Today I am going to gift myself, and another person. Today I am going to have a look at my Integrity and my Self-Leadership.

I am going to have a conversation with myself, and ask the question ‘Who am I?‘ I will keep asking this question, for many minutes, more likely for half an hour, or more. When I think I have nothing left to say, I will ask the same question again ‘Who am I?’.

When I was first gifted this question a while ago, I found myself at first describing what I did, then eventually started describing my roles in life, and finally, after much gentle, but persistent, asking of the question, after much soul-searching, I finally got to who I am. Essentially. Basically. This Human Being sitting here, writing this text.

Then, I will invite one other person to ask this question. I will carefully, respectfully choose this person. I will choose an influential person, someone who might take leadership, in his or her world. I will ask ‘Who are you?’. With permission, with integrity, with compassion, I will keep asking.

This is a most powerful question. It can allow us to start peeling away beyond our jobs and vocations, beyond our roles, beyond our beliefs, which are our truths, beyond our words, our images, to what is left… the Human Being, amongst many other human beings, other beings, and things. Is that not perhaps what we need today, in my world, in your world, in our world?

But it takes true guts, immense courage, to sit down and ask this question of yourself for long enough. And even more courage and bravery to invite another to ask the question of you. And it is a true gift to another, to hold this question for them.

Do I have what it takes? Do I have that self-leadership, that integrity? Do you?…

Today I remember someone, who I expect did have those guts. A shining example of integrity, and leadership. A Human Being. Rest in peace, Madiba. And the way I choose to remember, is by inviting him to live on, in me. And Another.