By Dr. Donald L. Green, 10 January 2023
A few conversations with RiderCoaches this week have me considering a “Shared Purpose” as a theme for 2023. The more time I spend as a RiderCoach, the less I seem to know. This plays well with one of my focus items of growth this year – sharing with others while also gaining from those who also what to share. As usual, I have ruminated on this and below are my three ruminations.
1) In discussing a “Shared Purpose,” the first thing top-of-mind for me is I need to have a PURPOSE. For some reason, Rider Education and being a RiderCoach – became an activity I continually submit myself to. It keeps me up at night and provides an excellent reason to wake up in the morning with the desire to share. I want to share it with students, future coaches, peers, and programs that care to have a dialog about riding and learning to ride better.
2) The second rumination is that for a “Shared Purpose,” we also need to find others with a similar purpose. When we interact with someone who feels the same way about our passion and continues to be similarly curious, we no longer feel alone on an island. An example of this is Tribe Talk, where a small group of passionate RiderCoaches comes together for almost three years to build a strong community and learn from each other without strings attached. Coaches make it when they can and come and go as they, please. But, most importantly, we operate with a “Shared Purpose.”
3) The Third rumination is potentially the most difficult to attain. We must be able to put ourselves out there to be vulnerable enough to share thoughts while letting outcomes happen. This is called vulnerability and is why many of us have problems with “Shared Purpose.” It is difficult to share our deepest thoughts when we continually fear being told we are wrong. The environment needs to be safe enough to allow multiple attempts and, as a result, sometimes failure. However, if we can be authentic and use whatever feedback we receive, everyone involved can walk away with an excellent opportunity for growth. Most importantly, a trust formed with others creates a bond in the experience providing support for the “Shared Purpose.”
I hope the ruminations inspire you to “put it out there” and seek others with a shared purpose. If it interests you, try Tribe Talk Happy Hour on Wednesdays, you never know where we will go with the discussions.
Have a great week!
– Don
