What do You Stand For?

What do we stand for? Or, perhaps in some cases, it might be what do we ‘kneel’ for? Colin Kaepernick was an American NFL player who knelt during the national anthem to protest the oppression of black people and all people of colour. This came after several acts of police brutality where young black men were killed by the police. Colin made this choice to kneel, knowing the potential consequences.

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There is a saying: “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor,” which means we get our strength from facing life’s challenges, controversy, adapting to change, being resilient, learning from life, learning from our actions and choosing to make better choices.

We are defined by where we stand at times of challenge and controversy, as so famously put by Martin Luther King, Junior: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Colin Kaepernick went on to say that he was not looking for approval when he decided to kneel. He wanted to stand up for people who are oppressed, even though consequences would likely come his way. He said, “If they take my football away, if they take my endorsements from
me, I know I stood up for what is right.”

So what are we willing to stand for? What are we willing to give it all up for? We will have goals and dreams, some big, some more modest. What would we be willing to give it all up for? Perhaps nothing, maybe we would be content. But we usually desire deeper meaning in our lives and when we search deep inside, we will find something that we would be willing to give it all up for. This is what we will stand for once we find it.

It’s also about listening to our hearts. Have we ever allowed ourselves to be talked out of something, even when we know it to be true? We spend a lot of time listening to our head, but are we listening to our hearts as well? We have a world of people declaring what they are against, but what are we actually for? We are called to make that stand every time we have to make a choice between doing what is right, or following the crowd into moral mediocrity, despite our fear of what other people might say, or as Colin Kaepernick also found out, a loss of
income as a result.

If doing what is right puts us at odds with our colleagues or seniors, do we compromise doing what is right, to protect our job or our income? Or do we speak up with integrity and authenticity, which may come at a cost? Integrity is doing the right thing, when we don’t have to, when no one else is looking or perhaps will never know. It’s when we don’t seek congratulations, or recognition for having done so.

As Martin Luther King also said, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” We are limited to the number of people we inspire, lift or motivate in our roles, by the degree to which we keep our eyes just on ourselves and our own success, and fail to reach out to those in need. How many times have we had the opportunity to reach out to someone in need, and we didn’t? What stopped us? We all have good hearts and good intentions, but when push comes to shove, do we sit and wait for the next person to do what’s needed to help, or do we step up to the plate and do our part?

It often comes down to our core values. Do we know what they are? Are they just a costume we wear when it suits, or are they just shadows cast by other people’s standards? Are our values made of pliable material that can be moulded into any shape that suits? Standing for something means committing to live by principles and values and being prepared to leave the crowd when they stray from those standards. This also applies to our organisational values where we work. How well are those values demonstrated, shared and lived every day? If we don’t know what our organisational values are, then they are merely words that hold no value.

So, refuse to be the whisper behind closed doors. Refuse to be the two-faced snake behind a device or the crumbs at the bottom of life’s toaster. Knowing what we stand for will ensure we will make decisions based on our values, not on our circumstances.

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Linda Guirey


Linda - The Choice Champion - is a speaker, coach, trainer and author who speaks about creating positive change in your life through understanding your choices. Linda was voted Best Speaker in New Zealand for 2012, in the Corporate Events People’s Choice Awards. Linda is also an artist and uses her artwork in her presentations as they reflect the messages she shares. www.lindaguirey.co.nz