Building Heroes Blog

Building Heroes June 2021

We cannot make other people do things.  I often find that I am trying to figure out how to connect and motivate others and I think I finally came to the realization that I cannot.  Instead, now I am working to get to know people and understand who they are and how they want to contribute.  Every person has a story.  The more time I spend learning about them and honoring who they are, the more I create a brave space for them to bring the best of who they are.  So no, I cannot control others.  And maybe that’s a good thing.

During COVID I have begun to think of personal development through a new lens.  I now see mental skills training as an ongoing process of development.  We never arrive but we continuously work to get better.  I feel like the best work I do is when I provide people with podcasts or links or things to consider, so they continue to grow and be reminded of the way they want to live.  Perhaps with all the media around COVID and all the other information that is constantly bombarding us, it is important to be reminded of where our choice lies and the intentionality that we can use to be the best version of ourselves each day.  Because our potential is the result of these many micro choices.  When I work with someone, I am not trying to change them – but gently grow them at a pace and in a way that works for them.  Constantly observing where they are and providing resources to help them grow into the very best version of themselves.  Just as we engage in strength training consistently, we also must engage in gently and consistently growing our minds and our hearts.

We cannot always guarantee that life will be easy.  If we live, we will experience challenge, disappointment and even pain.  Below is a 3-minute animation that explores (through poetry) our body’s ability to heal through pain.

This is a podcast that encourages us to bring our whole selves to work.

This podcast helps us know how to listen more and avoid giving people advice.

This is an exceptional article with suggestions on how to lead.

If you want to read a book on one person’s life journey, please take time to read this exceptional book by Jillian Horton.

“…do you think the problem is that we’re holding ourselves responsible for things that aren’t our fault? Or is the problem that we need to forgive ourselves for things that actually are”. P. 226 #WeAreAllPerfectlyFine

We are proud of our progress.  We have a new website.  A huge thanks to Chez Koop for their amazing work!  We dropped our first podcast in partnership with Pro Prep Academy , and we launched several season two guests.  Please listen to these amazing heroes and share them with others.  For each Season Two guest, we are also developing a handout to help each of us learn from them.  Find the Heroes Journey for each guest on their podcast page.

Take good care.  Be well!  Thank YOU for being a member of our community.

The Heroes In Our Midst Team

MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

Building Heroes MAY 2021

Imagine being an explorer in residence.  What does that even mean?  That means going somewhere and seeing what no one has seen before.  It means sharing with the world what we find and telling them a story about what you learned.  And you know what?  We each have the privilege to do that every day of our lives.  We have the opportunity to explore and learn and grow like only we can.  We can embrace challenge and learn unique things about ourselves through the challenges we face.  And what we learn is okay.  Explorers enter with an open mind.  They are not sure what they are going to discover, especially when they dig deep or go somewhere they have never gone before.  And what if we took that same perspective with ourselves?  When we are doing something new or really difficult; what if we were curious about what we would learn about ourselves from this experience or process?  Without judgement of expectation.

And can we extend this same mentality to learning from others?  Questions can be powerful tools to learn from other people.  What if we took that perspective in connecting and working with others?  What if we saw every interaction as a possibility to learn and grow from their unique perspective or lens?  We need to be delicate and careful as we ask those questions.  We need to make sure to honor the new territory we are both in.  The way we ask them will shape what it is possible to discover about and from that person.  If I want to learn from them, we need to approach it like we would any exploration.  We need to be curious and open to whatever we might discover and ask additional questions as we dive in…

The book of beautiful questions by Warren Berger is a wonderful resource for those looking to work on the art of asking questions.

This is a fantastic 10-minute TedTalk where Karen Maeyens discusses the power of questions.

Let’s all “think like scientists”.  In this podcast, Adam Grant talks to us about a way to approach conversation that encourages openness and minimizes shame.

This conversation between Bréné Brown and Oprah helps us understand trust.  I really loved the way it helped me understand the components of this construct and at the end wove it into perhaps the most important aspect of trust there is … self-trust.  BRAVING – Boundaries. Reliability, Accountability. Vault. Integrity. Non-judgement. Generosity.

I have been loving the Brain Pickings by Maria Popova.  She compiles a ton of great resources including animations, children’s books and a range of other stories.  It is highlight of my day when I receive her newsletter in my mailbox.  It is evident to me how much of herself she invests into this list of items.

If you want to receive daily reminders to enjoy the present moment, sign up for the Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday.

WE have big things happening at Heroes.  Look for our new website, aligned social media and the launch of season two. 

We are so thankful for the heroes who are starting off our second season. 

These stories are powerful and we cannot wait to share them with you.  Coach Mike O’Shea, Ron Maclean and Ace Burpee get us started.

Thank you to Football Manitoba.  It was a privilege to partner with you on the HUMAN series.  Thank you to KidThink for inviting us to partner with you on initiatives around National Child and Youth Mental Health day, which is May 7^th. 

If you think we can help you or someone you know, please reach out. 

We would love to help you create “Human First Brave Spaces”.

“Life is the dancer and you are the dance”. Eckart Tolle

Adrienne, Michelle & the entire Heroes Team