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My beautiful sister has cancer.
Impossible. Impossible. Impossible. As the news sinks in, as I feel the earth shifting under my feet, I find myself shaking my head and trying to comprehend the utterly impossible. Impossible.
Over this week, I’ve spent hours coming to terms with the news and thinking about how the future looks…I’ve also found myself reflecting on what she means to me and what lessons I draw from her.
Kellie is the pillar of our family. She is kind, noble, human, strong, vulnerable, incredible and so loved by all who know her. I know that while she faces this incredible, blessed, long, tough journey by herself, she will not go an hour without having someone beside her to offer something of themselves.
She would never admit it but she is a true leader.
She knows me intimately yet she doesn’t pass judgement. She offers unconditional support and encouragement yet she will chastise me when I need it. She has clear goals and a vision for her family yet she doesn’t drag them kicking and screaming – she nurtures and encourages, allowing them to find their own way. She inspires incredible loyalty from family and friends through her words and actions – in fact, she is the type of leader that I want to be.
Thinking through all this and trying to clear the noise in my head, I want to offer a reflection that I hold very dear and that seems to fit the moment – it speaks to all that is good about Kellie and it highlights what it is about her that I want to emulate.
Commitment
Think of someone you know who is “a person of good character.” Lock his or her image in your mind. Now take a moment to reflect on the things this person says and does…the personal characteristics that make him or her a role model for you. What comes to mind? What do you see?
Chances are that high on the list of your role model’s qualities is COMMITMENT – the unwavering dedication to being a good family member and friend…to doing his or her best at work and away from the job…to doing what’s right, noble, and decent.
Committed people like your role model just seem to have their heads and hearts in the right place. They keep their priorities straight. They stay focused on what’s important. They know, inherently, that what they believe must drive how they behave – and how they behave ultimately determines the character they possess, the reputation they enjoy, and the legacy they leave.
Abraham Lincoln had this to say about commitment:
“COMMITMENT is what transforms a promise into reality.
It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions.
And the actions which speak louder than the words.It is making the time when there is none.
Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year.
Commitment is the stuff character is made of;
the power to change the face of things.
It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism.”The world renowned pianist, Van Cliburn, after one of his magnificent concerts was approached by an admirer who had been in the audience. The emotional fan grasped Cliburn’s hand and said, “I would give my life to be able to play the piano like that.” The pianist smiled and replied…”I DID.” – Eric Harvey and Steve Venture, “Walk the Talk”
I love this.
Commitment. The essence of my sis’s leadership and the single, constant, irrefutable lesson that she gives me as she starts out on her journey. Commitment to her vision, commitment to her family and loved ones, commitment to her values and ideals, commitment yo her true, central, authentic self, commitment to her end goal.
What a wonderful ideal to aspire to. Commitment. In the midst of this darkness, THIS is the message that reaches out from her and hits me in the gut.
Whatever the future holds, let this stand as my commitment to her.
Long may she fight the good fight, long may she prosper, long may we continue to bug each other and long may I aspire to lead like her.
The post My Sister’s Cancer – A Reflection On Commitment appeared first on Tony Adams - Project Manager.