weekly challenge

When I think of compelling speeches and stories, I realize there is a common denominator of authenticity and an element of passion and even struggle. The same goes for compelling people — they don’t just have a vision, they inspire others to share that vision in an irresistible way.

Do you remember the TV show MacGyver from the eighties/early nineties? The protagonist was a secret agent with a penchant for getting out of tight spots by using applied science and everyday objects in imaginative ways. To me, MacGyver is the perfect example of someone who is resourceful.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy told Congress, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.” At the time, this seemed like an impossible task...

Victor Poirier and his colleagues published research in early 2017 about the characteristics of innovation and how to cultivate them. Among the fourteen characteristics listed that innovative people possess include: curiosity, risk-taking, positive attitude, and grit.

I remember reading about an experiment the US Military was doing to see why some soldiers were better at predicting where I.E.D.s were located than others. Two things jumped out at me — one, that intuition is highly informed by the subconscious processing of information...

Merriam-Webster defines ingenious as “marked by originality, resourcefulness, and cleverness in conception or execution.” I know I’ve seen something ingenious when it makes me think, ”I wish I had thought of that!” or when there is a particular elegance to a creation.

From the Greek meaning inspired, being enthusiastic means being eager or passionate. It is a positive energy that can spread. It’s one of those character traits where you can truly “fake it until you make it” — just the act of trying to be enthusiastic will make you more enthusiastic!

Last week, the Tilt character trait topic was disciplined, which is closely related to being consistent. You can’t be disciplined without being consistent in your choices.

Optimism comes from the Latin root for “best” — it is expecting the best as well as seeing the best in even difficult situations...

When I think about someone who is fair, I think of someone who is honest, upright, and honorable. There is a sense of level-headedness to a fair person. He or she acts in accordance with the rules or standards, and therefore engenders trust, because people know what to expect.

We are creatures who have the gift of free will, meaning we can choose our actions. Some of these choices are conscious, others unconscious. Typically, we choose actions that serve us in some way — it’s been our evolutionary advantage to do so.

Being honorable is something that can only be achieved over time, where you are able to demonstrate integrity and “doing the right thing” even when others don’t agree with you. There is a sense of a “higher purpose” — a quality that transcends current circumstance.

Alert comes from the French phrase à l’erte meaning “on the watch” and from the Italian all’erta, meaning “to the height.” This etymology brings to my mind an image of someone up in a tower overlooking land in all directions, watching for potential danger.

Flexible comes from the Latin root meaning “to bend.” There’s often more than one “right” way to do something — the trick is not to be so married to your own approach that it gets in the way of achieving your goal.

The opposite of being curious isn’t just indifference — it’s being judgmental. Being curious means you are inquisitive and you have an insatiable appetite for learning; being judgmental means you have not only made up your mind, you see it as the only “right” way.

Being receptive is being willing to consider new ideas and suggestions. It is the opposite of being narrow-minded, resistant, and shutting down new ideas. The key to being receptive is being curious, willing to explore...

Starting next week, we continue our journey through the Tilt 365 Model as we move to the Resilience quadrant. We just finished Weekly Challenges related to the character traits that are a part of the three Courage quadrant character strengths: Confidence, Boldness and Integrity...

A basic definition of “honest” is truthful, being free from deception. Yet James Foust once said, “Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living and truth loving.”

Being tenacious is being determined. It is about persevering despite obstacles — a key component of what is popularly known today as “grit.”

It’s hard — perhaps impossible — to think of a compelling speech that is devoid of passion. Being passionate is showing strong feelings or beliefs, and it’s easy to see why it is part of the Boldness character strength — passion drives action.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines adventurous as “willing to try new or difficult things.” It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking, either — sure, climbing to a mountain peak or traveling to a foreign country is adventurous, but so is trying a new food, saying “yes” to an invitation for a new

At first when I think of someone being brave, I think of heroes. Firefighters who run into a flaming building to save someone inside. Sully Sullenberger landing an airplane on the Hudson River. Teachers who stand up for a vulnerable child. Passersby who help someone in a life-or-death situation.

“What you allow is what will continue.” I don’t know who originally said this, but it is an excellent mantra for people-pleasers like myself who tend to “go along” to the point of letting others take advantage of us. How do I know when it’s gotten to that point? Easy — I start to feel resentment.

Being certain evokes a calm assuredness, a steadfast confidence. If you are certain, you are sure. There is a popular proverb, “there is nothing certain, but the uncertain.”

Being self-assured is simply being confident in one’s abilities, character, and one’s own worth. It is having a strong sense of self that serves as a guide for one’s actions (instead of looking to others to figure out what to do).