Brooke and I won’t ever win the infamous parents of the year award. We screw up a lot. We lose our patience. We yell on occasion. We hurt the hearts of the little ones that call us their parents.
But there is one thing I think we’ve done right for the last ten years. We constantly remind our kids that love wins. It might not look like winning all the time, but love will win. It might not win the day or even the year, but over the long haul, love will indeed win.
Our two oldest girls want to be like Katniss Everdeen when they grow up. Well hopefully not the exact life that she’s had to live, but they are wildly attracted to her strength, her beauty, and they might not use these exact words, but also her love. The way, that in the face of danger, adversity and overwhelming odds, Katniss still takes the initiative for the benefit of others. She loves well.
In the marketplace, you will be threatened on a daily basis to compromise your love. To back-stab. To jockey for position. To undercut. To protect your own identity.
There are undoubtedly people above you on the totem pole that don’t operate from a posture of love that seem to be winning. They have power and they lead with fear. And likely manipulation. The lie you’re believing is that to get where they are, or to enjoy the success they’ve experienced, is that you have to compromise.
You don’t. Love will win. Maybe not today’s events, but it will win the marathon.
Here are three things we believe and are trying to teach our children:
1 – Love brings hope. When the waves are crashing in on the rocks of your business and personal life, love reminds you that there’s hope. That it’s worth it. To keep fighting.
2 – Continue to love even if it looks like you’re getting nowhere. The way Katniss consistently looked out for those she loved didn’t look like progress at the time. It actually looked like she was hindering her own ability to survive. But a movement was born and entire districts began to rally around her. The same is true for you today. Keep loving, even if it looks like your boss, colleague or even child is giving you the proverbial middle finger. Love will find a way to win. Every time.
3 – Nothing is as strong as love. In the corporate world especially, we mistakenly believe that power, control, ego and authority are the strongest traits as a leader. Those traits are indeed strong, but nothing is stronger than a leader that loves well. That leader inspires, empowers and creates bonds across her team that are incredibly tough to break. Leaders that lead with fear and manipulation have the false illusion that their strength will win, but over time, it will crumble beneath the weight they have applied to their team.
Keep loving, it’s worth it.