Share your brave idea and make the magic happen

Last month, I was invited to contribute to the TEDx St Helier event by leading an audience engagement session that encouraged us all to reflect on what we had heard from the impressive line of speakers and consider our own brave ideas.

I said yes straight away. Then I wished I hadn’t.

The thought of standing on that famous red circle was a bit intimidating but the opportunity to talk about brave ideas was too good to miss because I love a brave idea. I work with brave people every day. I know courage is contagious so the answer had to remain...yes!

So I started by asking the audience a question that I’m now asking you.

Have you ever had an idea that makes you fizz just a little bit inside with excitement or possibility? Maybe it’s something that makes you sit up a bit straighter when you think of it.

It might be something you have always wanted to try or learn to do. Or maybe, it’s something for you, your family perhaps or your workplace or your community. Maybe you’ve wanted to speak a truth or right a wrong.

When that fizz of attention happens, pay attention to it. It’s a clue that something exciting that is important to you could happen.

But the funny thing about great ideas is that we don’t always follow through and they just stay quietly fizzing inside until they just fizzle out.

The leadership researcher Brene Brown uses the analogy of us all being in an arena with a few brave souls in the middle, following their curiosity and trying out their ideas. But the arena is also filled with people watching. Some, hopefully many, will be watching in admiration feeling inspired by those in the middle. Some are, as Brene Brown puts it, are sniping from the cheap seats, trying to put off those in the middle.

Sometimes the voices sniping from the cheap seats comes from inside our own heads and stops us from being curious about the next steps. We might hear ourselves think ‘That will never work’, ‘Who am I to think I could do that?” or variations on that theme.

Being brave often comes from a place of vulnerability. However, great ideas can come from that place of vulnerability.

Over the last four years I’ve followed my own brave ideas. I left secure, full time employment to set up on my own. Brave wasn’t the word that everyone used here! I had a few sniping from the cheap seats, and yes, some of those sniping voices came from inside my own head. But I stepped into the arena and gave it my best shot and am still loving my self employed life, challenges and all! If it hadn’t have worked out for me, I know I would have tried my hardest.

Also, after decades of talking about it and listening to my inside sniping voices, I have finally finished writing a crime novel – a destination thriller to be accurate. My next act of bravery will be showing it to others – cue voices again!

But I’ll do it because I know that courage is contagious. When I surround myself with others who have brave ideas and are excited about them, my excitement increases and so does my courage.

So, my invitation to you all to reflect:

·      What makes you fizz with excitement about possibilities and potential?

It doesn’t have to be anything big or even feel big. It just needs to light your fire.

Then, how about engaging in an act of courage and sharing that idea with someone else. Saying it out loud can be incredibly powerful. I have learned to love and live by the idea of starting before I’m completely ready. There is never the perfect time. I then catch up with myself by putting planning in place.

Then consider, what might be one step towards your brave idea. You don’t have to leap, you just need to take one step.

One small imperfect step.

That step might be:

·      One question asked

·      One email sent

·      One search for a course

·      One truth spoken

·      One conversation

I invite you to step into the middle of the arena and make it count.

And if you want to share your brave idea with someone - even if you whisper it - you know where to find me!