In many areas of life, we witness a clear “rallying cry” which serves to energize an individual or group to give their very best and to sustain them when times get really tough.
In sports, we find a rallying cry in playing our role and contributing to the team’s effort to win a championship. In the military, we have the mission to accomplish and to “have the back” of the individuals in the unit we serve. In the history of nations, we often hear a rallying cry of some incredible goal like President Kennedy’s declaration in 1961 to send an American safely to the moon before the end of the decade. It is as a result of these types of rallying cries that we often see incredible acts of perseverance and service that we admire and draw some personal motivation to keep moving forward.
Not all rallying cries are made of good and just causes for humanity or for things closer to home. Unfortunately, throughout our history, there have been and continue to be rallying cries of evil that carry the same passion, energy, and never-quit mindset that positive, uplifting rallying cries can generate.
I am sure we can all relate to times in our lives when we were energized and filled with passion as we followed a certain rallying cry. It may have been playing on that high school sports team striving for a championship. Perhaps it was some activity in school or service project that gave us energy and focus. As working adults, maybe it was the product launch that galvanized the efforts of everyone in the company to give their very best. The rallying cry of parenthood often gives parents incredible energy to stay up for nights on end with a young child who is not feeling well. The fitness goal of running a 5K or even a marathon can be just the rallying cry we need to get back into shape.
A rallying cry provides direction for the very essence of our being.
When we align ourselves with that direction we find ourselves giving our very best, never quitting, and in most cases, we find the peace of purpose and belonging that is so crucial to our emotional health and stability.
As adults, many times we become unmoored and adrift because we have lost connection to a rallying cry perhaps because we (a) let the busyness of life create a fog that conceals our desired direction (b) we gave in to the general flow of adulthood and buried our passion or (c) we never were awakened or reinforced enough to the importance of direction in our life to our overall health and potential. The result is that we often lose energy quickly, fail to give our best, and most definitely fall short of our potential.
As we fail to contemplate, articulate, and move toward our own rallying cry, we often hear things like “I am just not happy” or “I just don’t have the energy that I use to”…and the list of phrases goes on and on.
As we build and strengthen our character, an important element is for us to define our rallying cry in order to focus our effort and sustain our engagement for the long haul. Some people may describe terms like “mission” or “purpose” in defining our direction. It is not about the terminology or the process, it is simply about connecting and continually reconnecting with the direction we are headed, with what truly moves us into action, and what cause will sustain us through the unavoidable challenges we will face.
Here are just a few thoughts from others to help remind us of some simple truths in reconnecting with our own rallying cry:
The risk of not defining a direction: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland
The direction of service: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Gandhi
I think we can all agree that individuals closest to us would be strengthened and encouraged if we reconnected with a rallying cry of service to others, especially in the home.
As we reconnect with or perhaps redefine our own personal rallying cry, we will build and strengthen our character and Character Creates Opportunity® to reach our full potential.