I have written earlier this week on several topics that are difficult to nail down in terms of a specific definition. Beauty, love, heroism, and leadership are all things that we think we know about, but when asked to define them, the answer is more often than not that we will “know them when we see them.” I looked back at my own experiences in life and realized that I would have defined all of these things much differently 10 or 15 years ago than I do today and I owe that entirely to the things that I have seen and done.
Long ago I would have listed physical attributes as the only thing that could denote beauty, but I know now that inner beauty is so much better.
My thoughts on love haven’t changed too much over time, but have only strengthened. I am able to understand that I love more things and why I love them that I may have when I was younger.
My heroes are certainly different today than they were in high school or even college and I understand today much more clearly what it truly means to be a hero.
Finally, leadership has probably changed the most in my mind. As I wrote yesterday, leadership had long been about position in an organizational structure until my eyes were opened by leaders like John Maxwell. I now understand that leadership is much more than just being a “manager” or “supervisor” of people and that one can lead from any position.
As you can see, my own personal thoughts about these different concepts have changed over the past several years. I urge you to think about what you have experienced that has led to changes in your thinking over time.