Standing Out by Stepping Up

At the time of my last post, I was facing my 30th high school reunion and challenged readers to identify the “Senior Standouts” in their lives: The people who made us who we are today because they showed up for us in a positive way. My reunion was last weekend and it made me think about how I might have affected people from my past. In looking through their yearbook, what thoughts come to mind when they see my picture? Was I ever a “Standout” to them and, if so, was it “The Best Shoulder to Cry On” or something negative? While I will most likely never know, it made me ask myself, “How am I showing up in the world now? Going forward, how can I be a ‘standout’ to others?” That’s when I came across the concept of Red Shoes Living. This concept was formulated by Lonnie Mayne as a workshop to drive corporate culture to be more meaningful for employees so that businesses have a more engaged workforce. The goal is to get employees to be the best versions of themselves in delivering products and services to clients so they standout out like a pair of red shoes. The Red Shoes philosophy can reach far beyond the workplace and into our personal lives. Red Shoes Living is about standing out for the positive in everything you do and in how you are treating people. By regularly asking ourselves “Is this Red Shoes?”, we are asking, “Are we showing up as the best version of ourselves?” Whether it be an email at work or a post on social media, how are we showing up to people? Are we putting that little bit “extra” into what we do that makes it more meaningful to the person receiving it?

So, what exactly is Red Shoes Living? It’s based on 5 pillars starting with the foundation of “Awareness.” Being aware of who’s in front of you and how your actions impact others. Be in the present. Stay in the moment. Live there. Once we are aware, we must be grateful for everything in our lives and take nothing for granted-not our relationships, our health or our talents. Grateful people are more open and, when we are more open to opportunities, more come our way. The next pillar is that “everyone has a story” that we need to listen to. If someone is negative, there is a story there. Find out what it is before forming a judgment. Connect to people by learning their story because, once you know their story, you know what inspires and motivates them. Pillar 4 is “Respect and Kindness“, which is a personal favorite of mine. One can command respect and accountability while still being kind. If I can give you more by being kind and respectful with accountability, I will get more out of you. The last pillar is “Put Yourself Out There” which is another way of saying “Stand out for the positive.” (Stand out like a pair of red shoes).

We each have a responsibility as human beings to make a difference whether it be towards a co-worker, a family member or a stranger. There was a wonderful post on Quora that worded it perfectly, “Standing up for someone who cannot shows the best of humanity. Lose it and we are no more than machines running with no brakes. It is through these acts that we validate ourselves and our existence.” These altruistic deeds give our times of adversity meaning because we can share our knowledge gained from those experiences with those who currently find themselves in similar circumstances. Embrace the hard times because there is a lesson coming that we will be able to share with others when their tough time comes. Life is cyclical. We are all one. We are all in this together. No one is exempt from hardship.

As Lonnie Mayne states, “Stand out like a pair of red shoes. Stand out by being more helpful, more professional, more compassionate, and more responsible. Be better than you were a week ago. Reach higher. Show more pride. Be noticeably different.”

If you are interested in Lonnie’s book “Red Shoes Living”, you can find more information about it here.