No, I haven’t grown out my hair. But I am calling forth the Indomitable.
In How to Begin, I talk about a Worthy Goal being Thrilling, Important, and Daunting.
I remember when I first found the word “daunting” and how delighted I was with it.
It’s got an ancient heft to it. Its origins are French, and it has a root meaning of “overcome.” Something that’s daunting threatens to subdue us.
But fear not.
Against daunting, you have “indomitable.” It comes from the same root word, but Indomitable sets its feet in the sand against Daunting.
It says: No. You Shall Not Pass!
When we seek a new conflict, we’re looking for a Daunting that will call forth our Indomitable.
I’m not saying you have to go all Gandalf and take on a Balrog, but there’s no doubt that when we take on the hard things, we unlock our greatness.
And what now is success?
When you find a new conflict, you’re also invited to find new ways of defining success.
Old conflict, one that you’ve mastered, or at least got the hang of, offers diminishing spoils of victory and known stings of defeat.
I’m noticing that difference with two projects that are important to me now.
One’s about bringing The Coaching Habit to parents of teenagers. The other is exploring what it means to step more fully into the role of being an Elder.
Both of them feel hard and overwhelming, and do not offer the usual prizes and punishments of past projects.
Both of them feel like they might be new stories, new roles, new conflicts, new opportunities for failure and success.
And maybe you’re feeling that too … that itch of something new, something harder, something worthy.
Something that might just bring out your own Indomitable spirit.
