"Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."
(JF Kennedy, 1961).
#CereaUnaVolta in 2014, February 1st - From “The NOTES of my iPhone X!”
This sentence has crossed time like an echo.
And I wanted to write it down (and keep it) since way back in 2014 so as not to forget (ever) its profound meaning, promising myself that it would become "my reason" for every day:
- Call to a sense of duty
Instead of expecting benefits or assistance from the state, Kennedy invites every citizen to reflect on how they can contribute to the common good, putting their skills, energy and time at the service of the nation; - Push for change from below
The sentence suggests that progress does not depend only on institutions, but above all on the sum of individual actions and the involvement of people in the processes of social, economic and cultural transformation; - Active patriotism
It is not a rhetorical patriotism, but a practical one: acting concretely to improve society, taking on responsibilities in school, in the community, at work, in politics; - Universal and timeless message
Although uttered in a specific context (the beginning of the American presidency during the Cold War), this phrase speaks to every generation: it challenges us as citizens, not only towards the state but also towards local communities, common causes, and the environment.
Today, after “a few” years, I reread it and… it sounds “different”… but current.
He seems to look at me “with a half smile”, almost “grabbing me by the collar”, looking me in the eyes and saying: “And you? What can you do for yourself? For your work? For your identity? For who you are… really?”
A punch in the stomach of impressive force.
It looks like it “went right through me” but it didn’t!
A series of questions “ so crude and damned direct ” that constantly put me face to face with myself (and my work) and allow me to maintain direction without ever failing my principles, my identity, my idea of freedom and my professionalism.
What can you do for your work?
The job you have (or would like) sometimes doesn’t resemble you. Sometimes it’s “tight,” sometimes it’s just survival. And, too often, we let our job (and our workplace) define us as professionals and people.
And then it comes naturally to ask: “But… what does my job do for me?”
Stop. Breathe.
Try to turn the question around: what can you do today to make it “truly yours”?
To transform it into something that resembles you, that expresses you, that gives you life!
Orienting yourself becomes fundamental, finding points of contact or reference is essential to avoid “ending up adrift”: this is where Ikigai Coaching “puts down roots” and this is where Humanistic Coaching becomes a compass… to find yourself, choose yourself and start walking in your direction.
What can you do for your brand?
A brand is not (just) a logo.
It is (certainly) not a site.
It's not (just) a memorable slogan.
A brand, when it is true, is “ an act of courage ”... a promise (or a legacy, you decide... but it is something really challenging). It is saying: “This is who I am. This is what I believe in, this is my “verb” and this is how I can make a difference.”
A multidisciplinary approach (holistic and technical) supports this “intimate voice” by giving it a name, giving it a shape, giving it a tone and a rhythm so that your brand, even before being strategic, is alive, human… authentic, simply “yours”.
What can you do for your company, for the people around you?
In today's companies, you don't just need plans, projects, meetings, and objectives.
We need “real looks”. Relationships that nourish.
Visions that include, that conclude (with courage) and that inspire.
Entrepreneurs, Teams and Professionals are more than a “structure”: a community of people with a soul.
What can you do for the future you want?
The future is not a prize.
It doesn't come because you deserved it.
It comes when you want it so much that you “start building it.”
With your choices, with your mistakes, with your questions. - I don't have all the answers (yet). I'm certainly no guru... but I know how to listen.
And I understood that, while we listen (actively), we create a space in which we can provoke (with) the right questions, those that liberate, those that (s)move, those that warm the soul and keep you awake… because finally “you want to be there and have your say”.
Moving from spectators to protagonists, from passive beneficiaries to active builders of the collective future.
If you feel something inside you has moved… don't ignore it…
Look around: there is still so much to do!
Don't put it off. It would be "a mortal sin."
Don’t say “it’s not the time”. The time is now.
Don't care about your age, what you've been through, what you're experiencing, the advice, the missed opportunities: gather everything, "shake well" and drink it all in one gulp: a whole new taste, "bittersweet" but it's "your stuff", you made it!
Is there -perhaps- better lymph for your soul?
