Hidden faces of leadership

Hidden faces of leadership
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Fearful, hostile, critical, weak, undeserving, ugly….the list goes on. The aspects of us we store in a place within us, all the unacceptable, the things we pretend not to be, the faces we don’t want to show the world. More importantly, the faces we don’t want to show ourselves.

Everything we dislike, resist or disown about ourselves takes on a life of its own.

When we encounter the parts we are not so proud of, face to face, we attempt to deny the aspect of us and if that does not work, we attempt to negotiate for “it” to leave us alone.

Ironically, it’s those hidden parts of us that we have rejected that need the most attention.

In fact, we have sealed our most valuable treasures in a vacuum sealed bag where they are misleadingly safe.

These treasures often will spring to the surface, no matter how hard we try to push them down. Like the beachball, trying to be immersed in the water, yet bobbing up constantly, smacking us in the face. No matter how hard we try to push the ball under the water, it keeps coming up.

As if that’s not enough, we pursue more.

We stuff our crap into a bag that we each carry. Thrown on our backs from childhood, we put aspects of ourselves in to the bag, the parts of us not acceptable to our family, friends and significant others.

Ironically, we spend the first many years of our lives stuffing parts of ourselves in the bag, filling it up as it is bursting from the seams and overflowing.

And then, we spend the rest of our lives trying to retrieve everything we put in our bag so we can begin to breathe again.

Isn’t time to open the bag and allow yourself to breathe?

Isn’t time to integrate all parts of us?

Isn’t time to take the journey from the head to the heart?

To be whole.

To embrace everything.

To understand our gifts.

To find the gold within.

To be the leader.

Be the brilliant beautiful imperfect and flawed leader.

Aren’t you worth it?

If not you, who?

If not now, when?

Ange

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