The 'hood to avoid

Theologian Frederick Buechner told us, "Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world's greatest need." Readers of this blog are regularly reminded of the power of "purpose." Bree Jones gives an incredible TED Talk in which she talks about leaving Wall Street to resurrect a dilapidated neighborhood in Baltimore called the "Black Butterfly" through her nonprofit, Parity. At the 3-minute mark of this 6-minute TED Talk, she talks about getting laughed out of the room. And that is where her journey truly begins. This is when she determined to be determined. She could live in the neighborhood of the Black Butterfly, but there was one 'hood she knew to avoid.

Victimhood.

The people in that neighborhood were victims of all types of unfair practices that led to negative valuations of once beautiful homes. But Bree would never act like the victim. Even when others laughed, she doubled down on her purpose. And she avoided the 'hood.

Victimhood increases our stress and resentment while decreasing our agency and personal growth. The negative emotional impact of victimhood reduces our resilience and ability to bounce back and can even impair the relationships we need most to survive the hard times. Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting we are never victims--we are often the victims of bad choices or bad leaders or bad policies. But we can't live like we are. To transcend our challenges like Bree did, we must believe we have agency--that we have power. Because we do. We don't worry about what we can't control--we focus on what we can.

Poor leaders often see themselves and even declare themselves victims (to the detriment of their organizations). Transformative leaders never do. Instead, they build into their teams and rally the troops to focus on what they control.

Remember that what happens matters less than how we respond to what happens.

So, let Bree Jones's story serve as a powerful reminder: our potential impact is not defined by our circumstances, but by our response to them. When we align our passions with the needs of the world, and when we choose agency over victimhood, we unlock the transformative power within us. Whether you're facing personal challenges or seeking to create change on a larger scale, remember that what happens matters less than how we respond to what happens. Choose to cultivate your agency, harness your power, and build a future where you, and those in your organization, thrive. It's in this active, empowered stance that we truly discover our vocation and leave a lasting, positive mark on the world.