Empowerment – Sharpen

Give Hard

Our Manifesto says…

‘Any numbnut can be selfish, but that’s not what this tribe is about. Give back just as much as you take, and earn yours by helping others EARN THEIRS.‘

Somewhere in the course of hacking out your own rugged path, you’ll encounter someone else who has a machete in hand but hasn’t had the guts to fell their first tree. At this moment you’ll have a choice: look straight past them and keep on chopping, or slow down for a brief chat to see what’s holding them back.

If you’re living up to the 3rdNut code, there won’t even be a flicker of hesitation in what you decide, because you’re just as committed to helping others earn theirs as you are to earning your own. Plus you’ve discovered that slowing down for a minute allows you to take a breath, take stock of where you are, and then forge ahead with more steam than you would have had otherwise.

“Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself.” – Gloria Steinem

SHARE YOUR STRENGTHS.

You’ve invested the time to figure out what you’re best at, so why not flex those muscles and get even better? The trick now is to always be on the lookout. Examine the situation you’re looking at, listen deeply to the person you’re speaking with, and think: how can I put my strengths to use to help move the needle here? A surprising amount of times, you’ll discover that what seems like second nature to you, requiring no more effort than raising your hand, is just the thing that someone else is unknowingly in desperate need of and has no idea how to do for themselves.

SHARE YOUR STORY.

One of the most impactful ways to empower others is to share how you empowered yourself. Yep, it’s that easy. Go figure. It makes sense when you think about it. We learn by example. Seeing the steps that someone else took to move toward a goal gives a concrete place to start. As you’ve experienced yourself, that’s usually the hardest damn part.

GIVE FREELY.

We see that worried look in your eye. Won’t stopping to share your story and strengths slow your momentum? Paradoxically, no. You’re gonna have to trust us on this one. You see, every time you share your story, you’re helping others, but you’re also helping yourself. Telling your story is a powerful form of self-reflection, giving you the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, allowing you to see both failures and successes in the long lens, and ultimately making you grow more too. Now that’s some win/win shit if we’ve ever seen it. So go ahead and give harder, for the sake of that 3rdNut hopeful, and for the sake of your own vision.

ACTIONS TO TAKE THIS WEEK.

Practice telling your story – your very own elevator pitch for how you got where you are and where you’re headed.

Empowerment