If you were given a billboard on the side of a busy highway, and told to write something that would communicate an important message to all of the passersby, what would it be?
I was asked this at my last life coaching session, and without a moment’s hesitation, I said:
Be Bold.
Be Yourself.
“What does that mean?”, I was asked.
I think that a lot of us go through life trying to live by the “If you have nothing good to say, don’t say anything at all” rule. Don’t rock the boat. Don’t upset anyone. Be polite. Maintain the status quo.
While I don’t think being bold needs to equal being a bitch, or rude, or unnecessarily hurtful, I do think that living year after year constantly dumbing down what we really want to say, or do, results in a dimmer version of ourselves.
A dimmer version of ourselves.
I said those words, and I liked them, because it’s true. I said those words, and I hated them, because it’s true.
I am not who I once was. I am not as passionate, as loud, as bold, as I used to be. I am fearful of causing rifts, raising hackles. Sometimes, I just don’t want to bother with the fallout.
There doesn’t always need to be fallout.
Isn’t it be possible to live in colour without causing a fight?
Yes, it’s possible. I believe it to be so.
I need to find a way to leave the beige of my mind behind, and step into the light. I have been flickering out.
I will not flicker out.
I will find a way to live up to my imaginary billboard in my head. I will Be Bold. I will Be Myself.
What would be on your billboard?
Immediately what popped in my head was Be Kind Rewind. But what I mean to say is Be Kind with an Open Mind. I think that’s what my billboard would be.
I like all the hats!
“Relax. The stress isn’t worth it.” now if only i would listen.
(i wanted to du a little thumbs up thingy but don’t know how. so *thinbs up*)
You and me both sister!
“Objects in mirror may be stronger than they appear.”
LOVE that hat!!
For me, it’s something along the lines of “Do your own thing” followed by “Relax, take a nap, chill out, life is short.”
I love your billboard. I think mine would be something about “Remember who you are & that there are people who love you just that way”.
It’s hard being an American in Canada. I’ve been labeled “too aggressive, too loud, too pushy, too driven, too …..” It has left me feeling not good enough and it drives me nuts.
I am not sure exactly what my billboard would say. Something along the lines of be true to yourself and don’t care so much what people think. I am always worried about upsetting people and am such a pleaser that I don’t always put my own needs first. Things I am aware of trying to work on. I have spoken up for myself a little more in the past couple of weeks.
Love the picture of you by the way.
I still believe in the “if you have nothing good to say …”, but I believe more in the “you can say anything you want, but you’ve got to find the right way of saying it”. Love the photo of you wearing a hat.
PS I often can’t load your blog at all – not sure whether it’s a problem at my end!
When I read your comment, I spend some time trying to make the site load faster. I’m not sure what else I can do though. I wonder if anyone else has had this issue…no one has told me so…but it would be a bad thing if this was an issue for everyone. Is my site the only one that causes you issue? If so, then it would be my site that’s the issue and not your connection. Eek!
–Marilyn
“You ARE enough, and you are perfect just as you are in this exact moment.”
*Love* this post!
The thing is that… while it is possible to be bold and be meaningful without causing a fight.. sometimes people just aren’t able to hear your honesty without causing a fight. I love this post because it IS true. And it is so important to me that I be able to speak my mind and have a conversation about it afterwards that sometimes I get REALLY upset by people’s reactions. The part that I need to remember is that not everyone is as excited about my honesty as I am.
Love love love the photos too!
Whenever I have to condense my philosophy of life into something billboard-worthy I choke (similar to what happens when someone asks me what I’m reading). I’ll call you at three this morning when I come up with something, okay? But yes – honesty, kindness, let’s all chill out and read a book (okay, no one said read a book, but if we had a billboard reading a book would have to go on it somewhere, don’t ya think?)
I think as we get older some of that passion can get lost in the mix. I have been bold and spoken my mind with several people in the last few years. While it hasn’t gotten me anywhere good, I’m glad I stood up for myself. I think my new motto might be: Be Bold. With Caution.
Dream and Do It runs a close second.
Great slogan. I think my slogan might be “Who cares what they think.”
Except that’s kind of negative. I might need to finesse my billboard slogan a little.
Love those hats and your colourful, non-flickering energy. Also, cracked up at Nicole’s “Be kind — rewind”.
I like this a lot. What really brought it home to me? I used to be a great wearer of hats. I don’t anymore. I try to blend in, don’t want to stand out. I miss them. Maybe mine should say, ‘Buy A Hat ‘: )
I am not going to even bother coming up with my own billboard, because yours is perfection.
I think the trick to being bold without causing conflict is to do it authentically, and in a way that honours the possibility for other experiences. You can state your truth, without requiring that it be EVERYONE’s truth, you know?