30 Nov Finding the Courage to Lead | Leadership Podcast

Podcast Transcript: Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast, brought to you in part by Book of Zen, makers of wearable inspiration for a better world. Today’s podcast has been edited and adapted from the book The Power of Truth by William George Jordan, published in 1902…

The reformers of the world are those men and women of mighty purpose. They are leaders with the courage of individual conviction who dare run counter to the criticism of the crowd. They are the souls who voluntarily bear crosses for what they accept as right, even without the guarantee of redemption. They are the heroes who gladly go down into the depths of silence, darkness and oblivion, only to emerge finally like divers, with pearls in their hands.

The individual who labors tirelessly toward the attainment of some noble aim, with eyes fixed on the star of some mighty purpose, IS a reformer. The scientist who follows the thin thread of some revelation of Nature in any of the sciences, follows it in the spirit of truth through a maze of doubt, hope, experiment and questioning, till the tiny guiding thread grows stronger and firmer to their touch, leading them to some wondrous illumination of Nature’s law, IS a reformer.

The spiritual seeker who goes up alone into the mountains of truth and, glowing with the radiance of some mighty revelation, returns to encourage the hurrying world to listen to their story, IS a reformer. Whoever seeks to work out for themselves their destiny, the life-work that their nature tells them should be theirs, bravely, calmly and with due consideration of the rights of others, IS a reformer.

Those brilliant minds who renounce the commonplace and conventional for higher things ARE reformers, because they are striving to bring about new conditions, are consecrating their lives to ideals. They are the brave aggressive vanguard of progress. The soldiers who can stand a siege, who can take long forced marches without a murmur, who set their teeth and bow their heads as they fight their way through the smoke, who smile at the trials and privations that dare to daunt them.

They fear naught the hardships and perils of the fight, for they are ever inspired by the flag of triumph that seems already waving on the citadel of their hopes. If we are facing some great life ambition let us see if our heroic plans are good, high, noble and exalted enough for the price we must pay for their attainment.

Let us seriously and honestly look into our needs, our abilities, our resources, and our responsibilities, to assure ourselves that it is no mere passing whim that is leading us. Let us hear and consider all counsel, all light that may be thrown on every side, let us hear it as a judge on the bench listens to the evidence and then makes their own decision. The choice of our life-work is too sacred a responsibility to be decided by others less thoroughly informed than ourselves…..

Read The Entire Essay in Evergreen: 50 Inspirational Life Lessons

You can also gain access to the full transcript and essay by becoming a patron of the Inspirational Living podcast. For more information, please visit: https://www.patreon.com/inspirationalpodcasts.