad, but definitely emotionally heavy events. Another thing I haven’t mentioned is that my rockstar wife is a nearly 10-year cancer survivor.
If you’re working up towards a certain achievement, then fear and courage can be intense. You want to achieve that goal. Then once you accomplish it, holy cow. For me, life got sorta flipped on its head when I paid off my student loans. For a while, I didn’t know what I was fighting for. What do you do when you pay off your debt, and the fear is removed?
I’ll tell you what I do. You take bigger risks. You try to make your f***ing mark. Watch out world! (but don’t be too alarmed 😉 I’m going to do good things. Student loans have kept me pent up, fearful and NOT courageous. I’m sure others have paid off their debts thru more courageous means. Good for them! But not me. I played it pretty safe. And now to celebrate paying off my student loans, I WILL SEEK TO MAKE MY MARK (non-violently of course). To use some of King Leonidas’ words “THIS IS WHERE WE FIGHT! [metaphorically speaking of course]” … “REMEMBER THIS DAY, MEN, FOR IT WILL BE YOURS FOR ALL TIME!”. Damn. I get chills just thinking about it.
When’s the right time to make your mark? For me, the time is NOW. Cheers!