An Incarcerated Soul
- Vernon C. Lindsay, PhD
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Dear Student Leader,
Tuesday started unlike any other day this week. Before my phone’s alarm had the opportunity to wake me, I shot out of bed. Eager to get the day started, I used the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and dressed in my running clothes.
I completed my morning ritual, started a draft of this post, and warmed up while I waited to take my children to their swim practice. We arrived on time and split our ways. They went into the aquatic center, and I started to jog.
Once I made it into the woods, I resumed listening to a podcast my sister had recommended. Within seconds, my brain transported me inside the walls of the infamous Louisiana prison, Angola.
On the Burden of Guilt podcast, I listened to the story of an innocent man sentenced to 99 years of hard labor. His description of the prison, combined with the dark, empty running trail, sent chills up my spine.
Jermaine Hudson talked about illnesses, infections, eating with forks bearing teeth marks, and the prison’s cemetery. His “soul was incarcerated,” is how he described time inside the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Multiple lies, an unfortunate past, racism, and a broken criminal justice system had imprisoned him.
He was angry but somehow found the courage to face each day and fight for his survival.
Jermaine’s story has implications for leaders.
During dire circumstances, our emotions can either push us forward, keep us still, or pull us back. We always have choices. In leadership, there will be instances when our feelings will attempt to dictate decisions.
Channeling what Stoics and Ryan Holiday call the inner citadel, willpower, and purpose, can guide us during challenging moments.
Jermaine Hudson’s determination to prove his innocence, the development of spiritual values, and numbing himself to the outside world kept him alive, productive, and sane.
When we connect with our internal compasses, we can reach the depths of our leadership capacity. Unfortunately, our egos limit and overextend our perspectives and potential.
Last week’s blog post expanded on the concept of selfless leadership.
A couple of things had pulled me out of bed early on Tuesday. First, I didn’t want to wake my wife, who had recently complained about feeling more tired than usual.
Secondly, the opportunities to write and exercise had also forced me awake.
I see writing and working out as interlinked passions that enable me to impact lives, manage stress, and improve my leadership skills; they inform my purpose.
The work I produce and co-create with others has the potential to guide people toward resources that liberate incarcerated souls. Writing articles, teaching classes, advocating for policy changes, leading health and wellness initiatives, and conducting research can open pathways to freedom.
Let’s use this weekend to gain additional clarity on our life’s work. Perhaps the message will come while exercising, listening to another episode of the Burden of Guilt podcast, meditating, praying, or reading. It could also come in the silence of a still moment.
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Until next time, and in solidarity with your leadership success,
V
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