The Courage to “Be”

Sometimes it takes a trigger to make us pivot

Last month, The Invictus Games were held “Down Under” for the first time – in Sydney.

The Games are the brainchild of Prince Harry, or “Harry”, as he is more familiarly known – fpr the Invictus generation, and were initiated with the help of some key stakeholders in London, four years ago.

The story of how “Harry” found his ‘Aspiration’ is, in itself inspiring.
Returning from active duty in Afghanistan – a dead Danish soldier below and two seriously injured British soldiers on the same plane – a desire ‘do something’ was awoken in Harry.

In his own words, Harry realised a desire to use his “Prince” title to good effect. To help those who returned injured in some way, to rehabilitate into society.

There is no doubt that Harry had the mindset needed to make it happen. He knew he could achieve this with the right people on board. Adopting the behaviours needed to implement an event of this scale required some exceptional research and negotiation skills.

The coup d’état, however was his capacity to create the right environment for these games to not only succeed, but to actually change people’s lives on many levels. To change the lives of the selected athletes, their families, the perception of the institutions who employed them – and society at large.

Isn’t it interesting that when you find your purpose, things ‘appear’ to just fall into line?

A lot of work has gone into the growing success of the Invictus Games.

The research Harry conducted at the US Warrior Games in 2013 and through his trip to the Antarctica, South Pole with injured servicemen, deepened his ‘belief’ and strengthened his resolve that this event was needed. His mission to engage the support of others to ensure the games were for the ‘heroes’, wherever they came from, was evident to those present at the launch of the Games in London, in 2014.

Nervous as he was, Harry took a leadership role as MC of the Games because he believed in himself (and in his mission). The glory, very clearly, belonged to the athletes from the fourteen participating countries.

In Sydney, this number had grown to a record 18 participating allied nations with more than 500 competitors.

I was fortunate to go to Lady Macquarie’s Chair in the Botanical Gardens and watch these inspiring, incredible athletes, in the various road races.

The countries selected their athletes, not solely on their ability, but by considering who would benefit most as part of their ‘rehabilitation’ process. A number of the athletes had experienced, or were still experiencing PTSD in varying degrees and others, physical disabilities.

The common trait that I witnessed was that of courage.

One woman had borrowed her tricycle from a US participant, who had used it in the race before. As she raced along, the chains broke. She didn’t give up. She pushed the wheels with her hands to get across the finish line!

In another race, a cyclist was having difficulty getting up the hill. Two of his Canadian colleagues came to support him and gave him a push to regain momentum.

Unconditional love and support. – this was a quality I saw time and again throughout the games. They all wanted each other to do well – to succeed to be their best.

It was less about winning, and more about finishing – or, breaking through individual barriers.

During the Tennis, a Dutch competitor was playing doubles with an English competitor who reacted to a helicopter flying overhead. He recognised that his partner was suffering from severe PTSD, so the Dutch player sang to him “Let it go, let it go” from the movie FROZEN.

And the best part?

His opponent recovered, recomposed himself and the pair went on to win the match.

The unconquered human spirit on show, and ‘mateship’ in its true form.

A true example of “I AM.”

“I AM” is a very apt motto for the Invictus generation. Irrespective of the disabilities one may have, or is dealing with or even how work may have defined who they were in the past, when one strips away those ‘labels’ one is still “I AM”.

In the words of Deepak Chopra:
“When the sense of identity is the I AM, the source, one still feels a sense of purpose”.

The Invictus Games allow each person to redefine their Identity.
To define their ‘Aspiration’: reshape their ‘Mindset’; redefine what ‘Behaviours’ are needed to achieve their ‘Aspiration’; and help create the “Environment” to enable them to succeed in a different way.

For a number of athletes, this meant dealing with some deep mental scars from some very horrific incidents.

As Harry said; “Our competitors have helped turn the issue of mental health from a sad story to an inspiring one. They want to live, rather than just be alive.”

Therein lies the power to BE.

So the question is:
• Are you living your “I AM”?
• Do you have the courage to BE?
• How are you defining your Identity?

Next month I will share my experience of finding one’s ‘soul’ place.