We all have the right to speak. But there is no right to be influential.
We all have the right to invite others. But there is no right to hear an affirming response.
We all have the right to show up. But there is no right to get results.
We all have the right to offer our experience. But there is no right that it will be taken.
We all have the right to be educated. But there is no right to success.
We have many rights at our disposable. Rights that make us more capable, more effective, more confident, and more knowledgeable.
What none of us have are rights to outcomes that align with our interests or desires.
One way to think about “rights,” are those choices and behaviors we have control over. Yes, rights are also those legal or moral entitlements that each individual possesses. But, when we think of “rights,” as what we have control over, the concept of responsibility emerges.
As we work with teammates, donors, volunteers, supervisors, and others each day, we have opportunities to leverage our rights to serve, lead, and achieve our institutional mission. In fact, it is our responsibility to do so.
When we focus more consistently on the rights we have true control over, we find that we get more and more of the outcomes we are seeking, especially when they are in the noble service of those aspects of life beyond our personal gratification.
