Why is ignorance a gift?
Why are we afraid to tell our own truth?
How does sympathy drive us apart?
Join us as we discuss these and other compelling topics with Paralympian and executive coach John Register on this episode of The Rabbi and the Shrink.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnregister/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M08l27PzJ8E
1:00 People are uncomfortable telling their truths and articulating the object of their fears
All fear stems from fear of the unknown
2:30 Kids are willing to say what adults are afraid to
Embrace the new normal
New is “no prior frame of reference”
5:00 Kids come with innocence… when did we lose ours?
Labels and categories create tension
Empathy vs. sympathy
Honor and respect others for who they are and on their terms
10:00 Have low expectations and work to raise the bar
11:00 Ignorance is a good thing if it makes us curious
We need to be inquisitive and want to expand our knowledge base
14:00 The fear of being misinterpreted of of inadvertently giving offense suppresses our curiosity
16:00 Swifter, higher, stronger -- always set the bar higher above each plateau
The nature of steps -- the top of one is the bottom of the next
A door is a point of transition: always look for the next door
20:00 How do we manage a step backward?
Always tell the truth and take responsibility
23:00 We all have disabilities -- some are more evident than others
Give every person the benefit of the doubt that they are trying to overcome their own challenges
27:00 Find the quiet space in your daily routine and use them as anchoring rituals
Develop good habits and avoid decision fatigue
32:00 We need support systems
Friendship is a profound gift, and we need to seek out people of quality and invest ourselves in them
34:00 We need to be able to take so others can give
36:00 Giving hard news, making hard decisions, supporting others in their decisions
38:30 Relationships may never recover from trust betrayed
Standing up for principles, even when there’s a price to pay
42:00 In a culture of trust, there is less opportunity for giving or taking offense
When truth outweighs fear, we commit to a courageous life
46:00 Tell people closest to you your secrets, then you won’t have to be afraid they will come out
Integrity calls us to take responsibility and be accountable
50:00 Word of the day: interstice -- take a pause
We should respond, not react, which requires us to take a moment before we speak or act
52:00 What’s one area where you can bring a truth to light and share it with another?
56:00 The founder of the Paralympics
The refusal to accept that circumstances can’t be improved is the essence of ethics