Rethink Courage | TEDxLogan Circle
Upright in an upside-down time.
Those words have been my refrain this year.
As economic uncertainty, scathing heat, and political turmoil set up tents in so many backyards, I keep repeating:
Just stay upright.
Keep swimming through the upside-down.
And my private mantra found good company in the red-dot spotlight.
This month, in mid-paddle, TEDxLogan Circle asked us to RETHINK COURAGE.
Nine people stepped onto the stage, each navigating rising world-water by bucking the status quo, redefining dignity, embracing life's end, and – most simply – asking for what scares you most.
Behind the scenes as a volunteer, I advised lightly and applauded loudly.
Their talks reminded us all:
courage isn't the rambunctious cannonball;
it's the tenacious treading when the waves get rough.
So as the third decade of my career begins in choppiness, Marc A. Coronel's life-saving line rallies:
“Ask for what you're afraid of.”
For me, asking through fear has reliably meant choosing complex transformation when quick, surface solutions register as safe...palatable, even.
The organizations I work with demonstrate that same courage as they:
replace one-off trainings with systems redesign,
reallocate budgets until they match core values,
protect instead of remove truth-tellers,
count power shifts as success metrics, and
plan sustainable grantmaking from day one.
Despite the upside-down, I’m affirmed:
The ask breaks the silence.
Systems break the cycle.
Cheers to leaders brave enough for both.
Originally shared on LinkedIN.
Photos from TEDxLogan Circle
