This week CVS Pharmacy made a decision to stop selling all tobacco products in their stores by October 2014. I posted to Facebook that I thought it was a courageous decision for leaders to make. My point was NOT about tobacco. I don’t really care if CVS was doing it for publicity. It was courageous because it required leadership to take a risk and take a stand. Often in life we are faced with things that we get used to that have been accepted as normal or status quo and occasionally someone says, “hey maybe we could turn left when the rest of the world is going right.” Not to be different just for difference sake but because it matters to you. When I saw the CVS executive on TV it struck me as less about what they were doing and more about myself. It triggered questions about where there might be areas in my own life where I have not looked critically enough at where i need to take a stand or where I should stop taking a stand cause it just doesn’t matter. I also found it interesting that the executive did not have anger or hostility toward tobacco users but just simply said that it was a decision CVS made that was in alignment with the direction they want the company to go.
Alignment? I like it. And that is my encouragement to you this month. Where might intentional alignment suit you, benefit you or make you take a stand in kindness.
Here are some steps to consider:
Take a look around you and ask yourself if there may be areas where a course correction is in order.
Accept the fact that course corrections are not always popular.
If you change course, take a stand or go right when others are going left do it from humility and grace. Do not allow anger or indignation to drive you.
Do what you do on purpose and with purpose considering others as you do.
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