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Could you say, "NO"?

stenders03

Could you say NO? In 2019, I had an opportunity to go on a 2-week trip to the Middle East. Our team had powerful encounters in diverse cultural contexts as we served in 3 major cities. One of the cities was Cairo, Egypt. While we couldn't take pictures of much of how our team served, we did have an morning to visit the Pyramids at Giza and have a camel ride. The camel attendant pulled me and my camel aside (I think that was a side hustle) and pointed to the silicone bracelet I was wearing, wanting to add it to his collection on his wrist. This one was imprinted with the phrase, “to the ends of the earth.” Not being able to resist that request and that smile, I gave him the bracelet. Shukran(thank you). Afwan (you’re welcome). Like many things with the team on that trip, I had to lean into cultural experiences when I had little knowledge or certainty on situations. One big adjustment for me was to embrace a more event orientation vs. specific scheduled times. We had to say Yes, when we didn’t have all the details. This was a time of stretching and growth. The memories of leaning into that uncertainty made an indelible impression on my life and leadership.


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