Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how I’ve come to live a badass and brilliant life, and how to share it so that others can have a life of purpose and passion too. I’m working my “life lessons” into some useful goodness for all of you… to be shared more and in different ways down the road (stay tuned!) Hint: may include stories from Africa, my mother, and puberty.
One thing is very clear, I’ve had countless lessons from amazing people that have encouraged me to speak up, be of service in the world, and go after what I want. Today, I’ll tell you about one of my main mentors, my dad.
Today is my dad’s birthday, and he would have been 64 years old. Unfortunately, he died too soon, leaving a void of gentle male leadership and wisdom in the world. Now, many women love their dads and find them to be a source of comfort and security. However, not as many can say that their dads are deeply soulful teachers, who champion human potential and connection.
My dad traveled the world, working with people from myriad cultures, to cultivate authentic leadership. He climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money to end world hunger. He ran marathons, loved the ocean, and was an avid Red Sox fan.
But, first and foremost, he was a dad to my brother, sister, and me. And we were profoundly lucky to have had him guide us. He guides me still.
More on the badass woman, my 91 year old grandmother, who raised him here.
So, how did he teach me to live a badass and brilliant life? Here are a few of his lessons:
- Gave me permission to be the firey and spirited little girl and woman that I was born to be. Where can you give yourself more permission to be YOU?
- Taught me about inspirational world leaders, from Aung San Suu Kyi (“The Iron Butterfly”) to Nelson Mandela (his license plate read “Madiba”), right along with Sesame Street. Who are the leaders and visionaries that you admire?
- Showed me that loving deeply, serving others, and being a lifelong learner are always good ideas. How do these practices show up in your life?
- Demonstrated remarkable grace and spirit in the face of pain and adversity, and the profound value of friendship and community in times of hardship. When faced with a challenge, how do you maintain your strength and spirit?
I could go on and on. Living a badass and brilliant life came from countless experiences and lessons in my life. I will keep digging them out, so I can share them with all of you, and together we can live lives of real purpose and passion. Whatever that means to you.
How would your life be different if you allowed the badass and brilliant you to speak up more often and shine more brightly?
Down in the comments, please tell us who your mentors, teachers and guides have been. This amazing network of people can really learn from each other’s wisdom. What lessons have you learned about how to live your life, and what lessons do you want to teach others?
Thank you for allowing me to share a bit of my own story today.
As always, it means so much to me to have this Badass + Brilliant community all over the world. Thank you for hanging out with me each week!
Keep being Badass + Brilliant. You are change agents. The world needs you.
Game on!
xo
Sage
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P.P.S. More videos coming soon, if you’re one of the peeps who likes to “see” me! In the mean time, you can check some of the goods on the blog.
