Has anyone ever questioned if you have a ‘backbone’?
Have you ever considered the inner strength you do have?
Yes the ‘backbone’ I am speaking about is the ability to take a stand for something you feel very strong about. The reason I bring this issue up is that I am finding more people who are so concerned about how other people are going to view them if they stand up for something that they believe in.
My father was at one time the youngest mayor in Canada when I was a youngster. I remember a time we were speaking about running for political office and he said something to me that I will always cherish; he said “You’ve got to remember that you are either loved or hated in politics.” To me this meant that you needed a strong ‘backbone’ and be able to move forward on what you believed in, no matter if you were the only one who believed in the idea.
Isn’t that the same in business if you are an entrepreneur? You started your business because you believed that you could make a difference.
I will conclude with a few questions;
- Have you shown your ‘backbone’ recently?
- If you think that there is room for improvement what can you do today to show more of your inner strength and resilience?
Tim, you are absolutely correct in saying that people are more concerned with what other people will think of them than making a stand.
That is why political correctness has become a pervasive blight on Western societies and led to terrorist attacks like those by Islamists in France, Australia and Canada recently.
There is a difference between tolerance for people who are different and appeasement. Sadly, it is now considered impolite to demand that all people honour the values that made this country and Western Society, great democracies.
We are seeing the results of that appeasement and lack of backbone in the blood on the streets of Paris, Sydney and Ottawa.
As you know, standing up for my values and what was right cost me dearly, but I would do exactly the same should I be tested again.
Peter, standing up for your values and what was right may have cost you financially – but it has not cost you your integrity. In my opinion your integrity is what makes you a beacon in the night.