Do you realize that each of you has a “Body of Work”? We tend to think that only famous people have Bodies of Work: books, poems, inventions, discoveries. However, the truth is that each and every one of us is building a “Body of Work” every day. Now is the time to take responsibility for yours. You have a body of work in your profession, even if that is staying home and caring for your family. You have a body of work in your community. How will your neighbors talk about you, share their understanding of who you are, and remember you when you move? You have a body of work in your social interactions outside of your community. When people encounter you in the larger world, how will they share those encounters?

In the current world of acronyms your “Body of Work” is your BOW. Now, depending on the pronunciation, we can go in one of two directions. Let us start with the one that describes the front of a boat. The bow is upfront and takes the lead, which also means that it takes the brunt of the forces the boat is encountering. What forces are you encountering? How are you “taking” them? The bow is designed to cut through these forces and carry the boat forward in search of better places. When you encounter waves of challenge, pushback, and confrontation, I hope your bow can face them with dignity, security, and fortitude.

Now let us look at a different definition: Bow… to yield or bend. What happens to you in relationships when you are placed in the position of bending to the other? When you must yield on the highway, you do it with ease and grace. When you must yield in a relationship, the pause to wait and the deference to the other does not seem so easy. Discerning when to bow and when to fight can be exceedingly difficult. Yet, we are capable of it. At the same time, the emotion that tends to flood us is often a powerful resistance, as though we will be completely swept away if we bend. We should be more aware of our resilience in these moments and recognize that in discerning when to bend, we are gaining an opportunity to examine ourselves more closely. Personal growth comes from knowing when to stand strong and when to step aside. Both are valuable.